Question: Is it true that always burning at single speed gives the best results?
Answer: That is not quite true. What is true, is that the results depend on the CD burner that you use, the medium used, the burning speed, and not least of all, the firmware version of the burner.
It was as late as June 1997 that the Orange Book was adapted to four-speed drives. Prior to that, there were only specifications up to and including double-speed. However, there have been burners that can write at four-speed some time before the adaptation.
The burning of a tiny whole in a CD-R is not a linear process. It is not a simple case of burning with twice the intensity for half the period of time. In addition, the medium plays a part with regards to the time and intensity needed to burn a hole. Hence, before the CD burner starts writing a track, it burns a test pattern in a reserved area on the CD to calibrate the laser and speed. Even this process does not always guarantee optimal results.
To summarize, you can sometimes get the best results with single speed. However, it is possible that you will get the worst results at single-speed, because the CD burner is not optimized for it. Some experts recommend that you burn at the maximum speed if possible, since the drive has been optimized for this speed.
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