[BarbecueGamer]

  The laser goes through the plastic layer and reaches the aluminium layer, which has the zeros and ones. Laser is reflected into an optical pickup, which reads the zeros and ones. If the plastic layer is severely scratched, laser won't go through properly, data loss happens. There are correction algorithms that reconstruct small amounts of missing data. If that does not work, other tools can calculate the missing value by interpolation (it is an estimation, but so small differences it isn't audible). If these tools fail, skipping starts or cd won't play at all.
 
This is a simplified description just to show you either hear it perfectly or won't hear it at all.

Hmm, I didn't know that. Thanks for enlightening me. 

 

[BarbecueGamer]

Thanks everyone for all your help! I greatly appreciate it. 

 

[Lethe]

Man, I remember I gave this guy a Jimmy Hendrix: BBC Sessions CD and he gave it back with heavy scratches. All he had to say was "Oh, sorry man." I now realize that was the main reason why I never e-mailed him back.

That...is horrible D: this is why I never lend my CDs, books, headphones, or any gear to anyone other than bibliophiles and audiophiles. And I'd have to be really good friends with them first. 

 

[BarbecueGamer]

   
I was going to say something along these lines...and also that high-end CD players make no sense when even the most affordable portable USB CD drive can rip digital files from the disc with audio that is virtually identical to the audio on the original disc, unless the disc is damaged, of course, in which case it would still be more likely to get a good rip than it would to play it properly on a CD player.

Here's my exact one- http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SH-S203D-SH-S203B-DVD%C2%B1RW-Drive/dp/B000SM13VU
 
I got it for pretty cheap from what I remember. The CD I'm purchasing is not mint. According to the eBay seller a lot of people have borrowed it. No skips but lots of small scratches he says. He actually mentioned ripping it in flac before he sold it to me. I'm sure he has a better CD player then mine, so do you think he has a better chance of it coming out perfect then I would with my CD player? 

 

[GREQ]

 
Is there any chrome polish in particular you'd recommend? 

Since I live in Germany I'm pretty sure none of the brands here can be found easily elsewhere.
They're all pretty much the same thing anyway - just a paste filled with fine abrasive particles.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Here's my exact one- http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SH-S203D-SH-S203B-DVD%C2%B1RW-Drive/dp/B000SM13VU
 
I got it for pretty cheap from what I remember. The CD I'm purchasing is not mint. According to the eBay seller a lot of people have borrowed it. No skips but lots of small scratches he says. He actually mentioned ripping it in flac before he sold it to me. I'm sure he has a better CD player then mine, so do you think he has a better chance of it coming out perfect then I would with my CD player? 

 
The most likely scenario is that you have nothing to worry about. Most CD drives are good at reading and ripping CDs. If you use one or both of the programs I mentioned, you will have great error correction and can also compare your rip with other rips via the AccurateRip database. It is likely that even iTunes or foobar2000 could perfectly rip the CD.

 

[BarbecueGamer]

   
The most likely scenario is that you have nothing to worry about. Most CD drives are good at reading and ripping CDs. If you use one or both of the programs I mentioned, you will have great error correction and can also compare your rip with other rips via the AccurateRip database. It is likely that even iTunes or foobar2000 could perfectly rip the CD.

 

   
The most likely scenario is that you have nothing to worry about. Most CD drives are good at reading and ripping CDs. If you use one or both of the programs I mentioned, you will have great error correction and can also compare your rip with other rips via the AccurateRip database. It is likely that even iTunes or foobar2000 could perfectly rip the CD.

Thanks! Good to know. This is completely off topic, but what's are some of your favorite anime? 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Thanks! Good to know. This is completely off topic, but what's are some of your favorite anime? 

 
Thanks! Good to have my post quoted twice in the same post for maximum exposure.

 
http://myanimelist.net/animelist/MusicAlchemist

 

[BarbecueGamer]

   
Thanks! Good to have my post quoted twice in the same post for maximum exposure.

 
http://myanimelist.net/animelist/MusicAlchemist

Oops, not sure how that happened. :

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Oops, not sure how that happened. :

 
Did you notice I've watched like 75 days worth of anime? XD

 

[LNuneek]

I watched some sort of audiophile summit vid on youtube awhile back, and apparently the quality of the clear transparent material on CDs do have an effect on the sound. There are these rare and expensive CDs you can get that use glass instead of plastic. Supposedly they sound much better than regular CDs and the only difference is the glass. 
 
Don't know how much I believe it, but the people in the room in the vid seemed to notice a difference. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I watched some sort of audiophile summit vid on youtube awhile back, and apparently the quality of the clear transparent material on CDs do have an effect on the sound. There are these rare and expensive CDs you can get that use glass instead of plastic. Supposedly they sound much better than regular CDs and the only difference is the glass. 
 
Don't know how much I believe it, but the people in the room in the vid seemed to notice a difference. 

 
I want to see a scientific explanation for this, and preferably proof that it's genuine. Don't see how it could possibly sound different.

 

[cel4145]

I watched some sort of audiophile summit vid on youtube awhile back, and apparently the quality of the clear transparent material on CDs do have an effect on the sound. There are these rare and expensive CDs you can get that use glass instead of plastic. Supposedly they sound much better than regular CDs and the only difference is the glass. 

Don't know how much I believe it, but the people in the room in the vid seemed to notice a difference. 

I want to see a scientific explanation for this, and preferably proof that it's genuine. Don't see how it could possibly sound different.

I agree. I don't see how it's possible.

 

[GREQ]

Since a digital signal is just zeros and ones, it is not possible.
This is just as deluded as those who believe they need a silver USB cable for their DAC... totally insane.

 

[LNuneek]

I'm going to see if I can find the video. It was one of those random suggested vids when you use the youtube app on the playstation. It wasn't something I went out of my way to look for.