Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has been cutting vinyl from digital since a long, long time ago...

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Ben Adams, Jul 14, 2022.

  1. lucan_g

    lucan_g Forum Resident

    For you this thread seems to be about bears. It’s your favourite subtopic.

    Most people in this thread don’t really care about analogue vs digital. As time goes on that is more and more a convenient excuse to pick on than reality.

    Like you, I’ll buy whatever sounds good. But I’ll try not to support those that lie to my face.
     
  2. Shpongle

    Shpongle Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Interestingly, Ken Kessler reviews the Carole King One Step (so called) in the latest issue of HiFi News.
    No mention of the MoFi debacle. Maybe these reviews are written well in advance but there doesn’t seem to be much traction to this in the press? I would have thought HiFi magazines would have been across this story?
     
  3. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    Sure. I support both those companies and Mofi. And so do many others.

    Honestly, what this is becoming now is bordering on some sort judgement on folks morals and ethics.

    I dont think we need to go there. Thats my opinion but I wont silence anyone who wants to.

    Am I less of a person because I am still going to purchase from a company that lied?

    I have a hunch that it gets under folks skin a bit and probably keeps the volley going.

    Im a bit torm about it. I dont really feel that good about it. But I sleep at night just fine.
     
  4. jlykos

    jlykos Forum Resident

    Location:
    Parts Unknown
    The hi-fi magazines have every incentive imaginable to shove all of this under the carpet. They have been complicit in every way in this debacle.
     
  5. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    Dont be unbearable. Your em-bear-ass-ing yourself.


    :D

    Bear with me Im sure Ive bear-ly began
     
    the nightfly likes this.
  6. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    My position is that companies like MoFi shouldn't misrepresent their products. That's my position, whole and entire. It'll cost them customers that they cannot afford to lose.

    As for what you highlighted, I think it speaks for itself. Some people want to own a vinyl LP mastered from the honest-to-God master tape using an all-analog mastering chain such as used to be used to produce LPs back when the album was first issued. They want to hear the best possible version of an album produced using technology roughly contemporaneous to what was used to originally produce the album.

    As for me personally, if some label pressed an LP that I wanted and they said upfront that they used a DSD source and they swore that they tested it and this process yields the greatest version of this album you've ever heard, and it was affordable to me, I'd buy it and if it sounded great, I'd enjoy it and praise it and encourage other people to buy it. Heck, I've bought many digitally-sourced LPs about which no lofty claims have been made. I'm not bothered. I am not an AAA purist, I think good sounding LPs are self-justifying, but I think that companies that misrepresent the product that they're selling for four to five times what the average LP costs are contemptible.
     
    jriems, indyalden, OldSoul and 9 others like this.
  7. bmusic

    bmusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    When did they stop doing this?
     
  8. Dougthesnail

    Dougthesnail The Big Gabagool

    Location:
    Winnipeg
    If none of his kids or employees take ownership I imagine someone with deep pockets who loves vinyl would buy it.
     
  9. Crimson King

    Crimson King Silly Audiophile

    Location:
    Chicago
    Do you know how much a trial costs? Even if one does not lose (which I highly doubt as well)? 6 figures at the minimum, possibly 7.

    Do you think its easy for a company to withstand making 40,000 copies of thriller if they will not sell as expected?

    I'm not sure you are correct then. We will have to wait and see.
     
    bruinuclafan likes this.
  10. LordTazzman

    LordTazzman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southwest U.S.
    In the highly unlikely event someone(s) did sue, I dont think the company would ever want it to get to trial. They would settle and get it out of the way as soon as possible.
     
    DaveyF and bopdd like this.
  11. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    As I remember it, there was banal dreck like The Missing Line Vol II., a young Doug Sax cutting direct to disc of boom, piano, ting stuff. Like Lawrence Welk but "hip" in a '70s way. Doug Sax did some really good stuff as his career developed.
    MoFi was: "you wanna Pink Floyd Dark Side; how about LZ II, or many other bands that people were listening to, in the hard rock vein that were really popular; Beatles, Abbey Road, White Album, also a "set"; Fleetwood Mac; Steely Dan, ad nauseum. You could see why they were attractive.
     
  12. James_S888

    James_S888 Forum Resident

    It will certainly be interesting as they slowly come clean. I would be willing to bet that Only the Lonely is DSD64. SACD Files.
     
  13. James_S888

    James_S888 Forum Resident

    "Believes"???
     
