CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

[BigN]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Thanks Spoon, I agree re C2 Pointers from my reading on this and other similar forums. It seems to be a mandatory feature for good audio rips!

But how does one tell if a particular drive model has this feature if the manufacturer's own website makes no mention of this feature in the spec detail? For example the Plextor PX-860A, which may actually be a re-badged Pioneer model.

Let me re-phrase my request for advice as I am keen to finalise my dBPA configuration and move on with this project. Given that neither my TSSTcorp TS-H532C nor my Philips DVD8701 are able to successfully rip Track 6 of the Berlioz Te Deum album that I am using to prove out this step of my workflow, and... given that my 8701 is a bit better and doubles up as my CD/DVD Writer drive, it therefore makes sense to me to replace the TSST drive with one particularly good for CD-DA rips. So my question now becomes:-
Q) Based on your considerable experience over a period of time, what optical drive has all the features that dBPA can take advantage of eg C2 Pointers, and which will maximize the chance of a secure rip for not only this error-prone CD track, but also the hundreds of other CDs I have to rip to FLAC?

[EliC]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

I would recommend looking at the Samsung SH-S223B. I have not tested this drive, but it should be very similiar to the S203B, which EAC's DAE Quality Test shows to have 100% accurate C2 reporting and also recovers a high percent of errors.

[BigN]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Thanks Eli. Only problem with your SH-223B suggestion is that it has a SATA interface. Unfortunately I have no free SATA headers on my mobo. The existing optical drives mentioned earlier in this thread are both E-IDE.

However I will read up about EAC DAE Quality Testing ASAP, and see what other drive may be a suitable swap for my TS-H532C. Meantime many thanks again for your input.

[bhoar]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Thanks Eli. Only problem with your SH-223B suggestion is that it has a SATA interface. Unfortunately I have no free SATA headers on my mobo. The existing optical drives mentioned earlier in this thread are both E-IDE.

However I will read up about EAC DAE Quality Testing ASAP, and see what other drive may be a suitable swap for my TS-H532C. Meantime many thanks again for your input.

Samsung generally makes both an IDE and SATA version of each drive, which differs by a single letter or digit. I think the SH-222 would be the IDE version of the SH-223 series.

I found the SH-202N/BEBN drive to be less precise at C2. C2 worked and didn't generate spurious errors on clean discs, but on scratched discs it seemed to always marked more frames as errors when it engaged than the Teac CD-W552DA which is my current favorite. But that may just be the price of using a DVD laser to read CDs, perhaps, and may also explain why some of the better CD ripping DVD drives, historically, have been the plextors that used two lasers instead of one.

-brendan

[BigN]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Very interesting point re laser, Brendan. Perhaps a dedicated CD-RW for ripping will give a better chance of a clean rip than a drive designed to handle DVDs as well! This would rule out the Samsungs mentioned earlier by Eli and yourself.

While I have found a data sheet for the 52X CD-RW CDW552GC model (and it looks good), I see no result of any value for the CD-W552DA except it's mentioned in Accuraterip's CD Offsets table. Nobody seems to actually sell either model, so I assume they are now discontinued.

To slightly re-phrase my question...
Q) What current production model CD-RW would maximize dBpoweramp's chance of a secure rip from my dodgy Berlioz Te Deum disc? Obviously it needs to fulfil the need for good C2 Error Pointers perfomance etc.

Unable to spend quality time on this today due to arrival of one grand-child!

Thanks
Norrie

[Spoon]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

We recommend the TEAC 224 range (which have a separate CD and DVD laser)

[EliC]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

We recommend the TEAC 224 range (which have a separate CD and DVD laser)

Spoon, since you are buying a number of drives from TEAC, have you tried to ask them to give an improved firmware for DAE? I don't think the TEACs support HTOA. I know you are not really concerned, but overreading would be nice. Also, cache disabling and interpolation disabling. That should all be doable in the firmware and I know I would by the drive.

[Spoon]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Perhaps if we were buying in the 10,000's, but we are not.

[EliC]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Its just firmware modification. Should be cheap and easy for them. I know many people here, HA, CDfreaks, etc would all love it and you probably have the best chance of anyone of at least talking to a company and seeing if they will do it...

