Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

[akse0435]

Hi,

For many years now, I've used a TSSTcorp CDDVDW SE-208DB drive to rip my cd's, but the drive is getting old, and it's not always accurate. So, I'm looking for the external cd-drive, that rips cd's as best and accurate to the original material as possible. I don't care at all about size, speed or noice, or if it needs extrernal power, only about the result. I've tried reading about it, but I don't understand all this about Things like offset samples. What do I do, and what do you recoment?

I use Exact Audio Copy to rip my cd's, but I'm not quite sure if I'm using the right settings for most accurate ripping. Here is the top of a log-file for one of my newest rips. Am I doing it right?

Exact Audio Copy V1.5 from 20. February 2020

EAC extraction logfile from 13. October 2020, 11:16

Edvard Grieg; Göteborgs Symfoniker, Neeme Järvi / Peer Gynt / Sigurd Jorsalfar

Used drive : TSSTcorpCDDVDW SE-208DB Adapter: 1 ID: 0

Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : No
Make use of C2 pointers : No

Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Gap handling : Not detected, thus appended to previous track

Thanks in advance.

Best regards:
Aksel Christoffersen

[thexfile]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

I like an LG WH16NS40.

It handles most disk errors very well.

[akse0435]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

Thank you, but I'm looking for an external drive, USB.

[Maxpower]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

I like an LG WH16NS40.

It handles most disk errors very well.

I second that and it's later brother the 55 is also very good.

[akse0435]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

Thank you. However, I'm trying to find a external cd-drive, that connects via USB, and that rips as accurate as possible. But I don't know how to look, because I don't fully understand the meaning of various terms, sutch as off set samples.

[thexfile]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

Make your own external usb drive.

Vantec NST-536S3-BK NexStar DX USB 3.0 External Enclosure for SATA Blu-Ray/CD/DVD
or
Vantec CB-ST00U3 NexStar USB 3.0 to SATA 6Gbps Optical/Storage

[Dat Ei]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

Hey akse,

...and that rips as accurate as possible.

wether the audio file is accurate or not. There is no more accurate or less accurate.


Dat Ei

[akse0435]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

So what does it mean then? I'm looking for a drive that rips the audio, so it is as close to the original material as possible, without errors and all that. And what does off set Means?

[Dat Ei]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

The offset is just a technical, drive specific parameter which has no impact on the audio quality at all. Ripping means reading the digital data (like from a HDD or whatever). dBpa calculates a checksum for the audio data and compares that checksum with those stored in a database located in the web. If the checksums match, you have a errorfree audio file, a bitperfect copy of the CD.


Dat Ei

[akse0435]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

Thank you, but there's still some Things I don't understand. I use Exact Audio Copy, so I presume it tests the cd's in the same way as you describe, but what does it mean if a log write the following:
Accurately ripped (confidence 4)

To me, this sounds like AccurateRip Things, that it's accurately ripped, but isn't completely sure. Is this correct, or am I totally mistaken?

Also, at the bottom of the log, the tracks are listed as this:
1 | (8/9) Accurately ripped
2 | (8/9) Accurately ripped
3 | (8/9) Accurately ripped
4 | (8/9) Accurately ripped
5 | (8/9) Accurately ripped
6 | (7/9) Accurately ripped, or (1/9) differs in 3 samples @02:01:00
7 | (8/9) Accurately ripped
8 | (8/9) Accurately ripped
9 | (7/9) Accurately ripped, or (1/9) differs in 3 samples @00:49:21
10 | (8/9) Accurately ripped
11 | (8/9) Accurately ripped

So it says, accurately ripped, for each tracks, but what does the numbers mean?

[akse0435]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

Well, looks like the problem is resolved now. I turned out that I had an Asus BC-12D2HT Blu-Ray drive lying around, and it is number five on the drive accuracy list of 2019, so I'll just use that. It schould be good enough. Now, I'm just looking for a good USB 3.0 enclosure for it. Thank you all for the replies.

[schmidj]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

You don't really need an (expensive) enclosure. Just get a sata to USB adapter that comes with a power supply. The drive is already in its own box. Plug the cables in, you are good to go.

I will say, you need to be a little careful not to break the SATA connections, they aren't the most rugged things. I lost a drive when it accidentally got knocked onto the floor and broke the SATA data connector. But I use drives with no cases all the time both at home and when traveling.

[akse0435]

Re: Looking for the best cd-drive for my needs

My consern for breaking the connector is the exact reason that I want to buy an enclosure. I allready own a sata to usb, and since I'm blind, it can be a bit easy to nock over Things some times. I was recomented the Vantec NST-536S3, so I think I'll try buying that from Amazon. It's sadly not possible to get it in Denmark.