Best Blu Ray Drive Internal

[zenpmd]

Are there any considerations here, or can I just buy anything? Thanks

[Skeptic]

Pioneer drives have proven to be the most reliable in my experience.

Samsung and LG drives don't seem to last long.

[zenpmd]

Pioneer drives have proven to be the most reliable in my experience.

Samsung and LG drives don't seem to last long.

Thank you, that is very useful.

[sandyk]

Pioneer drives have proven to be the most reliable in my experience.

Samsung and LG drives don't seem to last long.

 

I have been using the original LG GGW H20L BR drive for quite a few years now, and it continues to perform as new.

I also have a later model LG BR drive, but it doesn't appear to be up to quite the same standard with difficult to read discs.

Perhaps the factory Bean Counters have a part to play here ?

[integriscdp]

I have been using the original LG GGW H20L BR drive for quite a few years now, and it continues to perform as new.

I also have a later model LG BR drive, but it doesn't appear to be up to quite the same standard with difficult to read discs.

Perhaps the factory Bean Counters have a part to play here ?

 

I also used the LG GGW-H20L drive extensively for more than 5 years, and it worked flawlessly in a Raidsonic Icy Box IB-550 external USB enclosure. I only stopped using it just recently, as my new Windows 7 Pro 64 machine had trouble recognizing it (LG didn't release Windows 7 compatible drivers for it). It seems to work just fine with the iMac platform, though.

 

I've since moved to the new LG BH16NS40 model for my Windows setup, and it too seems to be a good drive.

[sandyk]

I also used the LG GGW-H20L drive extensively for more than 5 years, and it worked flawlessly in a Raidsonic Icy Box IB-550 external USB enclosure. I only stopped using it just recently, as my new Windows 7 Pro 64 machine had trouble recognizing it (LG didn't release Windows 7 compatible drivers for it). It seems to work just fine with the iMac platform, though.

 

I've since moved to the new LG BH16NS40 model for my Windows setup, and it too seems to be a good drive.

 

That's weird, as my internal LG GGW H20L continues to work flawlessly for me, first with W7 and now W8.1

Alex

[john57]

I am using the Pioneer BDR-209 one of the fastest rip speed

[sandyk]

I am using the Pioneer BDR-209 one of the fastest rip speed

 

Fastest rip speed doesn't necessarily translate to the highest sound quality rip.

[Skeptic]

Fastest rip speed doesn't necessarily translate to the highest sound quality rip.

If you are using Secure Ripping it doesn't make a difference. Faster is better.

[sandyk]

If you are using Secure Ripping it doesn't make a difference. Faster is better.

 

Ho Hum. Here we go again. More rubbish from the "bits are bits" brigade. It makes a difference just like much higher quality power supplies for the Optical device and well damped transport mechanisms .Even EAC rips sound slightly different to the other C.A. recommended Ripper, despite identical binary data.

[kumakuma]

Ho Hum. Here we go again. More rubbish from the "bits are bits" brigade. It makes a difference just like much higher quality power supplies for the Optical device and well damped transport mechanisms .Even EAC rips sound slightly different to the other C.A. recommended Ripper, despite identical binary data.

 

The day of the week also matters. Tuesdays and Thursdays provide the widest soundstage while rips done on the weekend are flabby and shrill.

[sandyk]

The day of the week also matters. Tuesdays and Thursdays provide the widest soundstage while rips done on the weekend are flabby and shrill.

 

In your case,I would believe it !

I wouldn't mind betting that quite a few members believe that dBPoweramp rips sound different to EAC rips, and that it not just the dBpoweramp enhancements that is the reason why they often prefer it over EAC rips. Personally, I prefer EAC rips over dBPoweramp rips for SQ. (or did with earlier versions.)

Anyway, I am out of this stupid discussion. It's your loss, not mine. Believe what you want.

[kumakuma]

In your case,I would believe it !

I wouldn't mind betting that quite a few members believe that dBPoweramp rips sound different to EAC rips, and that it not just the dBpoweramp enhancements that is the reason why they often prefer it over EAC rips. Personally, I prefer EAC rips over dBPoweramp rips for SQ. (or did with earlier versions.)

Anyway, I am out of this stupid discussion. It's your loss, not mine. Believe what you want.

 

I have also found that OS X provides better sounding rips that Windows.

[sandyk]

I have also found that OS X provides better sounding rips that Windows.

 

Is that so ?

Well , I don't know which OS version "Silverlight" (Geoff) from N.Y.C used with his Mac several years ago,(August 2009) but he judged my uploaded rip of "Feelin' the Same Way-Norah Jones" from the Hybrid SACD to sound better than his rip.

Both rips done on 2 different continents still had the same check sums too.

Feel free to have the last word. I couldn't be bothered arguing the toss further with you.

[goldsdad]

even eac rips sound slightly different to the other c.a. Recommended ripper, despite identical binary data.

 

rotflmao!

[kumakuma]

Is that so ?

Well , I don't know which OS version "Silverlight" (Geoff) from N.Y.C used with his Mac several years ago,(August 2009) but he judged my uploaded rip of "Feelin' the Same Way-Norah Jones" from the Hybrid SACD to sound better than his rip.

Both rips done on 2 different continents still had the same check sums too.

Feel free to have the last word. I couldn't be bothered arguing the toss further with you.

 

What day of the week did he rip his version? Maybe he did his on a weekend and you did yours on a weekday although I'm not sure if this rule applies to the South Hemisphere or not.

[integriscdp]

Is that so ?

