For burning CD's, is there any program that I should use or any particular speeds that I should select for "optimum" quality or anything?

i use nero and u should really be burning cds at the slowest speed possible.

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I also use Nero.
i decode them to wav using lame and then burn them @ 12X speed, works really good for me.

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|Hi I'm Fredrik And I'm An Audioholic|

I use Nero and burn them at the fastest speed possible. Doesn't make a difference.

Nero is one of the best programs out there!

Nero here

Nero 6. I decided I didn't want to wait forever for a CD, so I think I burn around 16 or 12x (drive supports up to 24x).

My drive sometimes has problems reading data CDs I burn, so I scale back the speed.

Toast 8

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nero 4x

do you think using one software ends up with a better quality burn than another? i know if you use some shabby software that's buggy it can be an issue. but other than that, it shouldn't really make a difference to my understanding?

Does having a good soundcard make a difference when burning?

I use Toast 8 at Maximum speed. No problems.