QUOTE
Easy CD-DA Extractor is still the only program that can rip those nasty Cactus datashield cds that I have.
From my research into it, it is dependant on both drive and software, ie for some drives the incorrect TOC is returned (track lengths all wrong), all the top programs - EAC, dBpowerAMP (latest Beta >> Options Menu >> Damaged CD Corrector and tick 'Smart TOC Detection #1') and Audiograbber (I think CDex too, but not 100%), have secondary routines that can be activated to read the TOC from the subcodes.
The other problem is if you have a drive that will not rip outside the lead in and lead out, for the first TOC generally has an early lead out and even though a program knows where the tracks are the drive will not rip outside (aka Plextors - you need the special Plextor only command to ignore this first session, which plextor will not give out, I asked

, so only plextools can do it).
Or you might have a CD that has clicks every x ms, and the program is smart enough to interpolate, although I have yet to come across a CD and a drive that produce this.