Conclusion

The new model seems a worthy replacement to its predecessor. Despite the rather strange release to market, the Plextor PX-716A in its current shape is an optical drive of highest quality and functionality. And considering the manufacturer’s desire to increase the drive’s speed formula through firmware updates, we can hope for a long lifecycle of this device.

There are still some minor defects, of course, but the overall impression from the drive is highly positive. It’s among the best devices in terms of ergonomics: the speed of the tray is controlled by the user, so you can make it completely noiseless. The abandonment of the spindle regulator has led to more noise at the maximum speeds, but this noise isn’t very loud. The disc recognition time is among the best, too. You’ll surely like the opportunity to control everything or almost everything in your optical drive, without third-party utilities. I could complain at the rather high price of the device, but Plextor’s products have always been elite and just can’t be cheap. Then, if you sum up all the advantages of this drive, you won’t think its price overstated.

And here are the highs and lows of the Plextor PX-716A, in brief:

Highs:

• Widest functionality
• Widest opportunities in evaluating the disc burn quality
• Low noise level
• High speed
• Excellent burn quality
• Zero total offset
• Can read auxiliary areas of the disc
• Excellent design with a replaceable black front panel
• The most informative LED indicator among the competing products
• Shortened case design
• Low heat level
• Can be “taught” to work with unfamiliar disc types

Lows:

• Traditionally weak error-correction mechanism
• Minor defects in the quality of writing DVD+R DL and DVD+RW discs at the min speed
• Doesn’t return C2 errors in EAC
• High price