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CD Write Tests
Unlike their previous LightScribe drive, the
DW1655 is capable of writing to CD-R media at 48x. This doubles as one
of the fastest multi-format writers on the market.
1. CD-DVD Speed - CDR Media
The DW1655 uses the faster CAV method of
writing to this media. Looking at the write process in Nero, we see
the drive start writing at a high 21x, eventually reaching it maximum write
speed of 48x. The average write speed was just over 36x.
In the actual write tests, the DW1655 was able
to write a full 695MB of data in just under three minutes. This is
about as fast as CD writing gets. As always, a variety of media was
used to test media compatibility. The results are shown on the table
below...
|
CDR Brand |
Write Speed |
Write Time |
| Verbatim (super
Azo) 52x |
48x |
2:58 |
| Verbatim (Super
Azo) 48X |
48x |
3:01 |
| Taiyo Yuden 52x |
48x |
2:58 |
| Philips 40X |
40x |
3:41 |
| Ritek 48X |
48x |
3:01 |
| Imation 24X |
40x |
3:29 |
| FUJI 32X |
32x |
4:11 |
| Sony 32X |
32x |
4:14 |
Media compatibility was very good. It
was able to write to all media at their rated speed and even wrote to my
trusty Imation 24x "Music" CD-Rs at 40x. Keep in mind that while the
Overspeed feature can be enabled on this model via the QSuite software, it
is only for DVD media and does not play a role here. The lowest write times were
achieved using quality Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden media.
1. CD-DVD Speed - CDRW Media
The DW1655 is a speedy drive when using 32x
ultra-speed discs. Looking at the write process, we see it begins
writing at a high 21x and jumps to 32x fairly early in the write process.
Average write speed was a high 30x. Impressive.
|
CDR Brand |
Write Speed |
Write Time |
| Verbatim (Ultra
Speed) 32x |
32x |
3:17 |
The DW1655 is capable of writing a full CD-RW
disc in only 3:17 minutes. Performing a full erase on the disc took less
than four minutes.
3. CD-R Write Quality
With CD media, this is measured by the number
of C1 and C2 errors. All discs will report a certain number of C1 errors,
but what you should be more concerned with is the number of C2 errors
reported. If using Nero's Disc Quality Test, I recommend you perform the
test using either 24x or 32x speeds.
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**click to enlarge** |
**click to enlarge** |
For the write quality tests, I chose the
highest quality media from both Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim. While both of the
results above are well within what would be considered a high quality burn,
it was not an improvement over their previous LightScribe drive, the DW1625.
However, you should note that this drive is fairly new to the market and
this can easily be fixed with a simple firmware update. Overall, this
drive does indeed provide high quality burns with the proper media.
4. Over-burning and 99min CDR Media
Like their previous LightScribe drive, you'll
be pleased to know that the DW1655 supports over-burning and 99min CD-R
media. While it was unable to write to my Melody 48x 99min media at
their rated speed, it was able to write a full 99 minutes of music without
playback issues.
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