Garbage CD-ROM drive from Walmart

[coonmanx]

Well, my son and I are completely confused as to what is going on. We tried to burn a CD using both Brasero and EAC. It seemed like it worked OK but then the CDs would just not seem to play correctly. All three of the CD players that I have play CDs just fine, including CD-Rs. But for some reason they just don't like this latest one. So confused. And I was going to try to get a different brand of CD and see if that had anything to do with it. But Wally World only sells Verbatim and when I went to Target they only had CD-Rs in packs of 100. LOL. I don't need that many.

I will report back here if I figure anything out. Might just have to order a few CD-Rs off of Ebay.

BTW, the ripped files seem to be just fine. They play without issue on the computer. It is only when we try to burn those wave files to the CD-R that the problems creep in. But the burning software is not reporting any problems either.

 

[mansr]

If you haven't already, try ripping the just-burned CD on the PC and see how that compares to the original files. You could also try to burn something else and check if that will play. Do I understand correctly that the bad CD won't play in any of three players you've tried?

 

[JSmith]

see how that compares to the original files

Might be an idea to run a checksum comparison using a tool like this;

checksum for Windows.. BLAKE2, SHA1 or MD5 hash a file, a folder, or a whole drive/volume, with an Explorer right-click.

checksum is a no-nonsense BLAKE2/SHA1/MD5 hashing tool for Windows. A program to create and verify checksums of a file, a folder/directory, or an entire hard drive or disk volume, with one click. 100% accurate, blazingly fast, portable, and idiot-simple to use. Possibly the best hashing utility...

corz.org

JSmith

 

[ThatM1key]

Personally when I compare files I use "WinMerge". I would say its more user friendly then "checksum for windows"

 

[anmpr1]

...so I went to Wally World to get ...a USB external unit for $26. Figured the price was decent so I snagged it. ...the drive was made in China so frankly I am not that surprised that it lacked in quality and reliability. I already have a used internal drive on the way from Ebay and that cost me all of $10.

I'm a little at odds with what is going on here. Help me out on this. You go to a store and buy a twenty six dollar DVD burner, then discover it is low quality, not suited for its intended purpose, and attribute that fact to where it is made?

I don't want to come across like a crank, but if you were 'not that surprised' it 'lacked quality and reliability', why did you buy it in the first place? Is it because you were looking for something dirt cheap, and didn't want to spend more dollars for something that could possibly be better, in the first place?

I would argue that the fact that it is made in China is less important than the fact that it costs twenty six dollars. Next time, you might want to stick with your ten dollar used drive. Which was, by the way, made where?

 

[Katji]

Curious if there is some time limit for editing a comment. The "Edit" option shows up on my last comment but not the one before it.

Yes, Edit and Delete time limit. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ad-edit-and-delete-option.29804/#post-1067748

 

[coonmanx]

Just wanted to update the thread...

So the DVD burner that is in my computer is now working fine. I am not sure why it seemed like it took a crap earlier but my son just hooked it back up and it is working.

I am now using EAC in Linux (running with Wine) to rip the disc to the computer. After that I am using the DVD burner and Brasero Burn to burn the actual CD. I do the burn at 4x speed and that takes a bit longer but so far I have not experienced any skips or anything. I am also now burning to Philips CD-Rs. I might have to try those Verbatim ones again. I have a hard time believing that I got a whole stack of bad CD-Rs.

All of the CDs that I have burnt using this method are playing just fine on all 3 CD players.

So anyway, I am not 100% sure that the DVD burner that I returned to Wally World was the issue. It wasn't the best quality but it may have worked just fine. But in the end I did not need it anyway.

 

[coonmanx]

I am burning one of those Verbatim CD-Rs right now and will report back on results. Burning at 4x using Brasero Burn.

