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Plextor
40/12/40A
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Author : Wayne
Date : 18th March 2002
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Key Technologies :
BURN-Proof :
We've already looked at
how BURN-Proof is able to overcome buffer underruns by allowing
a stopped write to be continued from the point at which it stopped.
BURN-Proof was created by and is licensed from SANYO Electric
Co., Ltd.
PoweRec = Plextor Optimised Writing Error Reduction
Control :
The Plextor 40/12/40A features PoweRec II. Within
the drive is a database of tested media along with the optimum
burn settings for that media. Before the burn even starts this
data is used to set the optimum conditions for a reliable burn.
To further enhance this information Plextor use a real time
monitoring system that checks burn quality both continuously
and more rigorously at various zones. Here's a flow chart that
sums up the procedure better than words could.
As you can see, without BURN-Proof this procedure
would be impossible as it involves stopping the recording at
various points to verify data already written.
VariRec Technology :
Although PoweRec II sets optimum calibration and
power settings for the media in use, there may be times where
you want to manually override the laser power setting and VariRec
allows you to do just that. The reasons you might to manually
override the predetermined laser power settings are :
- change of sound quality of recorded disc (there should
be a slight change, some kind of effect when VariRec is
used on the different settings)
- change of playability or compatibility with Home CD Players
or Car CD Players (some players need a slightly higher or
lower laser power)
- Most audio professionals have a personal preference for
higher/lower laser power (some even say they can hear the
difference between a recording at high speed and at 1X)
Other Features :
Another interesting feature is the use of a black
CD tray. This seemingly minor feature is something that Plextor
says is able to reduce jitter by "soaking up" stray
light thus improving the fidelity of the burn. I consider myself
to have a keen ear but I asked a genuine audiophile friend to
listen to a selection of CDs burnt using both this and a Ricoh
MP7163A (16x10x32) drive and he was able to pick out the CDs
burnt on the Plextor claiming they were "purer" although
he did tweak the "VariRec" to get a sound he claimed
was "right". This of course could be down to the media
in use.
On a side note I decided to try a blank from a
tube of "cheap and nasty" CD-Rs I had under the desk
and not only did it burn on them flat out, it also did so without
a single error. Throughout testing there were some variations
in burn speed but this is almost certainly down to the monitoring
carried out by PoweRec and if this slight inconsistency in speed
leads to regular high quality copies I'm all in favor.
Before we take a look at the performance let's
take a quick tour through the PlexTools utility I mentioned
earlier.
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