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

You would know better than I.

 

Not angry, just amazed at your original statement. It is so just so illogical. And nobody's force-feeding in the analogy-read a bit closer, the chef is just lying. I agree that there is no use in further discussion. In my opinion, they lied. It's not that complicated and parsing out the process with a nudge nudge here and a wink wink there doesn't change that.

 

To me, it sounds like they're not sure they have access to the "Original Master Tapes" and they have to determine if they do before they specify the provenance of the MoFi version.

 

Oh I agree, I have for example 3 copies of the debut album simply because they are so hard to find in anything VG+, I have multiple copies of them all........Least round these parts Foreigner records are a tough find.

 

This thread could probably use a little James...

 

Congrats. I care and that's what counts. Do you have an opinion about the thread topic?

 

When you specify that one comes directly from the analog master, you've set up a strawman scenario, because no one's going to insist on a pressing that is a generation further down. But what if you frame it as the situation MoFi was in with Sony, where the choice is between a version cut from a DSD256 transfer of the master, and one cut from a 30ips analog copy of that same master? Then it becomes a bit more complex. Personally, my inclination would be to opt for the DSD256 version…although, given the chance, I would rather just have a DSD256 download instead.

 

I take it as it's probably in pre-production and they haven't located the tape they are transferring from. Everything else that has it's source listed has probably already been mastered and cut.

 

I explained the way some labeling works in the food industry and how misleading it is.
Then I balanced it off against the way Mofi used that same methodology.
It's pretty straight forward really.

I didn't support it being done, and clearly stated that I thought Mofi were out of line.

A chef hiding faeces in the food he is serving people is actually force feeding those people faeces

 

Thriller was, indeed, released as an SACD by Sony in their initial series, and was widely considered a standout and prime demo-disc material. That SACD is, of course, long OOP, but you can purchase the DSD download at HDtracks.

 

Logically I would choose the one that had the person mastering it that I had a preference for.
If they both have identical mastering, it wouldn't make any difference to me

 

Music Direct will acquire them.

 

Well if they don't know such an important point when they claim all the time they get the original master tapes then the whole thing is a joke.

 

They were selling both, including hi-res PCM from major labels. From what I recall, at the time they closed the store, they claimed it wasn’t due to poor performance but to changes to the laws about royalties on online download sales that would have drastically increased their workload. Then again, I did hear rumors (and only rumors) that the closure was due to Kassem deciding to go all-in on vinyl and backing away from anything DSD-related, including SACD releases.

 

And it’s Sounds amazing!

 

Digital or not, if they do as good of a job as they did with Billy Joel’s greatest hits I’ll be happy. Count me in

 

A big chunk of the market for this stuff is aging boomers and boomer wannabes, reliving their past or a past they wish they'd been a part of. As the boomers shuffle off this mortal coil I expect the industry will collapse. I suspect it's only ever been viable because there are about a thousand titles that people will pay insane amounts of money for reissues of. If the average audiophile pressing could only sell 500 copies or less, the entire industry would collapse.

Audiophile downloads and streams might have a somewhat brighter future, if only because smaller runs for a longer tail of less-popular titles might be economically viable at the lower prices they command.

 

That’s interesting, because PSR&T is known not to be from the master tape, which disappeared sometime in the 1970s. (The current CD and hi-res download is a Vic Anesini remix from the original work parts, which were located.) As far as I know, the MoFi is from the same flawed backup tape as the first CD and the Audio Fidelity release, as can be identified by the fade-in at the start of Homeward Bound. Considering that your original pressing is likely cut from the actual master tape, it would be surprising the MoFi would sound better, unless the former came from a worn-out stamper.

 

Sadly, I think you may be right. Maybe one more generation, but the approaching 40 years old crowd that I know are struggling to buy houses and possibly raise kids. I'm old, and grew up when everybody had a stereo and some of us went deep. Records weren't crazy expensive and we built up collections over the course of decades.
My experience is that the mass market is usually not about quality. Yes, there is hi-rez streaming and even some of the geezers have adopted it to explore, use as background or use as a main source, given the convenience. But, even that costs --I forget what the Qobuz subscription costs but if people don't have extra disposable income, that's the kind of thing they won't buy.
The convenience factor almost always outweighs quality from what I know.
There will still be a record collector market, but it will be even more niche than the audiophile market is now.

 

Classical in the States is pretty dead- not only the records, but live performances. The symphonies are having a really tough time. They've had to get creative with live streams (which I think some did during Covid) and add other things to draw younger audiences. I have a friend who is a musician, lawyer and manages a pretty famous church in NYC for its musical events. It is a cool gig for him.

 

T

That could be MoFi’s mastering source lol

 

I think there is a good chunk of Gen X that will continue it for some time, especially the older part of the generation and the younger part like me who picked up the habits of his boomer father and was settled into his career before **** started to come undone.

Funny thing is my father moved to downloads/steaming as I started buying vinyl

 

Yes. Around these parts the symphony orchestra generally needs “tribute” shows to draw a big crowd or have a popular performer headlining.

 

Mine's still in the shrink too ...