The PRO Maxells (Music or otherwise) have an additional protective layer to prevent deterioration if abused in a car etc. Period. I've used the "red" Maxell music discs (Taiyo Yuden) for years now with great results. So much so that a person who heard the copy I made with one, on my Pioneer pdr509 (who swore he'd never use a "burnt"disc) said he had never heard a copy that sounded as good as the original. His system cost in excess of $20,000. I don't abide by the rule that more money always means better sound but it's hard to get poor fidelity if you spend 20 grand! I use EAC and Burrrn at 24x. There are reasons for burning at higher speeds with newer gear. They are made for it! I'm not saying 52X; I'm saying find the best speed for your media and burner run your K-probe and/or Nero check and be done with it. All my burns with Taiyo Yuden CDrs come out well under 1 (average) C1 errors, usually .04 -.1 with no more than 7 at one time. I defy anyone to hear a difference between the burned disc and the original. Maybe after a few years there would be some degradation, but not enough to affect the sound of the disc, if it was a good burn in the first place. Placebo effect works primarily on a subconscious level, so to say that you are immune to it indicates you don't understand it. Many highly intelligent people spend thousands of dollars (millions?) to get their Placebo effect "just right".