Daisy chaining single TB drives on M2 Max MacBook Pro

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Daisy chaining single TB drives on M2 Max MacBook Pro

I have an MBP, M2 Max, 32GB, 15.6. I was having problems with an OWC powered hub causing RF in my external monitors. I had to take the hub out of the system. I now have 3 TB 4 ports. One goes to the sound card and I have to juggle my other externals. One external drive has remained a stand alone for audio and video storage. I also have a personal 1TB for backup.

I am searching and I can only find drive enclosures that have 2 minimum drive bays. I thought Apple used to support plugging one drive into another and creating a daisy chain. Can this still happen even using bus power? Are there enclosures there with an "in and out" TB interface? I am tired of plugging and unplugging drives, including USB-C sticks.

Thanks for the upfront knowledge.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: "Daisy chaining" single drives?

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 15.6

Posted on Aug 14, 2025 07:04 AM

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Answer 1

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MartinR

Level 7

23,535 points

Aug 14, 2025 07:29 AM in response to nelsonmay

Of course you can still daisy-chain drives. Thunderbolt or USB. You just need drives or enclosures that have more than a single TB or USB port. Same as back in the FW days, the drive/enclosure needed to have 2 or more FW ports. SCSI drives only needed a single port but that was because SCSI cables had multiple connectors spaced along the length of the cable, one for each drive plus a terminator at the end of the cable.

For example, the 1-bay OWC MiniStack STX (TB4) or the 2-bay OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual (USB) are both "daisy-chainable.." BTW, when you daisy-chain all the devices must use the same protocol - TB or USB, no mixing them.

I use the Mercury Elite Pro Dual enclosures and daisy-chain other drives to them all the time.

Also, when you do this you cannot rely on bus power. The drives need their own power supplies.

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