Looking for best ripping drive . . .

[rbsound]

Love the dbpoweramp software and love the idea behind the AccurateRip Accuracy List. But even the 2011 list is full of drives that aren't available anymore. So the only value of the list is to look at manufacturers, but the current models of even the best are not always what they used to be.

So if we limit ourselves to currently available SATA drives what do folks out there recommend. Here's the short list in no particular order (let me know if I'm missing anything). All are DVD/CD drives because there aren't any CD only drives anymore and I don't need a BD drive (already have a LG WH12LS30) and will be used in a Win7 64bit PC.

1. Optiarc AD-7261S (brand hasn't done well although this drive received good reviews at CDInfo)
2. Pioneer DVR-218L
3. Lite-On iHAS424 (brand has done well, but none of the "HAS" series is in the AccurateRip list and CDInfo review is mixed)
4. Plextor PX-880SA (legendary brand, but it appears newer drives aren't what they used to be)
5. Samsung SH223L
6. LG GH24LS70

Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

Off that list I would go for Lite-On, as overall the brand does well.

[rbsound]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

That's what I was thinking, but does anything in this review of the LiteOn iHAS524 (similiar to iHAS424) have you concered with respect for reading CD disc's?

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=26917&PageId=2

For reference, here's the part of the review for the Otiarc AS 7260S which seems to do as well or better than the LiteOn, although I'm not sure which test is most relevant for the specific task of ripping audio CD's. http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Revi...28630&PageId=2

Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

I do not believe in artificial testing of CDs, in that some of the best drives for reading through scratches, can be very poor at reading a CD burnt to CD-R.

[rbsound]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

OK, so I went out and got the drive you suggested (Lite-On iHAS424, -98, firmware GL18) which has been around for a while although the one I have has a manufacturing date of Jan 2011.

When I attempted to do the accuraterip offset test, it worked on one disc (+6 samples, the same as many of the LITEON drives), but then I was unable to find another disc that would be accepted to complete the offset testing. I receive this message:
"This key disc cannot be used for offset detection it does not match the accuraterip stored disc, or your drive does not exist in accuraterip and the disc has multiple pressing stored. Please try another disc."

My questions.
1. How did it do one disc if the drive is not in the database?
2. Would a potential problem with the first disc be causing problems with subsequent discs if it is unable to match? If so, how do I clear out the results from the first disk?
3. After I got this message, I checked the accuraterip list of drives and did not find this model; is this an issue? If it is, this would have been good information to have before I went out and acquired the drive.
4. Can you manually input the offset and get the benefits of accuraterip?

Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

Each disc stored has offset markers, you need 3 matching discs to add the drive to the database, it is not possible to manually add the drive.

[rbsound]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

I'm still not clear; if the drive is not on accuraterip's cd drive offset list, can it be used as an accuraterip drive?

AND, what if the first disc is an outlier (not consistent with other disc's) and therefore unable to match anyother disc?

[Spoon]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

Yes when you find the offset of the drive. It is fully automatic, just feed discs until configures.

[rbsound]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

OK, so it does not need to be on the list to be used. But, the problem is that I keep feeding discs and I keep getting the same message - something is not right. When I performed the same procedure on the same PC with the Optiarc 7261, it worked the first time.

So what is going on? Seems like another poster "melgish" is having the same problem. Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

'Optiarc 7261'

This one is in the database already, you only need 1 match.

[rbsound]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

OK, but what about question 2 above, is it possible that the first disc was somehow calculated wrong making it impossible for subsequent discs to match?

If not, then is it the case that everyone of the 20 or so discs I've tried has multiple pressings?

[Spoon]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

The first disc does not matter, just 3 matches from any discs.

[rbsound]

Re: Looking for best ripping drive . . .

Finally found three matching discs; took about 40 tries before I got it to work. My trusty Hot Tuna "Burgers" CD came to the rescue!