Can I use some other CD ROM device instead of HiFi Rose’s RSA 780 CD-ROM? AT $399, the RSA 780 CD-ROM is rediculously over priced. I can easily buy an external CD ROM such as the Asus SDRW-08D2S-U for $29. Can use something like the Asus instead of the RSA 780?
Thanks
Hi sumi , I use the apple SuperDrive , as I already owned it I wasn’t risking it not working but it works fine no problem , the rsa 780 is apparently a decent cd player so not over priced depending on the way your intending to use it , I just use the drive for ripping cds so the apple is perfect , good luck , mark
So how to you supply power to the drive? Does it give power directly from the USB port itself?
Yes that’s the good thing about the SuperDrive it’s just 1 usb a connection , you can pick one up on eBay for £30 and it looks good too I’ll take a pic of mine for you
I payed only $20 for an external USB optical drive. Mass produced and flimsy. It works fine for ripping cd’s. Just plug it in the usb and it’s recognised. The thing is: it’s noisy. They all are because they spin so fast. That’s fine for ripping because it is done in 5 minutes. But for playing cd’s it is annoying. Also it doesn’t stay in its place. That’s why I taped mine to the side of my rack, out of sight.
That is why the RSA 780 is so expensive. It is the same thing but it has a different function. Playing a cd at single speed is super slow compared to 52x CD-ROM drives but it shouln’t make noise like it’s going to take off. That’s why it has a much thicker case and has some weight so it doesn’t shift or slide.
I think it’s a very good and smart option. A built in cd-drive would destroy the clean look. They often are the first thing to break (always problematical with all in ones) and the extra cost would be the same (only you wouldn’t know, just pay extra).
Thanks Collie and Jeep for the feedback.
I’m using an ASUS CD drive and i’m totally satisfied 
I like the build quality of the HiFiRose CD rippers.
But I don’t own any HiFi Rose gear.
I am wondering if it is possible to use one of the HiFiRose CD units to connect to my iMac, to rip or play CDs, when I am using my iMac.
So my question is:
Are an iMac and a HFR CD player/ripper compatible for this purpose, WITHOUT using a HiFiRose streamer?
Thank you!
It’s a USB CD-ROM drive. You can plug any into a Rose, and vice versa.
That said, if you plan to rip any significant number of CDs you’d be better off buying one of the drives known for good error handling and reliability.
I use an Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD reader/burner, and an app called “Exact Audio Copy” to rip all of my CDs. You can use any CD player you want because they’re all compatible with iOS and Windows machines.
The cool thing about Exact Audio Copy is not only is it free, but it uses a technology that compares the ripped file to the original to ensure that all of the 1s and 0s are identical. This means you really don’t need to worry too much about the quality of the source drive since the app will confirm a bit-perfect copy.
I use dbPowerAmp which does same, plus compares with the external database of rips, but basically same difference.
Advantage of a drive with better error correction is that it can make a correct rip from a borderline CD in a finite time, rather than retrying forever.
BorisM is right about a better drive will have fewer read/write errors, and that damaged CDs can lengthen the process dramatically. For example, while Exact Audio Copy ensures perfect bit-to-bit copies, sometimes it can take hours and hours if the CD is of poor quality or condition. I ripped 300+ CDs and most took about 30-45 minutes. However, there were several CDs that were damaged in some way or were poorly manufactured. The ripping of these CDs took anywhere from 12-20 hours. Fortunately, this feature can be adjusted or turned off completely.
Thanks, Boris.
But can a HiFi Rose CD-Drive, if it’s basically just a USB CD-Rom with a lovely heavy outer case, be plugged directly into ANY PC or Mac’s USB socket, and be fully functional as a playing drive or as a ripping drive?
Or is it ‘locked’ into the HiFiRose ecosystem?
You can use the RSA-780 also without a Rose device on a PC/Mac, if you set switch for the insolation level to “normal”.
I’m using the RSA-780 only for playing rarely CDs with my Rose devices.
For ripping (l’ve ripped in some years over 5000 CDs) I would never preferr a slow slot-in, but a good PC drive with excellent error control, which is directly supported from EAC.
Yes. Any and all optical drives can be universally used in any computer regardless of brand.
You’re welcome.
As already mentioned, yes, you can. But are likely to get better results with a $20 drive. 780 might make sense if you stick it on the equipment rack where it looks good next to a Rose streamer, but if the plan is to plug it into a computer for ripping, it’s not the best you can do.
What drive would you recommend as the best for both playing and ripping CDs using a Mac? Is there another one with the same kind of heavy build quality as the HiFi Rose ones?
Many thanks for all this advice,
This link from the maker of dbPowerAmp might help.
Note that most of the drives are internal (actual drive mechanisms). If you want something nice and heavy to set on the desk, just pick up any USB CD Drive case you like, and put any of the top rated ones inside…
Note that that there are two pieces here – the build quality of the drive mechanism itself (top rated ones are likely to be built well – they do work better after all) which is important, and the build quality of the external casing, which is mostly cosmetic.
Asus BW-16D1HT in an external case.
