I use a portable LG BD writer for ripping CDs, in fact I have never used it for anything else. I guess it is about 5 years old. Works fine and is fast.
A usb drive Pioneer BDR-XD05TS that does blu-ray, writes them too. Was cheap-ish at the time. But for only ripping CDs? You could use almost anything.
I use a Plextor PX-891SAF which enables the use Plextools. With Plextools you can test DVD and/or CD that you have burned. Error maps and jitter can be measured. It's really a great optical recording tools set. This is a 5.25 full size drive so maybe not appropriate for your laptop, but it's really one of the best optical drives you can get. I suppose you could get an extranl case to house it?
I use a 1 TB SSD drive configured as a NAS within Roon, running ROCK on a dedicated Intel NUC i5, this has proven more than adequate so far, and 4 years in I still have around 450GB available. I use RPI4B as endpoints to a USB or SPDIF DAC typically - I have a total of 5 zones, 3 of which are in regular use.
These were the best reported CD ripping drives. The test was run in 2022 and isn't run every year so this is the latest I could find. I use EAC and this supports AccuareRip. There's probably a bunch of arguments on what is best but I figure the more accurate the better. That being said I used a LG WH16NS60 because of its (cough cough) 4K Bluray abilities and was very very happy with it.
Amazon has a variant of number 2 on the list.
https://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-Internal-Rewriter-WH14NS40/dp/B007VPGL5U?th=1
Use this to house it, then connect it to your laptop with a good quality USB cable
https://www.amazon.com/OWC-Mercury-...lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A2W0TEJ3MK1XP5&th=1
Drive: HL-DT-ST - BD-RE BH14NS48 (116 users): Submissions: 10260 accurate, 23 inaccurate, 99.7763 % accuracy
Drive: HL-DT-ST - BD-RE BH14NS40 (141 users): Submissions: 4323 accurate, 22 inaccurate, 99.4937 % accuracy
Drive: hp - DVDRW GUE1N (157 users): Submissions: 4437 accurate, 24 inaccurate, 99.4620 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-RAM UJ8B0AW (132 users): Submissions: 4438 accurate, 25 inaccurate, 99.4398 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - BD-CMB UJ160 (152 users): Submissions: 7973 accurate, 46 inaccurate, 99.4264 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-R UJ-85J (103 users): Submissions: 4903 accurate, 29 inaccurate, 99.4120 % accuracy
Drive: PIONEER - BD-RW BDR-S09 (226 users): Submissions: 25237 accurate, 159 inaccurate, 99.3739 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-R UJ-898 (195 users): Submissions: 5200 accurate, 34 inaccurate, 99.3504 % accuracy
Drive: PIONEER - BD-RW BDR-208M (201 users): Submissions: 8668 accurate, 60 inaccurate, 99.3126 % accuracy
Drive: Slimtype - DVD A DS8A4SH (116 users): Submissions: 5250 accurate, 37 inaccurate, 99.3002 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-RAM UJ8G6 (69 users): Submissions: 5173 accurate, 37 inaccurate, 99.2898 % accuracy
Drive: Slimtype - BD E DS6E2SH (75 users): Submissions: 6244 accurate, 46 inaccurate, 99.2687 % accuracy
Drive: HL-DT-ST - DVD+-RW GT30N (51 users): Submissions: 20230 accurate, 152 inaccurate, 99.2542 % accuracy
Drive: ASUS - BC-12D2HT (315 users): Submissions: 9972 accurate, 75 inaccurate, 99.2535 % accuracy
Drive: HL-DT-ST - DVDRAM GT51N (152 users): Submissions: 4381 accurate, 33 inaccurate, 99.2524 % accuracy
Drive: ATAPI - iHES208 2 (96 users): Submissions: 7456 accurate, 60 inaccurate, 99.2017 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-RAM UJ-812 (50 users): Submissions: 6388 accurate, 52 inaccurate, 99.1925 % accuracy
Drive: PIONEER - BD-RW BDR-207M (281 users): Submissions: 16499 accurate, 138 inaccurate, 99.1705 % accuracy
Drive: PIONEER - BD-RW BDR-XD04 (199 users): Submissions: 8338 accurate, 72 inaccurate, 99.1439 % accuracy
Drive: hp - BDDVDRW CH20L (110 users): Submissions: 6416 accurate, 56 inaccurate, 99.1347 % accuracy
Drive: PLDS - DVD-RW DH16ACSH (57 users): Submissions: 7634 accurate, 69 inaccurate, 99.1042 % accuracy
Drive: ATAPI - iHAS224 B (96 users): Submissions: 4398 accurate, 40 inaccurate, 99.0987 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-R UJ-868 (136 users): Submissions: 4034 accurate, 37 inaccurate, 99.0911 % accuracy
Drive: LITE-ON - CD-RW SOHR-5238S (83 users): Submissions: 11175 accurate, 104 inaccurate, 99.0779 % accuracy
Drive: OPTIARC - DVD RW AD-5680H (90 users): Submissions: 4469 accurate, 42 inaccurate, 99.0689 % accuracy
Drive: HL-DT-ST - BD-RE BH16NS55 (431 users): Submissions: 11000 accurate, 107 inaccurate, 99.0366 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - CD-RW CW-8124 (47 users): Submissions: 6816 accurate, 68 inaccurate, 99.0122 % accuracy
Amazon has a variant of number 2 on the list.
