In the case of T03 batch variations, I think we are right.
All media varies from batch to batch. How much that variation affects your burn quality is up to your drive, not the media. If a drive is properly calibrated for the media, it will adapt to the variations, and the results will vary only slightly. If it is only marginally calibrated for that media, results can vary a lot more.
Regardless of which drive I have used, and regardless of SolidBurn, WOPC, HyperTuning and Online HyperTuning being used (or not), no drive has been capable of burning the TH001330 batch with the same quality as the TH000021 batch.
Occam's razor suggest that the explanation is due to limitations in the media, and not limitations in several drives from independent manufacturers.
That said, it's also true that many people around here are far too critical, and tend to interpret relatively small variations in scan results as being more significant than they are.
I agree with you that people are much too obsessed with PIE/PIF levels and totals. :iagree:
They are also not obsessed enough with actual reading tests! :disagree:
They should, but they can't magically make average media into excellent media - whether we're talking about completely different MIDs or just variations within the same MID.