Well , I don't know which OS version "Silverlight" (Geoff) from N.Y.C used with his Mac several years ago,(August 2009) but he judged my uploaded rip of "Feelin' the Same Way-Norah Jones" from the Hybrid SACD to sound better than his rip.

Both rips done on 2 different continents still had the same check sums too.

Feel free to have the last word. I couldn't be bothered arguing the toss further with you.

 

Hey Alex;

 

I'll inject my two cents worth into this 'conversation' just to say that your suggestions toward obtaining higher quality rips are quite valid, at least based on my own observations using the exact same drive, and having employed similar techniques to significantly reduce vibration, etc. I haven't yet added a linear power supply for my Icy Box enclosure, but I'm currently exploring that possibility as well.

 

Based on the outcomes of other previous threads here, it is probably best to leave the naysayers on their own signal path...

 

 

Trevor

[jhwalker]

What day of the week did he rip his version? Maybe he did his on a weekend and you did yours on a weekday although I'm not sure if this rule applies to the South Hemisphere or not.

 

My Excel spreadsheets get more accurate results when stored on 5400 RPM hard drives instead of 7200, but only if I put them in a protective ZIP container when sending over the Internet - honest! And my Word documents come out in Olde English instead of the American variant - it's amazing! And my bank account keeps getting larger and larger - my bank must not be using the right storage media *shudder*

[sandyk]

Based on the outcomes of other previous threads here, it is probably best to leave the naysayers on their own signal path...

 

Agreed. It's a waste of time arguing with these people who are as deaf as the standard Mac Minis that they often use in the mistaken belief that they are as good as it gets for PC Audio.

The problem for them though, is that Alex C and John Swenson are able to take Mac Minis to a new level of high quality sound by the simple expediency of replacing the internal SMPS with an electrically quiet Linear PSU and getting rid of most of the Motherboard controlled PWM generated RF/EMI by using a linear fan filter.

[tranz]

Agreed. It's a waste of time arguing with these people who are as deaf as the standard Mac Minis that they often use in the mistaken belief that they are as good as it gets for PC Audio.

The problem for them though, is that Alex C and John Swenson are able to take Mac Minis to a new level of high quality sound by the simple expediency of replacing the internal SMPS with an electrically quiet Linear PSU and getting rid of most of the Motherboard controlled PWM generated RF/EMI by using a linear fan filter.

 

 

A side note unrelated to the argument, but if interested in using a Mac Mini for listening, it is not easy but possible:

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f10-music-servers/mac-mini-version-computer-audiophile-pocket-server-music-server-step-step-17666/

 

Cheers

[sandyk]

The Mac Mini seemed to be a good place to start but it is inherently very noisy, and will envelop you, if sensitive to it, in listening fatigue, noise, etc. By noise, I do not mean the noise coming from the physical unit, although I would recommend sticking it in a closet far away from your sensitive DAC, pre-amps and analog cables, but digital hash, EMI/RFI related shite which to some will be heard as an increased noise floor, loss in spatial info, or increased listening fatigue. For me it actually hurts my ears and is a relief when turned off. It really is soooo much easier to get good sound out of a CD player

 

Hi tranz

 

This is an extract from your initial post in that thread.

I am in 100% agreement with you, but John, Tom and Skeptic (and a few other Senior members) will never accept what you are reporting.

Neither is your typical Windows PC necessarily better than a standard Mac Mini without a lot of hard work either.

Regards

Alex

[kumakuma]

Hi tranz

 

This is an extract from your initial post in that thread.

I am in 100% agreement with you, but John, Tom and Skeptic (and a few other Senior members) will never accept what you are reporting.

Neither is your typical Windows PC necessarily better than a standard Mac Mini without a lot of hard work either.

Regards

Alex

 

I'll believe your reports about you hear if you believe my reports about I hear.

[sandyk]

I'll believe your reports about you hear if you believe my reports about I hear.

 

It doesn't bother me in the least whether you believe or not, what Trevor, Tranz and myself are all telling you in this thread.

[jabbr]

Ho Hum. Here we go again. More rubbish from the "bits are bits" brigade. It makes a difference just like much higher quality power supplies for the Optical device and well damped transport mechanisms .Even EAC rips sound slightly different to the other C.A. recommended Ripper, despite identical binary data.

 

I'd buy a sound difference between direct play from different blu-ray readers but if we are talking about rips, or downloads, or NAS ... once the file is transferred to the computer and verified bit perfect via hash function, there is really really really really no way to tell where it came from ... for example when you download a file there is no way to tell which router it passed through (theories of quantum entanglement aside).

 

I find that what type of hash you are smoking has a much greater affect on perceived sound quality. If you get it really right, you don't even have to coat your CDs in green pen, you can just see the purple haze.

[sandyk]

I'd buy a sound difference between direct play from different blu-ray readers but if we are talking about rips, or downloads, or NAS ... once the file is transferred to the computer and verified bit perfect via hash function, there is really really really really no way to tell where it came from ... for example when you download a file there is no way to tell which router it passed through (theories of quantum entanglement aside).

 

I find that what type of hash you are smoking has a much greater affect on perceived sound quality. If you get it really right, you don't even have to coat your CDs in green pen, you can just see the purple haze.

 

There is a confirming report of the results of a series of 6 separate Blind A/B/A 3 minute .wav file comparisons, where the .wav files had identical check sums, published in Hi Fi Critic Vol. 6 No. 1 There have also been links to various HFC Forum threads posted in C.A. numerous times previously . I supplied those and other comparison .wav files to Martin Colloms of HFC via uploads.