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: 1251308
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)	Num: 55396	Avg: - 73.0 dB(A)	Max: -14.7 dB(A)
Error Muting Samples	Num: 3952	Avg: 1.0 Samples	Max: 40 Samples
Skips Samples	Num: 0	Avg: 0.0 Samples	Max: 0 Samples
Total Test Result	76.5 points (out of 100.0 maximum)

The performance with this disc is satisfactory. The total error count is a little on the high side, and the maximum loudness error level is also high at -14.7 dB(A). There were no skipped samples and the total score is quite acceptable.

- ABEX TCD-726

Errors total	Num: 1374
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)	Num: 71	Avg:-69.6 dB(A)	Max:-50.4 dB(A)
Error Muting Samples	Num: 14	Avg:1.1 Samples	Max: 2 Samples
Skips Samples	Num: 0	Avg: 0 Samples	Max: 0 Samples
Total Test Result	88.7 points (out of 100.0 maximum)

The Abex TCD-726 test disc is a usually a simpler test for error correction. The DVR-S706 drive did not perform as well as could be expected. The total error count isn`t high and there are only a few muted samples. Nonetheless, the better drives usually manage no errors with this disc and a perfect score or close to. The total score 88.7 out of 100 is acceptable.

- 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
BTC DRW 1108IM	5/5	5/5	5/5	5/5	0/5

The drive performed very well here. It managed to playback five out of five attempts for four of the five levels. The attempt can be considered much better than average as most drives manage to play up to the third only.

- Summary

Test Disc	Reading Speed	Score
ABEX TCD-721R	Max	76.5
ABEX TCD-726		88.7
Average Score		82.6

The final average score for the drive is good.