Rippin' CD's

Well--you asked, but you won't like my answer: I don't know. I use CD-RW for back-up and transferring computer data files. I've never used them for music. I do believe there are differences--in fact I know there are in different brands of CD-R. That being said I would think that CD-Rs are better suited to the task, as they are not made in such a way that they can be erased or altered (not generally a good thing for music--well some music maybe). But since I have not tried this--I'm afraid I'm not much help.

If you are making CDs for you car, it really doesn't matter which one to use, you won't hear any difference. It is more important to find the format and the brand that is most compatible with you car system. Generally speaking, more CD players can play CD-R than CD-RW and the disc made by Yamaha and Fujitsu are higher quality (less data error).

Having said that, My suggestion would be to use CD-RW for test burning because they can be reused. And once you are happy with the result, burn the final version onto CD-R for maximum compatibility. I would also buy a small quality of each brand and see which one works best in your system and buy the cheapest one that works.

Go with the Mitsui 74 minute unbranded GOLD CDR. THE best, IMHO.

An important consideration is what program is used to rip the CD to your hard drive. Many people feel the best program is EAC, a free program. It can take some tweaking to get it to work right, but it's well worth the effort.

Download it from
http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
or www.etree.org

Also, I do use the Gold Mitsui CD-Rs as well. They have been the best I've tried. However, Arnie Nuddel, whom I respect has indicated the "black" CD-Rs are better. I have not tried these, but based on his endorsement they are likely to be worth it.