I'm looking for a new drive for EAC ripping. I'm looking for something inexpensive and readily available at well know vendors (Newegg, ZZF, etc.). I'm not interested in used, eBay, no longer manufactured, etc.

It seem like these drives are getting some really good reviews:
Samsung SH-S203B DVD Burner
NEC Optiarc AD-7200A DVD Burner

Seems like maybe the Samsung is the favorite of the two. Reviews on CDFreaks seem to indicate that these drives don't cache audio. Can anyone confirm that this?

Can anyone think of any others that meet the above criteria that I should consider or any reasons I should not consider these?

Also, a general question. When I first started getting into EAC a couple years ago it seemed like there was a tendency to avoid burners for ripping. Now it seems like most of the top recommended currently manufactured drives are burners. Is there any basis to prefer ROMs over burners in general anymore, or was I just mistake in my previous perception?


Thanks