Which drives are caching audio data? Options

[norton]

EAC => What about the 'caching audio data'!?


I have read almost everything on this forum about this subject.

No doubt about it: If the Drive you are using to rip with EAC is caching audio data, the 'Drive caches audio data' Box (Drive options... / Extraction method) have to be checked (ticked).

But how can you know if your Drive is caching audio data?

Of what I have read on this forum, you should run 'Detect Read Features' (Drive options... / Extraction method / Detect Read Features). If the result is: Caching: No => You're OK! If the result is: Caching: Yes => You have to checked the 'Drive caches audio data' Box.

Well... The problem is, many people are saying that the 'Detect Read Features' is NOT accurate!!! (How do they know that??) That means even if you perform 'Detect Read Features', you are still not sure if your Drive is caching audio data, or not.


MY QUESTION IS: How can I know if my Drive is Caching audio data, or not?


Thanks for helping,


norton

This post has been edited by norton: Sep 1 2004, 16:21

[norton]

To know if your drive caches :
Ask EAC. If it says yes, then it caches.
If it says no, try Feurio. If it says yes, then it caches. If it says no, try the following :

Tested many times:

EAC said: NO
Feurio said: NO (It seems that your device isn't able to cache audio data!)

If your drive doesn't support C2,
...But also valid if it supports C2.

Check cache, and try to find a CD lightly damaged, so that it reports no errors, but which the first red bar filled at least 20 times, and CRC are OK.
Uncheck cache. Test and copy.

If you get errors, find a less damaged CD or range.
If you get 100 % quality (no red bars) and CRC mismatch, your drive caches.
If you get 100% quality and CRC are OK, find a more damaged range or CD and try again.
If you still get red bars, but CRC mismatch, your drive caches.
If you still get red bars and CRC are OK, your drive doesn't cache.

My drive doesn't support C2.

I found those steps a little bit confusing (sorry), but I'm trying to understand those right at this moment.

RIGHT NOW, I am working to find a CD that is enough scratched to fill red bars at least 20 times, but not too scratched, so that it reports no errors. Well... I don't remember having ripped that kind of CD (250 CD+). When I ripped a CD that filled red bars more then 20 times, there was always 'errors'! BUT, I'm trying to find one at the moment.

But I have to say, I'm kind of thinking that, it's a BIG waste of time!... I mean, I can't figure wasting many hours to find a good CD for that test (2 hours now), while I could buy another Drive that I KNOW (now) that caches audio or not. The only reason I keep trying to find out If my Drive caches audio or not, it is beacause I have already ripped 250 CDs and I want to know if they have been ripped OK.


I was wondering... After the EAC test done, and the FEURIO test done, with both NO like answer, how much confident should I be? 80%? 90%? 99.9%?


Thanks again for helping me,


Regards,

norton