As stated here (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=61165), I've tested my drives with the DAE quality test (http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/en/index.php/other-projects/dae-quality/) from the EAC homepage.
Further explanations about the test procedure can be found here (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=61165), so here are the facts about the PX-716A:
Drive: Plextor PX-716A
Firmware:: 1.11
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Test at full speed ("Actual" speed setting in EAC)[/size]
Imagehttp://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....ost&id=4356 (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=4356)
DAE logErrors total Num : 147064
Errors (Loudness) Num : 8579 - Avg : -74.1 dB(A) - Max : -23.2 dB(A)
Error Muting Num : 550 - Avg : 1.1 Samples - Max : 2 Samples
Skips Num : 5 - Avg : 6.0 Samples - Max : 6 Samples
Total Test Result : 73.4 points (of 100.0 maximum)
EAC logExact Audio Copy V0.99 prebeta 4 from 23. January 2008
EAC extraction logfile from 4. April 2008, 17:14
Unknown Artist / Unknown Title
Used drive : PLEXTOR DVDR PX-716A Adapter: 2 ID: 0
Read mode : Burst
Read offset correction : 30
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : Yes
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Gap handling : Not detected, thus appended to previous track
Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
Sample format : 44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
---------------------------------------------------------
1 | 0:00.00 | 74:00.00 | 0 | 332999
Track 1
Filename D:\DAE\Plextor PX-716A\EAC - Actual\Track01.wav
Peak level 77.4 %
Copy CRC B204674D
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [4C357160], AccurateRip returned [104033BA]
Copy OK
No tracks could be verified as accurate
You may have a different pressing from the one(s) in the database
No errors occurred
End of status report
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Test at 24x[/size]
Imagehttp://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....ost&id=4355 (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=4355)
DAE logErrors total Num : 114643
Errors (Loudness) Num : 7459 - Avg : -75.2 dB(A) - Max : -31.3 dB(A)
Error Muting Num : 292 - Avg : 1.0 Samples - Max : 2 Samples
Skips Num : 1 - Avg : 6.0 Samples - Max : 6 Samples
Total Test Result : 77.5 points (of 100.0 maximum)
EAC logExact Audio Copy V0.99 prebeta 4 from 23. January 2008
EAC extraction logfile from 6. April 2008, 16:50
Unknown Artist / Unknown Title
Used drive : PLEXTOR DVDR PX-716A Adapter: 2 ID: 0
Read mode : Burst
Read offset correction : 30
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : Yes
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Gap handling : Not detected, thus appended to previous track
Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
Sample format : 44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
---------------------------------------------------------
1 | 0:00.00 | 74:00.00 | 0 | 332999
Track 1
Filename D:\DAE\Plextor PX-716A\EAC - 24x\Track01.wav
Peak level 77.4 %
Copy CRC 5E5C2685
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [012B529F], AccurateRip returned [104033BA]
Copy OK
No tracks could be verified as accurate
You may have a different pressing from the one(s) in the database
No errors occurred
End of status report
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Test at 8x[/size]
Imagehttp://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....ost&id=4354 (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=4354)
DAE logErrors total Num : 240047
Errors (Loudness) Num : 19487 - Avg : -75.6 dB(A) - Max : -16.2 dB(A)
Error Muting Num : 544 - Avg : 1.0 Samples - Max : 2 Samples
Skips Num : 59 - Avg : 7.3 Samples - Max : 18 Samples
Total Test Result : 67.4 points (of 100.0 maximum)
EAC logExact Audio Copy V0.99 prebeta 4 from 23. January 2008
EAC extraction logfile from 4. April 2008, 18:48
Unknown Artist / Unknown Title
Used drive : PLEXTOR DVDR PX-716A Adapter: 2 ID: 0
Read mode : Burst
Read offset correction : 30
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : Yes
