In the following tests we check the drive's behaviour when reading scratched / defective audio discs. The test discs used were the ABEX series from ALMEDIO.

- ABEX TCD-721R

Low total error count and low average loudness error level. There were no skipped samples and the Total Test Result score of 75.0 is quite good.

- ABEX TCD-726

As with most drives, the 726 media test disc is an easy task for the drive's reading capabilities. A perfect Total Test Result score of 100 points, indicating good CD error correction capabilities for the Plextor 740A.

- CD-Check Audio Test Disc

The CD-Check Test Disc is a very useful tool for evaluating the Sound Reproduction / Error correction capabilities of a CD player. The disc offers a signal combination with disc error patterns to rate the drive's abilities to read music and reproduce it completely. Five tracks on the disc contain a sequence of progressively more difficult tests. These tracks are referred to as Check Level-1 through Check Level-5.

The tracks are reproduced through a software multimedia player (i.e. Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed, if the tone is smooth, continuous without interruptions, skipping or looping. The higher the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound reproduction of the tested drive.

Few drives have ever managed to reach the fifth level of the CD-Check Audio test disc. The 740A is one of them, and although it did not manage to achieve 5/5 for the fifth level, its performance in this test can be described as excellent.

- Summary

Overall, very good CD error correction capabilities from the Plextor 740A drive, with the 726 test media being read flawlessly and managing to reach up to the 5th level with the CD-Check Audio test disc, an accomplishment we've seen from very few drives.