Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs question.

jcamero

Who are you people anyway?
:thmbsp: or:thumbsdn:? The only lp I ever bought was "Abbey Road" (late 70's) and was amazed. I was wondering if the "new" 180 gram pressings they produce are of the same quality, (taking into consideration the company's history).
 
Pre Bankrupcy (1999)

I have a dozen or two of the Pre Bankrupcy LPs and CDs, I dont have any of the recent re-issues and dont plan it. I think when the original brain child is out of the picture and it is a whole new group of guys and probably equipment I dont see how the results can be the same.
 
Every one I've heard compared to a non mfsl pressing is vastly superior. Though there's a lot of subjectivity in perceived sound quality the mfsl LPs certainly have much less surface noise than most LPs.
 
Aside from a first press DSOTM, all my MoFi LPs and SACDs are recent (last 3 years) releases, and all sound fantastic compared to the originals I have. I've heard about their up-and-down quality issues, but the very general consensus I'm reading is that they are definitely evening out their QC and people are much less stand-offish than they used to be. I'm definitely a fan.

I'm certain there are original or non-MoFi re-issues which may sound better in some way, but I'm not really all that obsessed with finding the absolutely definitive pressing of anything. Especially combing through anything used. If I like it, I like it and that's all that matters.
 
I have "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John on CD by MFSL It sounds great but is a great deal "quieter" than my other CD's. I also have "Days of Future Passed" by Moody Blues and it does not seem to have this issue.
 
The whole issue with MOFI is how the particular title has been mastered by them. This can vary greatly, and is the reason why some won't touch them. Some of their stuff I love, and some I think is very mediocre. Love all the Beatles ones though. Still my favorite go-to for any Beatles' tracks, including all the recent remasters.
 
Little Feat - Dixie Chicken is dead as a doornail...muffled sounding...

Cars debut album is amazing...


they are all over the map...
 
I own quite a few MFSL lps and cds--as previously mentioned, they are all over the map--some are incredible, some are meh. Before I rush out and buy a new MFSL release, I generally wait for some reviews, both here and some other forums, as they tend to be pricey. If I find them used (at a reasonable price), I'll snag them and give them a spin--if I don't care for it, someone will buy it just because it is a MFSL issue.
 
Little Feat - Dixie Chicken is dead as a doornail...muffled sounding...

Cars debut album is amazing...


they are all over the map...

I agree, they're all over the map, although the recording itself of "Dixie Chicken" is dead-sounding (I have the LP and the original 1st-pressing CD, although I can't remember how the MoFi disc compared to them). I like the silver and early gold ones (In the case of silver discs that saw a gold CD release later on, the silver is the ticket... ("Flat transfer" compared to "slightly-futzed-with"), but I generally cherry-pick from the later stuff on CD as well as a few of the hybrid CD/SACD's. I loved "What's Going On". More-laid-back and easy on the ears than the '98 reissue. More-musical. And I love the Dr. John two-fer and the Steppenwolf debut. "Something/Anything" is another good one. And of course, "Live At The Regal" by the sadly-late & legendary BB King. :sigh:
 
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You have to be careful with MOFI stuff these days. They have different degrees of product (i.e. Silver Label, Original Master Recording, Master Recording). The older MOFI stuff has always been very good for me, though AK'ers have posted good/bad.

I did buy the INXS Silver Label MOFI and am happy with it, sounds better than my 80's original (but its no Original Master Rec).
 
Are we talking about records or CDs as they are both mastered differently. You would not be able to judge a record copy listening to the CD. Also a MFSL record needs to be played a few times before a rush judgment of the record as they will break-in to the stylus.

That said I have around 150 of their records Japan pressing and newer ones. Nuff said as why would I have that many if they were crap.
 
One more thing is that they limit the number of copies to 5000. As they go out of print they jump in value generaly doubling the retail cost and then just keep going up depending on title and artist.

Most records can not do this but MFSL.
 
I have "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John on CD by MFSL It sounds great but is a great deal "quieter" than my other CD's. I also have "Days of Future Passed" by Moody Blues and it does not seem to have this issue.

The "quieter" part is a good thing. It's the same reason people like pre-loudness-war CD's. No mastering compression. Let your stereo system do the heavy lifting, not the CD. Most CD's today are an overcompressed, heavily-fatiguing mess compared to the '80's and early '90's pressings. That GYBR release from the '80's is excellent (My all-time favorite is that Superdisc vinyl pressing from the UK).

I usually check the dynamic range of my digital stuff. Helps me weed out the lesser stuff, although it's bloody obvious these days. I have the Stones' London CD's from 1984, which are basically all straight transfers (There's a great MoFi connection story behind those discs... Those were mastered using the digital transfers MoFi did when they released the Stones' ABKCO catalog on cassette back in the early '80's), though I do prefer certain later ABKCO remasters like the '02/'03 "Let It Bleed" (You couldn't ask for a better remaster of that album, on vinyl OR digital, in large part because of the tape source they used).

I remember one MoFi Cars CD, "Candy O", I think, that just didn't sound right to me. Sounded too "pumped-up", as if the engineer made some creative mixing moves in an attempt to try and liven up the recording. I compared it to older CD's as well as a vinyl-rip I have, and I really haven't been back to the MoFi since.

But like I said, there WERE a few of the more-recent digital MoFi releases that I have loved, and the Marvin Gaye albums were a good example. I have Curtis Mayfield's "Curtis" and listen to it a lot. It's offer up something good, like a more-relaxed sound or better dynamics, otherwise I stay away.
 
I have Curtis Mayfield's "Curtis" and listen to it a lot. It's offer up something good, like a more-relaxed sound or better dynamics, otherwise I stay away.
 
I've had good luck with both older vinyl MFSL releases and the UD CDs. I've never had any of the new vinyl 2xLP releases.
 
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