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Gap handling : Not detected, thus appended to previous track
Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
Sample format : 44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
---------------------------------------------------------
1 | 0:00.00 | 74:00.00 | 0 | 332999
Track 1
Filename D:\DAE\Plextor PX-716A\EAC - 8x\Track01.wav
Timing problem 0:26:55
Timing problem 0:28:42
Timing problem 0:29:21
Peak level 77.4 %
Copy CRC 53276B86
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [0DC9ED23], AccurateRip returned [104033BA]
Copy finished
No tracks could be verified as accurate
You may have a different pressing from the one(s) in the database
No errors occurred
End of status report
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Test at 4x[/size]
Imagehttp://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....ost&id=4353 (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=4353)
DAE logErrors total Num : 88460
Errors (Loudness) Num : 5608 - Avg : -74.0 dB(A) - Max : -18.3 dB(A)
Error Muting Num : 195 - Avg : 1.0 Samples - Max : 2 Samples
Skips Num : 22 - Avg : 8.2 Samples - Max : 54 Samples
Total Test Result : 71.4 points (of 100.0 maximum)
EAC logExact Audio Copy V0.99 prebeta 4 from 23. January 2008
EAC extraction logfile from 4. April 2008, 18:10
Unknown Artist / Unknown Title
Used drive : PLEXTOR DVDR PX-716A Adapter: 2 ID: 0
Read mode : Burst
Read offset correction : 30
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : Yes
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Gap handling : Not detected, thus appended to previous track
Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
Sample format : 44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
---------------------------------------------------------
1 | 0:00.00 | 74:00.00 | 0 | 332999
Track 1
Filename D:\DAE\Plextor PX-716A\EAC - 4x\Track01.wav
Timing problem 0:03:15
Timing problem 0:24:51
Timing problem 0:25:35
Timing problem 0:25:59
Timing problem 0:26:02
Timing problem 0:26:47
Timing problem 0:26:51
Timing problem 0:26:59
Timing problem 0:27:04
Timing problem 0:27:09 - 0:27:10
Timing problem 0:27:39
Timing problem 0:27:41
Timing problem 0:27:45
Timing problem 0:27:47
Timing problem 0:27:56
Timing problem 0:28:05
Timing problem 0:28:09
Timing problem 0:28:11
Timing problem 0:28:13
Timing problem 0:28:16
Timing problem 0:28:28
Timing problem 0:28:37
Timing problem 0:28:40
Timing problem 0:28:51
Timing problem 0:28:53
Timing problem 0:28:55
Timing problem 0:29:04
Timing problem 0:29:08
Timing problem 0:29:13
Timing problem 0:29:20
Timing problem 0:29:25
Timing problem 0:29:28
Timing problem 0:29:30
Timing problem 0:29:39
Timing problem 0:29:44 - 0:29:45
Timing problem 0:29:47 - 0:29:48
Timing problem 0:29:50 - 0:29:51
Timing problem 0:29:53
Timing problem 0:29:56
Timing problem 0:30:07 - 0:30:08
Timing problem 0:30:17 - 0:30:18
Timing problem 0:30:26
Timing problem 0:30:28
Timing problem 0:30:37 - 0:30:39
Timing problem 0:30:45 - 0:30:46
Timing problem 0:30:49
Timing problem 0:31:00
Timing problem 1:11:56
Peak level 77.4 %
Copy CRC B5AB11F4
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [178F7F1E], AccurateRip returned [104033BA]
Copy finished
No tracks could be verified as accurate
You may have a different pressing from the one(s) in the database
No errors occurred
End of status report
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Conclusion[/size]
The drive never had to slow down extremely (like some the other Plextor drives tested). No problems with the extraction process at all.
The PX-716A reached the best results at 24x (based on the "Total Test Results" numbers). Like some other tested Plextor drives, the results got slightly worse when lowering the speed to 4x or 8x.
So regarding DAE of Plextor drives, the PX-716A seems to line up between the PX-708A (wich produced the best overall results) and the PX-755A (worst results).
I feel it worth mentioning that the speed results don't agree with my experiences ripping damaged/defective discs. I have found that ripping with this drive produces more accurate (or at least more consistent results). This also coincides with the fact that PlexTools reduces extraction speed when it detects errors.