To answer this, you should know a little more about how a duplicator functions. We have provided a relatable example below, but the technical explanation is as follows:

The most effective standalone duplicators work by having a single reading source that routes the information to each writer drive individually through independent channels. This allows the duplicator to run at a higher rate of speed more effectively. Since, each writer drive is running independently, each drive will be able to duplicate at the highest rate of speed possible. The rate of speed may differ between the drives by an average of 8 seconds between the fastest and slowest drives upon completion. Six seconds may not seem like a significant amount of time, but in reality, at 1X speed for the DVD format, you burn 1MB per second. So, if you're duplicating at 16X speed, then a 8 second differential accounts for 128MB of data differential between the fastest and the slowest drives (128MB derived from 8 secs. x 1MB per sec x 16X speed = 128MB). Without the proper size memory buffer, (because the memory is thousands of times faster than a reader drive or a hard drive), the drives will not be able to continuously copy forcing the drives to utilize the burn proof function. The burn proof function is a method of pausing the faster drive until the slower drive can catch up, therefore, delaying the completion of the duplication and reducing the quality of the duplicated disc.

You need to pay particular attention to not only whether the duplicator has a buffer memory, but also the size of the buffer memory. We recommend a minimum of 32MB to 64MB buffer memory for CD only duplicators and 128MB to 256MB buffer memory for DVD/CD duplicators. Some companies may try to understate the importance of the buffer memory or claim that 64MB is more than enough. This statement is false. Those companies are either ignorant of the true nature of the memory buffer or unable to provide a larger one, so they try to discredit the value of a larger memory buffer.

For Example: Take for example there are two vehicles traveling from one destination to another. The two vehicles are made by the same manufacturer under the same specs, but one is faster and can reach the final destination before the other. However, the vehicles are joined together by a joint fuel line that powers the vehicles. If the fuel line is too short then the faster vehicle will need to brake until the slower one catches up. Every time the faster vehicle needs to slow down, it lowers the vehicles performance. If the fuel line can be long enough to stretch as far as the distance between the faster vehicle and the slower vehicle, then they can both perform at their optional performance with no loss of quality. In this case, the drives are the two vehicles and the fuel line is the buffer memory. The more buffer memory the less chance of the faster drive stopping and the better the quality of the duplicated disc.