I'm working my way through a bunch of Kodak Silver + Gold media that I brought cheap when Kodak stopped doing media.

They seem to work better in my audio CD player better than a bunch of Taiyo Yudens (Plextor branded) that I recently got.

Now, obviously Kodak are out of the media business, so I'm after suggestion on what media to get next, assuming my CD player is happier with the Kodaks dye type.

The CD player's a bit of a niche brand, I do all my burns from wav files at 4x or 8x using EAC and an NEC 2500a, so I'm reasonably sure it's just a case that it likes some media/dyes more than others.

I'm in the UK so I know the "usual suspects" like svp, cdr-media etc..

Thanks in advance,
Paul

Could you get the real Fujifilm CD-R's?

Those Made in Germany - sold in 10 packs with jewel case?

I've found those to be of outstanding quality. Maybe even better than Kodak/TY/Mitsubishi.

Yes they are hard to find - and expensive - but the best to my experience.

I think so, www.dabs.com do fujifilm CDR in cakeboxes of 100 with the same part number as is listed on the www.fujifilm.co.uk website, they seem cheap enough as well by UK standards for good quality media, 20p each.

Any ideas on the dye/writing surface on the fuji's - do they make their own or are they taiyos etc..?

regards,
Paul

They are not the good ones!!

The good ones (Made at Fujifilms own factory in Germany - must say Made in germany on the packaging) is ONLY sold in 10 packs with jewel case! NOT in spindles/cake boxes.

The ones made in Germany is made by fujifilm - using a very good phthalocyanine DYE - to my experience just as good as the Kodak silver+gold dye.

Paul,
Looks like your player prefers the Phthalo dye,
hence those @fujifilm.co.uk is what you may find an excellent relayer to your Kodak :



Note, the 52x layout looks similar.

Drive Type = CD-RW
Disc Type = CDR
Material = Phthalocyanine
Lead In = 97:26:45
Lead Out = 79:59:73
Nominal Capacity = 702.83MB
Manufacturer Maybe = FUJI Photo Film Co., Ltd.
SMART-BURN Speed Limit = 52X (Write)
---
Kodak :

Drive Type = CD-RW
Disc Type = CDR
Material = Phthalocyanine
Lead In = 97:27:45
Lead Out = 79:59:74
Nominal Capacity = 702.83MB
Manufacturer Maybe = Eastman Kodak Company
SMART-BURN Speed Limit = 16X (Write)
---

Also try finding RiTEK and see if they work for you as good as for me.
IMO, they are 2nd best after TY.

Fuji Audio 30 pk cakebox :

Drive Type = CD-RW
Disc Type = CDR
Material = Phthalocyanine
Lead In = 97:15:17
Lead Out = 79:59:73
Nominal Capacity = 702.83MB
Manufacturer Maybe = RiTEK Corporation
SMART-BURN Speed Limit = 48X (Write)

Fuji MIG are available here e.g @Clasohlson & Kontorab.
Check your online shops or just step over the border for that matter.

Could it be that the 48x rated media just does not burn that well @ 4x? Maybe that is why it is less readable. I'm just guessing. I have 4 more spindles that i bought from kodak at the same time you did. Do you have the 12x rated ones? Either way, i do love them myself. only use them for very 'fine' backup jobs...

Good luck for you

Depends on the burner. LiteON burners don't like working at low speeds (read: high C1/C2) but my NEC ND-2500A@2510A (DVD writer) seems to write well at all speeds. I would only use the lower speeds for older media, however, so if you bought some new 48x-52x media, burn these at a speed somewhere between 16x and 52x for the best results.

Regards,
TerminalVeloCD

Yes OC, I have some of those discs (made in Germany) and the quality is excellent.
I attach a KProbe scan of one of those discs, made some times ago with my old Combo LTC-48161H. Yes, I know that Combo drives gives low errors than cd-writers but the result is however impressive!
If you want some of these discs I send you them.

Thanks folks, so, to be clear - the Fujis in cakeboxes are physically a different media to the ones they supply in jewel cases?

So far as burning speed, the reason I use slower speeds is that on most of the hifi/audio forums (as well as in many posts here) that seems to be what's recommended.

Still haven't had any problems with the Kodaks at 8x, and I still have nearly 4 spindles left so fingers x'd..

Paul

Paul,
I know everybody is suggesting the Fuji as a better alternative to the Taiyo, but I love the Taiyo. If you have a CD printer then the 40x White Inkjet printables are very cool, work out at 33p each if you buy a spindle of 100 from svp, if printing isn't required the 48x silvers are probably just as good and cost 8p less
I source my CDR's from a wholesaler for work, but audio burnt on the 40x Taiyo's plays back on every CD player I've chucked them on, never had that from any other CDR manufacturer. Burners I've used the Taiyos on range from Liteon 32x & 48x, Pioneer 104, 106, 107, Sony DRU500A and the Plextor 52x Burners I've got in my Duplication Tower. The Combi 48x CDRW/DVD drive in my Dell desktop also seems to like them, so compatability with burners hasn't been an issue for me.

cheers

Jon

They are not that hard to find here, but cost NOK 69,- per 10.

My comment was for other places in the world - where the Fuji Germany discs are almost impossible to find.

Without going into loads of non-cdr related detail, the cd's play just fine, but the machine controls sometimes stop responding when using TY media - the makers of the CD player (Naim Audio) suggested that it might be a static problem messing up the control firmware/software in the player - there may be some sense in this as the taiyos are in slimline jewel cases that are very "clingy" whereas the kodaks are just on spindles.. probably sounds daft but with hi-fi stuff nothing susprises me, but I also figure maybe it's just that some media work better than others.

It does annoy me that here in the UK we don't seem able to walk into a local store and try out a box of 10 of "brand X" media without being thoroughly fleeced for it - mail order prices tend to be really good but then the postage makes in impractical for smaller purchases.

regards,
Paul