>on my PC (Windows 2000 Professional), but even worse, I  have found 
>that upon playback on multiple CD players,  some audio CD-Rs contain 
>very noticeable noise.  The noise is similar to radio static.  Oddly 
>enough, this noise doesn't appear on initial playback of the CD-R, 
>but on subsequent playbacks and usually starts up around tracks 15 
>and higher.  I am using TDK CD-R's, and I have used them in the past 
>and up to this point, I never had any problem with them, so I am 
>thinking the issue is with the software and not the media (but I may 
>be wrong).

A) I used to use a certain brand of CDRs, but then had to switch due 
to sudden problems with that brand.
B) I  have to question whether your CDs played OK at first, and then 
later developed a problem.   Because I also have had problems with 
noise developing on later tracks.  Later tracks are more susceptible 
to burning problems.  I forget the reason, but it has to do with the 
process of burning later tracks, and where they are on the CD in 
relationship to the laser, or who knows what.   In any event, my 
problem was definitely with the CD burner.  Cleaning the burner 
helped some, but I eventually had to replace it.  However, this was 
only after I had burnt a bunch of CDs, and thought they sounded ok, 
but later discovered that the later tracks were corrupted, and I 
simply didn't bother to attentatively listen to the later tracks.