Conclusion

With throttled read speeds, Samsung's latest CD-RW presents an interesting option for those looking primarily for moderate write performance and low cost.

In summary, the SW-216B's strengths include:

• 15 month warranty is tops among optical drives in America
• JustLink technology eliminates coasters
• JustSpeed technology adjusts write speed if problems are found with media
• Near-silent performance is the quietest we've heard in a burner
• Economical pricing
• Excellent access times and Winmark performance
• Good read speeds with CD-RW media
• Good write performance compared to other 16X drives

The drive's weak areas:

• 16X writes are a generation behind other manufacturers' top offerings
• 32X read speeds are a generation behind other 16X burners
• Retail box includes an outdated version of Adaptec Easy CD Creator
• File and disc copy tests show the disadvantages of 32X read speeds
• DAE lags the 40X competition
• Poor CD-DA playback error correction
• JustSpeed does not recognize some 20X and 24X-rated media as 16X-capable

The SW-216B brings a mixed bag of results to the table. While it is a decent choice for budget users looking for a 16X writer who already own a fast CD reader, we are simply not satisfied with the combination of 32X reads, 32X DAE and poor playback error correction. Lite-On's LTR-16101B betters the Samsung in all of these categories at roughly the same street price. Even Teac's CD-W516EB (one of the top 16X burners) can be found at a similar price in OEM format, showing that one need not necessarily sacrifice performance for low pricing.