which external DVD burner to quality rip CDs?

[criptal]

Hello,

On my new Pc build I didn't put an internal DVD burner to improve air cooling stream. I consider buying an external DVD burner and would like to rip CDs with it. I don't need Blue-Ray - I would rather avoid it because of data encryption - might block burning copy-protected discs.
Does someone have feedback about a good external DVD burner for audio quality?

have a nice week end,
criptal

[rene]

I do not know if any of these are in fact external, but for the general question I advise this list: https://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread ... uracy-2019

Wil leave it up to you to google those type numbers to see what they are

[absque fenestris]

Hi
I bought such a small USB thing from HP last year. The choice was easy, because it was the only available device in the store... it's not bad, it even dutifully burned a DVD-RAM (with the ISO of Mint 20 Cinnamon on it) but I don't give it a long life expectancy considering the ridiculous CD drawer.
For a solid CD production, I would put a big stable SATA burner in an external 5.25" case.

[rene]

For a solid CD production, I would put a big stable SATA burner in an external 5.25" case.

Good point. It certainly depends on number of Audio CDs one has to rip but I've been re-ripping to FLAC a collection of some 1500 of them lately: am I ever happy that I still have my ATAPI Plextor PX-130A and a system with IDE connection to do it with. Very fast at very accurate CD-DA. A newer PX-831SA in another system has great accuracy as well but is up to ten times as slow.

With an external case options certainly increase --- and it appears you can even in fact still buy them. E.g. https://www.amazon.com/Vantec-NST-536S3 ... Enclosure/

[Flemur]

DVD burner and would like to rip CDs with it.
...
Does someone have feedback about a good external DVD burner for audio quality?

Audio quality of CD ripped files will be the same with any hardware that works properly (main thing is to have a clean CD).
FWIW, I use a Memorex external drive and also a no-name drive I got for $1 at a yard sale.

[rene]

Audio quality of CD ripped files will be the same with any hardware that works properly (main thing is to have a clean CD).

Sorry, but that is specifically untrue. Audio CDs basically store sample data as one large stream and with specifically and as compared to e.g. CD-ROM only minimal error correction data (a mathematically nice Reed-Solomon code which is however against the type of damage that cheap computer drives/head-assemblies introduce fairly ineffective) and do not know / do not communicate up to software levels many types of read errors

This is the reason why things such as that linked AccurateRip database exists in the first place: once you get the same bag of bytes from the same audio CD N times on M different drives for both N and M large enough you can be quickly statistically sure of having a correct rip. And although until at least somewhat recently (I expect that now quality may be falling again, what with optical drives being on their way out) this error issue tended to be much less pronounced than when computer CD drives were new themselves, it really is the case that some drives just suck at CD-DA. Speed of extracting it certainly; some cheap drives rip okay at 1x but fall flat on their face at anything higher.

Which then is as said the reason for something like that AccurateRip database. Note there's a very large body of experience that went into creating things like it and e.g. Exact Audio Copy.

[absque fenestris]

It's just that not all hardware plays properly ... a burner - and not the cheapest - was junk even as a new device. With the ridiculously cheap prices, it's also a matter of luck.

A little tip for cleaning CDs: do not use alcohol, fine fuel (lighter fuel) is better.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I've had excellent luck using a Pioneer external ODD (Optical Disk Drive) (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZT ... UTF8&psc=1) with Asunder CD Ripper (can be found in the Software Manager).

[rene]

That (Pioneer BDR-XD07B) is probably an excellent suggestion: both the BDR-XD05 and BDR-XD04 are in that 2-year old linked AccurateRip top-list.

[absque fenestris]

I've had excellent luck using a Pioneer external ODD (Optical Disk Drive) (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZT ... UTF8&psc=1) with Asunder CD Ripper (can be found in the Software Manager).

Interesting device and interesting price here - CHF 117. It's not my birthday yet, but I think I'll have to give myself this as a present ...

[criptal]

Thank you all for your replies

I've had excellent luck using a Pioneer external ODD (Optical Disk Drive) (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZT ... UTF8&psc=1) with Asunder CD Ripper (can be found in the Software Manager).

