CD ripping, or the ability to convert cd audio tracks to wav files is very
important to audio engineers and hobbyists alike. It allows you to create custom
CD’s or make multiple copies of personal work. If you are lucky enough to have
a writer that can crank out copies at 8X or greater, you’ll need a CD-ROM that
can extract the audio from the source disc at an even faster rate.
The first test was with a generic overburned CD that exceeded 80 minutes. Being
the data equivalent to over 700 MB, the Kenwood didn’t really do any worse than
any other drive I’ve tested. The single exception to that rule is the Plextor
40X and the unpublished Speed Down Disable program. Otherwise, all other drives
I’ve tested with 74 minute or greater audio discs limit out to a maximum ripping
rate of 24-28X. Notice the perfect "10" in the DAE quality. Even if
the rip is slower than expected, it’s still clean.
Even though I achieved great results using an audio disc of about
68 minutes, this high-speed result holds with CD’s up to 71 minutes. Audio CD’s
much longer than this will read at the slower (above) rate. At an average transfer
rate of over 43X, the test disc could be transformed to wav files in less than
95 seconds! Amazing!