 

[coonmanx]

Well that 4x burn bailed out early with an error so it simply ejected the half burned disc. Decided to do an 8x burn since I didn't want to wait that long. This one appears to be playing just fine. Will have to see if it makes it through the entire disc or not. Also I have not tested it on any of the other two CD players. It did take a minute for the CD player in the bedroom to recognize it and play it. Had to open and then close the loading drawer again and then it started playing just fine.

Will report back...

Alright, that 8x burn made it to track 5 before it stopped playing on the bedroom system. Once again a failure on track 5, which makes no sense. I stuck it in the Panasonic portable which is connected to one of the systems in the living room and it played just fine. Right now I am listening to track 5 of the original CD in the bedroom and it is playing without any issue at all. Pretty sure that from now on I am going to stick with the Philips CD-Rs and burn at the 4x speed. Still confused.

 

[coonmanx]

The 4x burn on the bedroom system played just fine. No issues. And that is a Philips CD-R. So I will stick with the Philips CD-Rs from now on and burn at the 4x speed. Can it be a coincidence that I have had so many problems with the Verbatim CD-Rs?

 

[Katji]

[Just checking/ maybe it's obvious] The reason you're doing this, instead of just copying/duplicating the CDs, is to get 2 CDs on to one disk?

 

[ThatM1key]

I consider Philips media to be cheap, considering they used to sell them at the dollar tree. If you got a "smart" CD player, you could just make an data CD using FLACs instead of burning audio CDs.

 

[EJ3]

I honestly didn't know people still burned CDs anymore.

Yep, we do. I have a brand new in the box SONY CDR500 to replace the one I have had for years when it quits it's burning duties. One day, when I get all my vinyl onto CD, I will digitize it.

 

[JSmith]

I didn't understand a little, did you stop burning your CD, and because of this you stopped using it?

@coonmanx tried burning a CD using the internal PC CD burner, however it failed and stopped working. So Coonmanx purchased an external one. The burnt CD's produced didn't work/play properly after creation, so the unit was returned. Then the original internal drive was re-installed in the PC and strangely worked fine again.


JSmith

 

[Capitol C]

Yep, we do. I have a brand new in the box SONY CDR500 to replace the one I have had for years when it quits it's burning duties. One day, when I get all my vinyl onto CD, I will digitize it.

What AD converter do you recommend? I have records that I should probably digitize some day. Also, do you recommend any software to help the transfer from vinyl to bits?

 

[EJ3]

What AD converter do you recommend? I have records that I should probably digitize some day. Also, do you recommend any software to help the transfer from vinyl to bits?

I, unfortunately, have been in the process of restoring a house to live in since Jan. We sorta moved in about six weeks ago but are waiting for non-rainy days to do the new window install.
So I haven't gotten to the point you are asking about yet. Perhaps when it becomes my time, you will be able to recommend a setup.
There is a lot of good info here. I just have yet to sit down & process it to the point of making decisions (and having the free time & money simultaneously to do something about it).

 

[Capitol C]

I, unfortunately, have been in the process of restoring a house to live in since Jan. We sorta moved in about six weeks ago but are waiting for non-rainy days to do the new window install.
So I haven't gotten to the point you are asking about yet. Perhaps when it becomes my time, you will be able to recommend a setup.
There is a lot of good info here. I just have yet to sit down & process it to the point of making decisions (and having the free time & money simultaneously to do something about it).

You are a man after my own heart. I live in a house from the 1860s, one of the ones in the picture below. Over the last 30 years it has been gradually brought up to date. (No central air originally, replaced windows, replaced some floors, sadly; dug down and underpinned the cellar to make usable space, added on in the back, and built a "granny house" on the back of the lot for my mom. It is fun (I think)!

 

[EJ3]

What AD converter do you recommend? I have records that I should probably digitize some day. Also, do you recommend any software to help the transfer from vinyl to bits?

A pair of Blackbird 4K 7.1 Audio Extractors just arrived, so the digitize world at my house is making a small step forward. Perhaps in a few weeks I will get a system up & running.