This is my first ever review of a product that is not a recorded cd. But these BLANK music cd's from Sony so impressed me that I had to give them due credit.
I've burned hundreds (and I mean well over a thousand!) cd's over the past five years on my Philips CDR-775. I always felt a little ripped off when the first few cd's from any one package could not be read by my burner, and I always suspected that part of the problem was the way the cashier would run the cd's over their magnetic deactivator (whatever the technical term is!) to disable the anti-shoplifting EAS tag typically attached to the top cover of the blank cd container. I thought that maybe that process was also rendering the top few cd's incapable of being read or initialized. I've been told that that theory is invalid...but I'm not convinced.
In the past, I've had pretty good luck with Sony and Maxell brand music cd's, and lesser luck with Memorex and generic store brands. I recently had a couple packages of Memorex music cd's that I bought at different local music stores, and at least half of the cd's were useless in both packages. (My son is able to use them for burning music on our computer, so not a total loss.) I actually started to wonder if it was my aging Philips burner that was the problem; I mean, I have given it quite a workout the past few years! So to try something different, I've recently begun ordering these Sony music cd's online from Amazon; the brand served me well in the past, and I figured that I wouldn't have to deal with the possibility of a cashier de-magnetizing the first few cd's of a new package since it was coming from an online store - no store security device to deactivate...
EUREKA! The Sony cd's always arrive within a couple of days, and I have had the pleasure of NEVER finding a blank cd that my burner rejects. This is the only way that I will ever buy blank music cd's in the future, and Sony will have to screw up awfully big for me to change brands now. Even considering the additional shipping cost that you would save at a typical "brick and mortar" store, this product is an excellent value for your dollar, and highly recommended. (If 14 of the blank cd's from your local store are no good anyway, then this option makes more sense.)
Hint: Buy the 50-pack and save yourself about 24 cents per cd over the usual 30-pack price. Worthy. Sony 50CRM80RS CD-R Audio (50 pk Spindle)
I just got my CDs in the mail today; they were manufactured in Taiwan [50CRM80RS], not in Japan [50CRM80LS2]. I plan to use these discs, but they will be the last not-made-in-Japan blank CDs that I will ever buy. Sony has clearly discontinued the Japanese-made CDs with the red packaging (as a lack of price on their website for it will indicate), as all I see in the stores now are the purple packaging that I got in the mail. I was expecting the red set with this order, and did not get it.
The facts are simple; compact discs made in China, Taiwan, Malaysia or any Asian country besides Japan are inferior to the Japanese made discs, which, without exception, are manufactured by Taiyo Yuden, the company responsible for inventing the CD-R. Granted, I've written in Sharpie on all of my discs, so they're probably all doomed anyway, but still.
I suspect that the RIAA is behind this decision, forcing those who manufacture CDs for America to only use non-Japanese manufacturers who make inferior product, but that's my own paranoia speaking.
BUY TAIYO YUDEN! These CDs made in other countries by other manufacturers will work, and they'll do what you need them to do, but I do not believe they're guaranteed the lifespan that Taiyo Yudens have.
As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's. Sometimes as a person that has worked in electronic stores my thoughts are requested on recording equipment and electronics.
Sony CDR 80-Minute Music Spindle - 50-pk.
Sony has been ultra reliable for me as a recording medium for blank CDR's. I have used a substantial amount over the years for both data and pictures.
The CD's have held up well and there have been very little that were defective right out of the package. While the quality control is a shade below the Fuji from Japan, in no way should Sony be considered a poor second choice.
For maximum shelf life the recorded CD's should be in jewel cases and not in paper sleeves. If you are into making your own labels make sure to use the better quality paper. The inferior thin labels not only will curl up before they are placed on the CD but the glue will actually get into the CD itself. Many defective CD's are not the fault of the manufacturer but the consumer not using best judgment.
Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" - Media - Sony - Recording - Cd'
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