https://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-Internal-Rewriter-WH14NS40/dp/B007VPGL5U?th=1
Use this to house it, then connect it to your laptop with a good quality USB cable
https://www.amazon.com/OWC-Mercury-...lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A2W0TEJ3MK1XP5&th=1
Drive: HL-DT-ST - BD-RE BH14NS48 (116 users): Submissions: 10260 accurate, 23 inaccurate, 99.7763 % accuracy
Drive: HL-DT-ST - BD-RE BH14NS40 (141 users): Submissions: 4323 accurate, 22 inaccurate, 99.4937 % accuracy
Drive: hp - DVDRW GUE1N (157 users): Submissions: 4437 accurate, 24 inaccurate, 99.4620 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-RAM UJ8B0AW (132 users): Submissions: 4438 accurate, 25 inaccurate, 99.4398 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - BD-CMB UJ160 (152 users): Submissions: 7973 accurate, 46 inaccurate, 99.4264 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-R UJ-85J (103 users): Submissions: 4903 accurate, 29 inaccurate, 99.4120 % accuracy
Drive: PIONEER - BD-RW BDR-S09 (226 users): Submissions: 25237 accurate, 159 inaccurate, 99.3739 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-R UJ-898 (195 users): Submissions: 5200 accurate, 34 inaccurate, 99.3504 % accuracy
Drive: PIONEER - BD-RW BDR-208M (201 users): Submissions: 8668 accurate, 60 inaccurate, 99.3126 % accuracy
Drive: Slimtype - DVD A DS8A4SH (116 users): Submissions: 5250 accurate, 37 inaccurate, 99.3002 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-RAM UJ8G6 (69 users): Submissions: 5173 accurate, 37 inaccurate, 99.2898 % accuracy
Drive: Slimtype - BD E DS6E2SH (75 users): Submissions: 6244 accurate, 46 inaccurate, 99.2687 % accuracy
Drive: HL-DT-ST - DVD+-RW GT30N (51 users): Submissions: 20230 accurate, 152 inaccurate, 99.2542 % accuracy
Drive: ASUS - BC-12D2HT (315 users): Submissions: 9972 accurate, 75 inaccurate, 99.2535 % accuracy
Drive: HL-DT-ST - DVDRAM GT51N (152 users): Submissions: 4381 accurate, 33 inaccurate, 99.2524 % accuracy
Drive: ATAPI - iHES208 2 (96 users): Submissions: 7456 accurate, 60 inaccurate, 99.2017 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-RAM UJ-812 (50 users): Submissions: 6388 accurate, 52 inaccurate, 99.1925 % accuracy
Drive: PIONEER - BD-RW BDR-207M (281 users): Submissions: 16499 accurate, 138 inaccurate, 99.1705 % accuracy
Drive: PIONEER - BD-RW BDR-XD04 (199 users): Submissions: 8338 accurate, 72 inaccurate, 99.1439 % accuracy
Drive: hp - BDDVDRW CH20L (110 users): Submissions: 6416 accurate, 56 inaccurate, 99.1347 % accuracy
Drive: PLDS - DVD-RW DH16ACSH (57 users): Submissions: 7634 accurate, 69 inaccurate, 99.1042 % accuracy
Drive: ATAPI - iHAS224 B (96 users): Submissions: 4398 accurate, 40 inaccurate, 99.0987 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - DVD-R UJ-868 (136 users): Submissions: 4034 accurate, 37 inaccurate, 99.0911 % accuracy
Drive: LITE-ON - CD-RW SOHR-5238S (83 users): Submissions: 11175 accurate, 104 inaccurate, 99.0779 % accuracy
Drive: OPTIARC - DVD RW AD-5680H (90 users): Submissions: 4469 accurate, 42 inaccurate, 99.0689 % accuracy
Drive: HL-DT-ST - BD-RE BH16NS55 (431 users): Submissions: 11000 accurate, 107 inaccurate, 99.0366 % accuracy
Drive: MATSHITA - CD-RW CW-8124 (47 users): Submissions: 6816 accurate, 68 inaccurate, 99.0122 % accuracy
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It is clear to me from this data accuracy is within .1 to .4 variance, probably not perceptible to my ears. I am not sure if any of the drives were flash but it would be curious how they compared. I usually rip to a local magnetic drive on my pc, then copy it over the local network to my Roon server. I suspect the weak link in my signal chain is the compute portion streaming endpoint ranging from Raspberry pies w/ hats, to Denerfrips to Denerfrips I2s , Allo - reclocker - Schiit usb. They all have a different signature.
Bill
Bill
It's clear to me from the data that there is zero control in those figures for disc surface quality, it's utterly useless data. Thry all need to use the same cds.
+1 on the use of EAC as the extraction software... It may not be the fastest, but IMHO it is the best!
Years ago, I had bought an internal SATA DVD-R drive that was too cheap to ignore at the local Micro Center. It's an LG, but I don't know which model. I was meaning to install it in my next desktop PC build, but now it's way cheaper to buy the latest entry-level hp laptop. So I bought a reasonably good USB external 5.25 inch drive case, installed the DVD-R in there, and now I have an external CD ripper. I no longer need the burning capabilities, but they're there when I need them. I have not had any problems using this Frankendrive, over several years of use.
As you can tell, I don't believe in spending a lot of money for computer stuff. In 5 years it will be devoid of any value and close to obsolete anyway. Why throw too much money at it?
And +1 on EAC. I've been using it since I first learned about it at the end of the 20th century.
As you can tell, I don't believe in spending a lot of money for computer stuff. In 5 years it will be devoid of any value and close to obsolete anyway. Why throw too much money at it?
And +1 on EAC. I've been using it since I first learned about it at the end of the 20th century.