Hello all - first post...

I've got a 708uf (which, unlike other posts I've read here, I haven't had any problems burning with) and I just tried using it to import a CD into iTunes. My Toshiba usually imports at about 5x or 6x speed (I'm importing as .WAV's using error correction within iTunes). Unfortunately, there are some songs which simply won't import with the Toshiba (I usually use it for reading and the Plextor for writing). The Plextor DOES import these "bad" songs correctly, but it takes FOREVER! I'm only getting read speeds of about 0.1x to 0.2x(!) which means a four minute song takes over HALF-AN-HOUR to import...

Does anyone know why the read speeds are so slow?

I'm currently using Win 2k Pro (about to upgrade to Win XP Pro though) and USB 2.0 (I don't have Firewire on that PC yet). My iTunes version is the latest, v4.6.

Obviously at those speeds I'm only using the Plextor to import songs that the other reader fails on, but it just doesn't make sense to me.

Hopefully it's only user error!

Thanks for you help,

Craig

Maybe the other reader fails because the files are corrupted or damaged and it chokes on the data. The Plextor doesn't choke, but has a devil of a time doing error correction or whatever.

I thought of that and tried a CD that I knew was "good" and it still went slowly.

Ok, going back over my "assumptions," how can I tell for sure that I have USB 2.0 and not 1.1? I went into Device Manager and it really didn't tell me (unless I missed it). It says 82801 BA/BAM on the USB Universal Host Controller if that makes any sense to someone here.

Thanks again.

If it works at low speeds with a stamped disc, you probably are running USB 1.1. Maximum throughput with 1.1 is 4/4/6 Write/Rewrite/Read. Maximum speed is reached at the outer part of the disc.

Try using Nero CDSpeed to graph the read test. Slap in a data or audio stamped disc or CD-R and you should get up to 40x depending on the amount of data on the disc. If it stays around 2-6x you're on 1.1 or your drive is hosed.

Thanks for the reply Bob. I'm beginning to believe that I DO have 1.1 and will be picking up a Firewire/USB 2.0 card soon.

I also got a good reply on another forum (I put the same question into the iTunes discussion area) and found that part of my problem was that I had error correction on IN iTunes and that the 708's don't need it since they already have hardware-based error correction. This improved my speed up to about 5.8x.

Thanks again for the reply!