Hello,

This is my first post here after lurking for several months. I've learned a lot but haven't found anything current which answers my questions so here goes.

Last fall I built a new PC but used my leftover 2003 CD-RW and DVD-ROM drives. I'd like to add a DVD-RW to replace the DVD-ROM, preferably SATA.

I have been using EAC for years. I like to tinker with audio editing so I copy the image and create a cue sheet using secure mode. The problem is that according to the burner reviews at cdfreaks, all the new burners are very slow in secure mode, around 10x maximum. My 4 year old LiteOn SOHR-5238S extracts securely around 30x according to a cdfreaks review. It's not going to last forever. Are my rips going to take 3 times as long with a new burner? Is 10x max in secure mode on new drives caused by rip locks or what? They are all much faster, like 40x, in burst mode, but I want secure. Can hacked firmware speed up secure rips?

Should I try a new strategy like ripping twice in burst mode? I mostly work with CDRs which are unscratched. Are C2 errors an issue with unscratched discs? Bad burns? My recollection is the 5238S properly handles C2 errors but I don't think I've ever had one.

I'm mostly interested in fast, accurate, secure rips and quality burns with T-Y CDRs. DVD burns are secondary. Having low read/write offsets would be nice too.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Dave

The Sony/NEC Optiarc drives have been getting good reviews-excellent quality DAE.

Price is very reasonable as well -about 30.00 to 40.00 US Dollars

I have found dbpoweramp R12 Reference is better at ripping than EAC imo, and it correctly makes use of C2 if the drive has it-plus the secure rips it makes are done faster than EAC. EAC is good, but it is getting long in the tooth with infrequent updates. If you need image + cue sheet creation, that is a feature it lacks, but Spoon has said (correct me if I am wrong Spoon) that will be coming for a later release. I have bought every version of dbpoweramp since its introduction, and the convenience it provides has made it worth every penny. You need to buy the REFERENCE version of dbpoweramp R12 to get the secure ripper btw.

Thanks for the reply. I frequently work with custom CDRs which aren't in any database. Doesn't dbpoweramp require others to have ripped first so it can compare results? Copying images is a must too, I'm afraid.

I have been tempted to buy the Sony AW-G170 but haven't been able to find a detailed review. This http://www.cdfreaks.com/reviews/Sony-AW-G1...erformance.html is a "preview" which skips any mention of EAC. Full reviews cover EAC.

FWIW I've also checked the EAC forum at DigitalInn and Andre is apparently going to release a new version of EAC with the ability to test and copy images. I guess I can always wait for that.

Dave