Due to the rather underwhelming response to this post,
I have assumed that I have a unique problem.

So I returned the drive.
The replacement one doesn't exhibit these symptoms.
So, I still don't know if the old one was actually bad, or if it was a
software problem. Either way, I'm up and running now.
Ironically, the replacement drive was somebody else's return,
since the store didn't have any "fresh" drives left.

Now I'm busy ripping another couple hundred CDs and putting
them on my newly enlarged Empeg.

music