AQVOX High End CD-Drive/Burner - How to slow down the CD drive?

[philipp]

AQVOX provide for a high quality CD (only) drive I am highly interested in. Does anyone have any experience with the device?

 

Following the discussion on this site and Kent Poon's explanations on his site, I "learned" that high quality rips can be made using iTunes i.e. and that in general there is no specific software like Rip (which I use) required. Now, does the same apply to the CD drive? Will it / will it not make any difference what drive I use (DVD/CD - CD only etc.) - as long as the drive is in good condition?

 

Furthermore, how much does the speed of the drive influence the quality of the rip? Generally, I read that slow speed is better than faster speed. Sounds reasonable to me. Only: How do I reduce the speed? DiscRotate does not work properly with my (internal) DVD/CD drive. Scharping works only if iTunes is used as the CD player. No clue how to handle hdparm and cdcontrol...

 

Any help or comment is highly appreciated!

 

BTW. AQVOX do also offer excellent USB cables barely mentioned on this site. Is there any reason for this I should know about?

 

[philipp]

What I forgot to mention: I am using a PowerMac G5 with Mac OS X 10.5.8. Therefore, Windows is not an option.

 

[jtwrace]

From the site: http://www.aqvox.de/

Euro 199

 

AQVOX high end CD-Drive/Burner in alu-case with FireWire and USB2.0

Full Spindle-speed control down to single-speed (1x) read/write

This AQVOX CD-drive helps to archive or burn CDs in the absolute best possible quality. AQVOX

strongly recommends 1x reading/burning speed for audiphile audio CDs and maximum 4x

reading/burning speed for regular audio CDs. Higher speeds always results in sound degradation. No

software can repair the missing/wrong or jitter affected information. -- Transients (finest information)

get lost at first. Read/Copy CDs or store them in lossless format! More info about this topic on

www.aqvox.com under info+help.

No drivers required. Just some freeware needs to be downloaded to control the true CD-speed

(spindle-speed). If you use the ripping software EAC www.ExactAudioCopy.de you can set the CDspeed

in the drive-setup under reading directly.

Or you use the www.cd-bremse.de a small cd-brake program (only in german but self explaining)

Features:

- slim and stylish alu case - CD-drive is made in Japan

- USB2.0 and Firewire IEEE1394a interface

- operates with Win2000/XP, VISTA, LINUX and up from MAC OS 8.6 without extra driver

- accurate and compatible chipset – Prolific

- 2 LEDs - Power on/off and disc operation

- internal fan is not connected because not required- but can be connected

- ultra silent operation at 1x and 4x speed

- reading and writing CD TEXT information, EFM (Eight-to-Fourteen-Modulation), (RAW+96)

- BURN-Proof Technology (no Buffer Under Run = no defective CDs)

- High End Quality Digital Audio Extraction (Redbook), Safedisc 2

- Accurate-stream, C2 error information, MultiRead Compatible

- Dimensions (L x W x H) 240mm x 164mm x 45mm - Weight total 2kg

Package content

- CD drive/burner in alu case

- USB 2.0 cable – type A/B-plug – 80cm + FireWire cable – both ends big 6pin plug – 80cm

(Notebooks may need an adaptor to mini Firewire, better include them in your order!)

- External power adaptor with green control LED. For all countrys (100V-240V 50/60Hz)

- Power cable standard-euro two pin plug.

GET STARTET

1. download and install www.ExactAudioCopy.de or www.cd-bremse.de

2. study the CD-drives front- and backpanel for switches/buttons/jacks

3. put the CD-drive on solid and flat ground, connect the powersupply and powercable

4. connect the CD- drive via USB- or Firewire-cable to the Computer

5. power on the CD- drive with the power-switch at the backpanel

6. CD-Bremse: Click the symbol in the right symbol-list for setting the speed

7. EAC: – start EAC and set the CD-speed in the EAC drive-setup under reading

8. in case of any problems or questions, please contact the AQVOX Service

P.S. ATTENTION ! this CD-drive can also read and burn with high speeds, but this shortens

the lifetime of precise operation and it degrades soundquality.

 

[philipp]

Thanks. Highly appreciated. But I read the description and called AQVOX before posting my query. The information provided above is somehow imprecise. As to speed: EAC and cdbremse are not available for Mac OS X but only for Windows. As a matter of fact, AQVOX do not provide for a Mac solution to slow down speed. Therefore, a third party solution is needed -- if needed.

 

[philipp]

Frankly speaking: I am somehow surprised to find my query treated with such reserve. Am I the only one to be concerned with the above? Is the quality of the drive and its (low) speed no issue at all? Why, then, does EAC i.e. provide for such feature?

 

If my questions don't make any sense, and show how little I understand about the questions discussed on this site, or if these questions are dealt with in depth under a different topic I would certainly be thankful for a hint.

 

[Guest Claude]

Hi Philipp,

well we already discussed this one quite lengthy in another thread

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/File-format

SandyK has damped his cd drive and send me two files with identical checksums, which definitely do sound different. So the guys from Aqvox are really on to something. I am still thinking about buying their cd-drive. Too bad there isnt an apple solution that works to slow down the spindle speed. (Not read speed!)

Claudius