Which inexpensive cd recorder to go for?

I can appreciate the learning curve necessary for some upscale or intensive PC ripping/burning applications. However, being near dumb as a stump myself, I'm able to superficially manage EAC. Exact Audio Copy rip & burn software presently.

The results of simply using the defaults have yeilded me copies of CDs which defy my ability to determine which is which... copy or store bought.

I did buy a new burner, (but I needed one anyhow, for )$58 and downloaded the 'free' EAC sopftware. Installed it using the defaults only, and the results far exceed those of any other burning apps I've tried in the past eight years.

I don't know how much a dedicated CD burner runs, new or used. If they're inj the $60 range, it maybe a good thing. If not, I'd strongly recommend the path I took just recently. No question. if you're burner is lightly used, the cost is only the moments to download and install EAC. there'd be no worries about alignment issues of the burner or it's amount of jitter either.

Also I'd be happy to help you as far as I am able to with getting to know the ins and outs of ripping and burning too, if that would help.

Thanks Blindjim,
That's very kind of you.
Could you share with us which burner you bought. And the EAC was downloaded from the disk that came with burner or from the net.
I think I will try this first since it is cheaper and takes all blank disks.
Also what about the dac that is actually adc, where is this found.

Here is the link for Exact Audio Copy :

http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

Download it to your desktop

I vasilated over that aspect for some time. Reading this bit and that about different drives. Settled on a Pioneer multi drive. The Pioneer however didn’t like my PC for some reason… actually it didn’t like the DVD burning software I use. So I went back to my default pick, A Sony DRU 840.a, on close out from Best buy for $55 + tax. It doesn’t do BR or HD .It does do all else though.

Oddly enough the OEM burner, an Optiarc multi drive ranked better than did the Sony 840, according to the EAC app test results. I found this to be not terribgly accurate though. It more depends on how the rom drive is attached/configured.

EAC see's the master drive as the better one, as a rule. I have my DRU 840 set as a slave.

When the DRU 800 was still in my main pc, along with the Optiarc, and set as a slave, the Optiarc was seen as the better one by EAC. Once installed in the older pc, and eAC was in place the DRU 800 was better than the Optiarc, according to the tests ran by the softwaree... hence my mention of the way the drive is installed being perhaps more important than the make of the drive itself.

RE DAC?
The items I pointed to are considerations for any CDP… and I suppose they relate to CD burners too.

The EAC software has lots of features which if one is so inclinded, one can research to find out what’s best for the burner being used.. These additional settings are used to eliminate errors in reading, and writing the discs. So, I am figuring this… error free is error free… Following ONLY the defaults EAC provides during install and setup, the log files say thus far my rips are no less than 97% accurate on some, and 98%+ on most ripped tracks…. With many being 99 to 100% correct.

Do check out the list of authorized cd’s for a better set up of the software + burner. Four Play, “Fourplay” is one of them I have and use for setup purposes… there’s others too.

Feel free to get me off line if you have any questions.

Just for the sake of accuracy here, uh, perhaps a Sony DVD burner isn't the way to go afterall... my DRU 840A quit burning. Still reads, but burning ain't happening no mo'.

I took it back and got a LG multi format DVD drive... no BR, but it does all else.

The install was real easy. XP Pro saw it right off. It's installed as a slave.

I've got to say I'm very impressed with the playback via JR Media Center too... even with iTunes it sounds far better than the DRU 840A. It writes quicker as well with a better end product.

Using EAC's 'accuraterip.com' database list of CDs, it configured the drive and rips have been 10 out of 10 everytime. No errors.

The really cool part is within the installed software, there is a utility which searches out the latest firmware updates for the drive as well. Now, that's a real plus!

I know this is a right out of the box note, but I've had lots of drives and they all pale in comparison to this one sonically. Even better than the vaunted DRU 510!

Technology is a wonderful thing. Sometimes.