The World's Fastest CD-ROM: Kenwood True-X 72x

[Retro]

This beast really lives up to the hype - and without spinning up a CD to destruction, either. I remember considering one at the time.

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[Arantor]

I never understood the fascination with bigger numbers. It never seemed to matter whether I was using 4x or 48x, it never seemed to read that much faster.

 

[Retro]

Watch the video, this drive is on another level.

Wish I had one to collect now.

 

[Retro]

Almost three years later, I've watched this review again and it's still fascinating with the performance of this drive being incredible.

In particular, check out how the 56x drive it's compared to sounds like a jet engine with that characteristic whine. Makes for a great sound effect, but as the reviewer said, it was scary as a disc flying apart goes off like a bomb and could therefore seriously injure someone standing near it.

 

[Hitcore]

As a subscriber to LGR, I too have seen this a few years ago. Cool stuff. The fastest I've had back in those days was maybe like half the speed of that, tops. And to be honest at the time I wasn't even really aware of the existence of the Kenwood 72x. But it's fun to see it displayed in the 2020s, in one of Clint's proper Windows 98 setups.
I do like the 7 beam technique, making it so that it spins at a relatively low speed. A marvel of its time.

 

[Retro]

I remember seeing those for sale at the time, but wasn't impressed enough to buy one, especially as they were quite expensive. Shame that, as it was unique and would make for a great collector's item for me now.

I've actually got a 52x drive and wondered why later ones all topped out at 48x. When I found out why, I wasn't so keen to use it at max speed anymore...

 

[live627]

My 56x drive actually did break a disk.

 

[Retro]

Crikey, did pieces fly out of the drive?

 

[live627]

No