[BigN]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Spoon, you refer to the Teac 224 range! I can only find the DW-224E which certainly is an Internal EIDE drive, but unfortunately it seems to be a Slim model intended for Notebooks. I assume this means it won't physically fit in a conventional 5.25" tower bay. Right now my preferred option is definitely to take advice from you guys to source a CD-RW (ie single laser drive, optimized for CD only), to fit a standard 5.25" optical bay, and with an EIDE, not SATA, interface.
Q1) Can you please be more specific about this Teac range? What am I missing here?

Lots of excellent suggestions from you guys, but so far wrong interface, discontinued model, or just won't fit in the box!

The Teac CD-W552GC is available, the spec looks good, and it seems to be current production. But does it support C2 Error Pointers... who knows!
Q2) Brendan, how does this model compare alongside your preferred CD-W552DA?

Thanks again.
Norrie

[bhoar]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Lots of excellent suggestions from you guys, but so far wrong interface, discontinued model, or just won't fit in the box!

The Teac CD-W552GC is available, the spec looks good, and it seems to be current production. But does it support C2 Error Pointers... who knows!
Q2) Brendan, how does this model compare alongside your preferred CD-W552DA?

Norrie: if feel bad saying this, but unfortunately I cannot say. Very few (if any) people have the resources to test the same (damaged) CDs across the many different models of drives out there. I just lucked out when I stumbled upon the 552DA, the default drive in the kiosk robots I was working with, being particularly good at CD ripping: high-speed, excellent C2 behavior, 0KB cache, with the only missing star the exception of HTOA support. I can't state one way or the other if the 552GC works at all like the 552DA.

-brendan

[Spoon]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Choose a drive from here:

http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?t=18088

[BigN]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Brendan, point taken re testing drives! Yes, I do understand re 552 variants. I guess I really now need to use what I have learnt from you and the others on this forum and "bite the bullet", but with a better prospect of buying an optical drive that will actually deliver!

Spoon, last time I referred to the table you mentioned, I am sure it listed 2006 vintage data. I dismissed it as not featuring models currently on the market and featuring current technology! Many thanks for giving me the link to the up-to-date version. Of course I will use this as a guide to an informed choice!

After looking at External optical drives incl the USB 2.0 version of the Teac CDW552GC and the apparently new Plextor PX-880U SATA model, I suddenly realised that my existing two external SATA ports are located adjacent to a PCI Express x4 location in my computer's rear panel, and the sockets are connected directly to the mobo SATA headers. If I were to substitute, for example, a Belkin F5U251 SATA II 2-port PCI Express Card into this slot, my two existing LaCie eSATA hard drives would still be catered for, but more importantly the two mobo headers would be freed up. For an Internal SATA optical drive perhaps? Food for thought... will now need to investigate Internal SATA CD-RW models such as EliC's Samsung SH-S223B recommendation!

In conclusion, I may well now opt to stick with an Internal drive model, and will report back with my results which may take some time. Incidentally does an External USB 2.0 or Firewire connection cause any fresh issues for ripping and error correction? Meantime, sincere thanks to all for patience shown to a
ripping noobie who does not like the word "compromise" when it comes to audio ripping quality! As someone said somewhere... "Rip it once, rip it right".

Norrie

[bhoar]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Incidentally does an External USB 2.0 or Firewire connection cause any fresh issues for ripping and error correction? Meantime, sincere thanks to all for patience shown to a
ripping noobie who does not like the word "compromise" when it comes to audio ripping quality! As someone said somewhere... "Rip it once, rip it right".

Historically, a small percentage of external drives connected via USB or firewire had trouble with C2. However, I suspect that is more of a problem for older bridge chipsets and you're much less likely to run into an issue with an external drive if you are buying an external drive manufactured in the past couple of years.

-brendan

[BigN]

Re: CD Spec vs Ripper Configuration

Thanks Brendan, much as I expected re USB & FW. I'll probably play safe and replace my internal TSSTcorp TS-H532C. Unfortunately the combination of continued great weather here, a large demanding garden, and the Champions League soccer on TV have conspired to deny me quality time to research optical drives again today. I am struggling to come up with a CD-RW model anyway. Lots of DVD+/-RW models are available, plus preferably the new drive should be EIDE... and black, not beige or white! Need to spend some time browsing Spoon's 2008 list!

Norrie