I'm not into Blueray, it is heresy to encrypt entertainement media as if it was national security concern... I stick to DVD for that reason, quality is still ok for me. But here, the subject is audio. I found this one, what do you think? https://www.amazon.fr/Pioneer-dvr-s20l- ... B01579QMJG

[absque fenestris]

Also on this model - like my HP - I see the questionable but very common CD tray.
It will certainly work - the question is how long.


These things are so light that you need both hands to change CDs. When burning, it is advisable to place a medium-weight book on top so that the thing does not move around on the tabletop...

[rene]

It certainly depends on how many CDs (as to the ripping speed at which the drive is still reliable) and the state of them; definitely the serious problems only happen with damaged CDs. Pioneer seems generally good-ish but I quite expect that certainly at the cheaper end of the market and now that ODDs are on their way out many drives are internally in fact "all" the same OEM drives. But if you're talking about e.g. < 100 CDs and in good state it'll be fine. Actually using the AccurateRip database under Linux is a bit of an issue anyway so there's in any case that "ignorance is bliss" thing

[criptal]

Ok, thank you for your insights
I chose the Pioneer BDR-XD07TS, should be good. For my anti-BlueRay stand, I won't buy BD discs, that's all. As long as I can quality rip CDs I'm happy

[absque fenestris]

This looks good - wish you enjoyable CD grilling ...

[rene]

Very likely an excellent choice.

I'm as said currently re-ripping to FLAC a collection of about 1500 CDs --- which is to say it's the second time --- and the first time it was closer to 2000 due to me at that time in a music-discovery frenzy also borrowing many CDs from a public library, many of which were in fact damaged. Getting all those discs onto my harddrive taught me quite definitively that not all drives are created equal wrt. CD-DA extraction, and whether or not they themselves know/indicate they are producing read and/or positioning errors or not.

Admittedly being less anally retentive as to "bitperfect" would've often also worked but a not bitperfect backup / format-alternative like that just doesn't make much sense to me. Personally still using Plextor (once "The King of Quality" but now dead) and if I were to buy something now that XD07 looks excellent indeed.

[criptal]

Very likely an excellent choice.

I'm as said currently re-ripping to FLAC a collection of about 1500 CDs --- which is to say it's the second time --- and the first time it was closer to 2000 due to me at that time in a music-discovery frenzy also borrowing many CDs from a public library, many of which were in fact damaged. Getting all those discs onto my harddrive taught me quite definitively that not all drives are created equal wrt. CD-DA extraction, and whether or not they themselves know/indicate they are producing read and/or positioning errors or not.

Admittedly being less anally retentive as to "bitperfect" would've often also worked but a not bitperfect backup / format-alternative like that just doesn't make much sense to me. Personally still using Plextor (once "The King of Quality" but now dead) and if I were to buy something now that XD07 looks excellent indeed.

Very interesting

[absque fenestris]

Hi rene
you never caught the Sony copy protection virus? Or always worked with Linux?
I remember the Plextors well - mine was with SCSI.... and expensive as hell

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Thank you all for your replies

I've had excellent luck using a Pioneer external ODD (Optical Disk Drive) (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZT ... UTF8&psc=1) with Asunder CD Ripper (can be found in the Software Manager).

I'm not into Blueray, it is heresy to encrypt entertainement media as if it was national security concern... I stick to DVD for that reason, quality is still ok for me. But here, the subject is audio. I found this one, what do you think? https://www.amazon.fr/Pioneer-dvr-s20l- ... B01579QMJG

So what if it is capable of reading and writing Blurays? That doesn't mean you have to use it for that. I don't. Btw, most DVDs are encrypted and even Asunder can't decode some of them.

[rene]

You never caught the Sony copy protection virus? Or always worked with Linux? I remember the Plextors well - mine was with SCSI.... and expensive as hell

When I turn my head 40 degrees to the right I look at a SCSI Plextor UltraPLex still installed in a Pentium 1 system with 64MB currently running Debian 9. Admittedly it's never turned on these days...

Yes, I was also back then all Linux already and as such never had to suffer the Sony rootkit --- but good point, as those "copy controlled" CDs were another factor in wanting a quality drive. I still have some of those CDs and once bought them only due to already knowing that my Plextor... PX-116A I believe it was back then could not care less. But I remember generic Asus and Acer drives I then also tested with to stumble.

No longer an issue with even the music industry realising this was all very much stupid and in vain, but yes, if you still have/find some: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_Control