Do CD-R's sound the same as originals

Madisonears: I'd still be interested in your comparison of the CDR that you feel sounds different to the original CD. The steps would be thus: Go to http://www.sonicspot.com/audio.html and download the free copy of Audiograbber. Install it. Use it to Extract a song to disk from the CD and the CDR that you feel sounds different. After each extraction Audiograbber reports a Checksum. Take note of each checksum. Alternatively, from the main menu, you can calculate a checksum on any file, so if you miss it the first time around you can make up for it. Then, when you have the two files, go to Audiograbber's main menu and select "compare two file". Select the two parallel files and press start. If they're the same, you'll get "No differences detected" in the status box. If they're not the same, you'll get a bunch of information, none of which you'll want to read. It's hard to tell how much they differ if they differ at all, but my experience with audiograbber is that you should get repeatable results from the same file, so if there are any differences that's probably all we need to know. -Kirk

Kthomas, those comments weren't addressed to you, unless of course you are both kthomas and joe-coherent...which I have no way of knowing.

Ramstl, in the above comments, I suggest that those who are in doubt, seek out the opinion of experts. Perhaps you missed that part, or perhaps you think you need me to do your homework for you? I'll ask again, why would their comments, when repeated by me, have any meaning for you? Surely you'd doubt their truthfullness/sincerity/accuracy, when viewed thru the filter of being delievered by myself, functioning as an unnecessary middle man. Let me repeat myself.....if you really want to know the truth about CD-R's, and how "digital ain't always digital, how bits ain't always bits", YOU should ask the experts. I WONDER WHY YOU HAVEN'T E-MAILED THEM YOURSELF? WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

In any case, I certainly will not speak for experts in the field.

I am going to buy a burner this week to compare for myself. All copies on CDR's (which my new Levinson will play, however, my old Muse separates would not) do NOT sound the same as original. I did not say that they sound bad, however, they are not as dynamic as the originals. I find it hard to believe that the $20 transport mechanism compares to the clocking technology and jitter reduction in the solid heavy transport of the levinson that I spent a load of money on. As audioheads have always said, "poop in gets poop out". In other words...the source is VERY important. How can a cheap plastic transport in a cd writer have the accuracy of the high end transport?? If I am wrong...then I need Mark Levinson's home address so that I can send hate mail!! ;) I also think that the discussion above is lacking information. Each of us burns (or wishes to burn) for different reasons. If for backup...for copying friends discs...for experimentation...for making mixes etc. We should also include associated equipment so that we can understand what you are listening "through". I have friends who "SWEAR" that MP3's sound "GREAT"...these are the same people with the Aiwa rack system who are listening to mp3's on $10 headphones. If I give my "bad" cdr copies to friends with run-of-the-mill systems...they can hear no tangible differences. Since I do not seek to be considered an audio "snob", I forgo the discussion with such people who are satisfied with nominal sound quality (but who are music lovers nontheless). I am a music lover and appreciate the ability to get as much as possible from my system. I found that it is very difficult (and expensive) to make digital sound like analog. Due to those that claim that there are NO DIFFERENCES I will spend the $$ and buy a burner and do more tests (worse comes to worse I need one for data backup) For now, however, I find it hard to believe that someome who could hear enough difference in sound to purchase mega-dollar CD players over the Aiwa 10 disc carousel does not hear the difference from originals to their CDR copies. I sincerely hope that I am wrong.