    Sci-Fi Kid likes this.
  14. Sex Lies And Master Tapes

    Sex Lies And Master Tapes Gaulois réfractaire

    Location:
    Nantes, France
    THAT's the word i was looking for ! i knew it was there, i knew it existed ! what a relief ! thank you !

    :uhhuh:
     
  15. MPayan,

    Here is the runout groove information on my Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits. I’m assuming it’s a first/early pressing, as it includes the Glaser poster. (That’s one for the frame shop!)

    Side One: XSM117277-1C P 0 D
    Side Two: XSM117278-1B P 0

    It’s a Columbia, Pitman, pressing with the mastering at Customatrix. I’m playing it right now—a nice, toe-tapping listen—and a more enjoyable one than the recent MoFi 45. The sound has a wonderful dimensionality to it.

    I have a nice 1976 Japanese copy of Desire. It sounds great and is my go-to over the OG US. I highly recommend it if you see it out there in the wild or on Discogs. It’s all-analog, and it’s cheaper than a MoFi.

    Positively 4th Street,

    Bill
     
  16. This Heat

    This Heat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    This is poorly reasoned on your part. The email is just one reason among several why people assumed MOFI was all analogue. I, like others, are annoyed at the deception and don't plan on buying anymore One Steps. And I like others have a lot of digital vinyl in my collection, something from Music On Vinyl, came in the mail today. The point is to know what you are buying, especially at a premium price. The company failed ethically and people have every right to be mad at them
     
    Kyhl, Big Blue, bruinuclafan and 2 others like this.
  17. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    This.
     
  18. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Regarding Mofi scenario.
    Is it just going to be business as usual.
    Will we get an announcement
    “regarding AAA. .. digital is involved folks apologies for any confusion “ sorta thing ?
     
  19. Mazzy,

    I have a 1976 Japanese copy of Desire, which is my go-to and superior to the US. If you come across it, give it a listen. It’s solid. I’ll save my dollars and rest on those laurels.

    I will admit that I did want that MoFi Desire quite badly, but I missed the train and the cost was prohibitive. In hindsight, I’m glad I didn’t get it, as I’m having a hard time enjoying my MoFi cuts at the moment.

    Cheers,

    Bill
     
    bootbox and Sci-Fi Kid like this.
  20. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    I really wanted One-Step S&G ..Troubled Water… local record store wouldn’t order it, said too expensive… lol.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2022
  21. Segasonic91

    Segasonic91 Forum Resident

    If you want really clean copies, at least Double Vision up (excluding Head Games from memory) of the Jp pressings use US plates. I have all the Jp records, cannot remember if the debut has US plates or not. They all sound fantastic though. I wish Warner-Pioneer used US plates more often.
     
    Catcher10 likes this.
  22. Sex Lies And Master Tapes

    Sex Lies And Master Tapes Gaulois réfractaire

    Location:
    Nantes, France
    Don't forget that the flagship, Music Direct, the parent company, is the main business, and that we know by their Sales director back in mid 2000s that MD acquired MoFi only as a drawing card. The purpose of Jim Davis business is to sell audiophile hardware.
     
  23. Bug80

    Bug80 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    That may be the case, unfortunately. Printed magazines is a very tough market with advertising revenue decreasing for years in most areas.

    There was a Dutch publisher who once said in an interview: "Of course I'm not going to write bad things about companies that advertise in my magazine. I still have to eat, you know". Caused some uproar, but it's the truth.
     
  24. Crimson King

    Crimson King Silly Audiophile

    Location:
    Chicago
    Those are separate companies though. In such cases sometimes a decision is made to close the small one and not subsidize it with the bigger one - to not throw good money after bad... we'll wait and see.

    According to the survey 40% won't buy again from mofi and 60% won't buy a one-step again - its a very large number.

    A shame really in some ways because MOFI has proven digital transfers can be excellent. Too bad they were not clear about it. I still think the records are worth buying (perhaps not the one steps though) but am having difficulty with not being told they were digital. Because MOFI knows many people care about it.
     
  25. Shpongle

    Shpongle Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Hey Mazzy, this has prompted me to ask a general question. What sort of demographic takes part or watches threads in these forums as regards age group. I’d be surprised if there were any teenagers, hardly any in their 20s and very few in their 30s? Like you, I’m in my mid 60s. Would we have frequented these forums if we had the ability to in the 60s and 70s and so on? What do you think sir?
     
    mikedifr0923 likes this.

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