LiteOn combo SOHC 5232K - Page 7

DAE Tests

- Pressed and CDR AudioCD results

We used a pressed audio CD to test the speed of the LiteOn SOHC-5232K. According to Nero CDSpeed, the average reading speed was 40.35x, while the reported seek times were very slow. This test confirmed the drive's 52x reading speed reaching a final speed of 53.43x.

We ripped the contents of a pressed audio disc to our hard disk, using the CDDAE software. The average ripping speed (burst mode) of 35.7x was quite good, outrunning Freecom FC-1 with an important headway. The same pressed audio disc was copied onto a CD-R and was read again with CDspeed. Once again LiteOn was faster that Freecom.

- Advanced DAE Quality

In the Nero CD Speed Advanced DAE test, the LiteOn drive returned an average speed of 35.45x, which is high speed, but the quality score of 50 was low and the great bunch of data errors is surely not something to ignore. According to CDSpeed the drive can read Leadin, Leadout, Cd Text and Subchannel Data.

- Support of 90/99mins AudioCDs

SOHC successfully playbacked and ripped the full contents of our 90/99min test discs.

- Reading/Ripping Protected AudioCDs

For the test procedure we used two audio discs with different audio protection schemes. We tested for both recognition and ripping to the hard disk. The software used was Exact Audio Copy.

* Pressed Audio disc protected by Sony Key2Audio (Celine Dion - New Day Has Come)

* Pressed Audio disc protected by Cactus Data Shield 200 (Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies Island)

The LiteOn SOHC 5232K managed to rip the Key2Audio and CDS200 discs, but with some audible glitches in the first tracks. On the other hand, its rival could not even recognize the Key2Audio disc and play the CDS200 disc.