Please recommend a USB-C CD drive for MacBook Air M3 to rip CDs
I need a good, reliable external USB C CD drive for my 2024 MacBook Air, M3 so I can rip CDs.
What are some recommendations from this community?
Thank you in advance.
10 replies
For many years my go-to was the Apple SuperDrive optical that our friend, @Servant of Cats, has mentioned. And it still is.
But, I do like the ASUS optical drive that I linked to. Its size is nearly identical to that of Apple's drive and it has the slide out disc tray, a feature missing from Apple's drive.
Both drives have the ubiquitous USB-A plug, so I have to use a USB-A to USB-C plug adapter. That has never caused any problem whatsoever.
Also realize that depending on the drive you choose, it may not be able to be powered correctly solely using the MacBook's built-in USB-C ports and you may need a powered USB-C hub such as the one linked to below (I use this successfully with two different optical drives that cannot be powered directly using the Macbook's USB-C ports).
When using this type of powered hub, a USB-C power adapter (such as the one that powers your MacBook) plugs into the hub which will then power the hub as well as the MacBook and the external devices plugged into the hub. Optical drives and external (spinning) hard disk drives are generally power-hungry devices which the MacBook itself most times can not supply enough power to. Unless the optical drive specifically states that it is fully bus powered (meaning the MacBook will be able to supply enough power to operate it correctly), one can assume that it would need a powered USB-C hub for it to work correctly.
This is a worldwide community so it would help to have some idea as to in which country you reside.
I live in the USA and I purchased one at OWC. I purchased a second one at a local computer store.
I am not all that sure there's a huge difference in quality. The first one I purchase came in a nice case so it was more expensive. However, when the drive itself died I was able to open the case and replace the drive. The second one I bought (as a backup when the first one was awaiting a new drive) was in an inexpensive case and for $20 I can just replace the entire thing.
If you can't find one with USB-C then buy an adapter for USB-A/B It may not be USB3 but with an optical drive that doesn't matter.
christopherfromdavidson wrote:
You would think that Apple would at least offer an updated external CDR drive to replace their old one - which doesn’t work with my laptop - for people like me but, I’ve learned that Apple doesn’t listen to its base and instead does what they think is right for the consumer, no matter what.
The now-discontinued Apple USB superdrive should work with your M3 MacBook Air.
However, it has a reputation for being finicky about power – often not working if plugged into a dock or hub. It appears to want to be plugged directly into a compatible Mac – or into an Apple USB-C to USB adapter that is plugged directly into a compatible Mac.
Personally I have found LG drives to be pretty reliable.
I have one of the OWC desktop CD/DVD drives.
Last time I checked, they no longer carried that drive. They still do have a desktop CD/DVD/Blu-Ray drive, and an "enclosure only" kit into which you can install a separately-purchased compatible internal drive of your choice.
Which one would you recommend, the LG or Asus?
I have a cheap one from Amazon, it was $20, and it worked for a bit but now, it just spins and gives me “file not found” messages when trying to rip a CD.
I am in North Carolina in the US.
thanks.
I saw those.
You're right though, you can buy the “case” separately and use it to install a disc drive of your choice. The set together: CD drive and case is over $200, which is a little bit more than I want to spend.
You would think that Apple would at least offer an updated external CDR drive to replace their old one - which doesn’t work with my laptop - for people like me but, I’ve learned that Apple doesn’t listen to its base and instead does what they think is right for the consumer, no matter what.
christopherfromdavidson wrote:
You would think that Apple would at least offer an updated external CDR drive to replace their old one
Apple abandoned the idea of anybody doing anything with optical drives years ago. Gone the way of the floppy disk. Why do you need an optical drive now when you can get all your media from the online stores, right? (No, you don't need to respond to that. *sigh*)
Please recommend a USB-C CD drive for MacBook Air M3 to rip CDs