Ricoh MP9120A CD-RW

Review Pages

1. Introduction
2. Data Tests (Pressed CDs)
3. RW reading tests
4. DAE Tests
5. DVD Tests
6. CDR Tests
7. RW Writing Tests
8. Conclusion

Ricoh MP9120A IDE DVD/CDR-W - Page 8

Conclusion

Positive (+)	Negative (-)
- Supports "JustLink" anti-coaster technology - Supports 8x DVD-Rom reading speed - Supports HS RW standard (10x re-write) - Supports DAO-RAW - Supports CD-Text - Supports Overburning (write up to 93mins) - Good Data reading performance - Best RW reading performance around - Very good packet writing performance - Very good retail package	- Problems with specific CDR media - Problems with DVD Playback - Bad DAE performance - Problems with LaserLock protected CDs and CloneCD - Region locked RPC2 - Failed to regongize 90 and 99min CDs (green dye)

Many people after the first announcement of Ricoh MP9120A believed that the drive would be a so called "Plextor killer" since it didn't only support DAO-RAW and anti-coaster technology "JustLink" but also 8x DVD-Rom reading. We must say that the final product doesn't seem to live up top these expectations. The MP9120A is a very interesting drive, which however failed to reach perfection. Its worst points are the low DAE speed, problems with specific CDR media and DVD playback we faced. If those 3 problems weren't there we could speak for the hottest drive of 2000.

Despite the direct comparison with Plextor PX-W1210A/S we feel that the coming MP7125A model (12/10/32+JustLink) would be a better competitor especially for the price tag. Now days you can buy a Plextor based drive (Iomega, Creative) as low as 100-150$. The Ricoh MP9120A costs much more and this is natural since it includes DVD-Rom reading. The Ricoh MP9120A is for sure the king of combo drives, until Ricoh release a new combo drive. You can buy direct the drive from Ricoh's on-line store at $299.00 We also found a cheaper price (280$) over Price Watch so might want to check it out.