SONY DRU-530A DVD±RW recorder - Page 7

DAE Tests

- Pressed and CDR AudioCD results

The SONY DRU-530A uses 40x CAV reading strategy for CD-Audio reading. Below is the resultant output from the CDSpeed transfer rate test with a pressed audio CD.

According to Nero CDSpeed, the average reading speed was 30.32x, while the reported seek times were rather good. This test confirmed the drive's 40x reading speed reaching a final speed of 40.11x.

We ripped the contents of the same audio disc to our hard disk, using the CDDAE software. The average ripping speed (burst mode) of 27.6x, was slow. Notice that LiteOn had 39.9x.

The same pressed audio disc was copied onto a CD-R and was read again with CDspeed. Once again Sony was the slowest and LiteOn the fastest.

- Advanced DAE Quality

In the Nero CD Speed Advanced DAE test, the Sony drive returned an average speed of 28.51x, which is acceptable performance, and a quality score of 100. CDSpeed reports that the drive can read Leadin, Leadout, Cd Text and Subchannel Data.

- Support of 90/99mins AudioCDs

Sony failed to rip the full contents of our 90/99min test discs. We tried to playback the discs, using Media Player, but the discs were readable up to the 80th minute.

- 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 SONY DRU-530A performed well with our Key2Audio disc, which it managed to read and rip. This wasn't the case with our other audio CD, with CDS200 protection, where the disc was recognized by the Sony drive, but unfortunately it could neither rip or play the contents of the specific disc. This was also the case with the Optorite drive, while the LiteOn managed to rip and play both discs.