Error Correction Tests

In the following tests we check the drive's behavior when reading scratched / defective audio discs. The test discs used were the ABEX series from ALMEDIO.

- ABEX TCD-721R

Errors total	Num: 1011388
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)	Num: 48656	Avg: -72.4 dB(A)	Max: -17.5 dB(A)
Error Muting Samples	Num: 7370	Avg: 2.3 Samples	Max: 236 Samples
Skips Samples	Num: 4	Avg: 6.0 Samples	Max: 6 Samples
Total Test Result	68.8 points (out of 100.0 maximum)

The drive exhibited average performance. The total error count is not all that high but the maximum loudness error level could be better. There were four skipped samples and the total score of 68.8 is an average score.

- ABEX TCD-726

Errors total	Num: 13
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)	Num: 4	Avg:-86.8 dB(A)	Max:-63.6 dB(A)
Error Muting Samples	Num: 0	Avg: 0 Samples	Max: 0 Samples
Skips Samples	Num: 0	Avg: 0 Samples	Max: 0 Samples
Total Test Result	94.2 points (out of 100.0 maximum)

The Abex TCD-726 test disc is a usually a simpler case for error correction. The Samsung drive performed well here. The total error count isn`t high, while there aren`t any skipped samples or muted samples. The total score of 94.2 out of 100 is good.

- CD-Check Audio Test Disc

The CD-Check Test Disc is a very useful tool for evaluating the Sound Reproduction / Error correction capabilities of a CD player. The disc offers a signal combination with disc error patterns to rate the drive's abilities to read music and reproduce it completely. Five tracks on the disc contain a sequence of progressively more difficult tests. These tracks are referred to as Check Level-1 through Check Level-5.

The tracks are being reproduced through a software multimedia player (i.e. Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed, if the tone is smooth, continuous without interruptions, skipping or looping. The higher the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound reproduction of the tested drive.

Error Level	1	2	3	4	5
Samsung SH-W08A	5/5	5/5	5/5	3/5	0/5

The drive performed slightly better than average. It managed to playback 5 out of attempts for the first three of the five levels. The fourth level sounded good for three of the five attempts while the fifth level did not play well at all. The attempt can be considered slightly better than average since most drives manage to play only up to the third level, failing all attempts in the fourth and fifth levels.

- Summary

Test Disc	Reading Speed	Score
ABEX TCD-721R	Max	68.8
ABEX TCD-726		94.2
Average Score		81.5

The total average score with both test discs for the drive is satisfactory.