MoFi controversy

I love a good controversy!

I did not know that Mofi claimed to use only first generation master tapes. Are you sure? That sounds like a bad practice. Common sense would be to use the generation that has degraded the least. Some of those 2nd generation master probably got less use over the years.

I own some Mofi. I never even considered whether they were AAA ADA, or whatever. I bought them for how they sound. If using a digital intermediary step is what got them there, then I am glad they did!  I got them to listen to, not as an investment. Whatever happened to "If it sounds good, it is good."?  Removing two plating steps is a far bigger improvement than any loss converting to digital and back. Their alternative was to create their own 2nd or whatever gen analog tape copy. That would be even worse and it would degrade a little every time played. Progress is hard to swallow people.

They do appear to have shot themselves in the foot with that Ultra Analog marketing stuff. I could see them getting fined for that, but good luck as the end consumer seeing any of that money. To prove damages, you would need to prove it sounds worse than if they didn't do that. Good luck with that. Forced to accept returns? Perhaps, but they likely go bankrupt first.

@big_greg 90% of people who purchased one steps did so believing they were buying an all analog “ chain” record. Regardless what sounds best, MoFi was well aware of this, thus avoiding any mention of dsd in their literature. 
 

Regardless of what you think sounds best, the analog aspect was important to those buyers and may have influenced if the purchase was made or not. 
 

the controversy has Nothing to do with sound quality. It’s about deceptive marketing practices

We are audiophiles. If we never bought anything from companies that use deceptive marketing practices, we would be listening on Gramophones.

Yes, it is about deceptive marketing practices.  And that is why I suggested they need to dive in deeper in their Technology tab and describe the entire process, full disclosure.  They are very good at marketing, and they need to do a good job now, marketing their entire chain from source to finished product, describing the full benefits for their end users.  Nothing to hide from, the product sound quality is excellent.

Well, MoFi has apologized and promises to do better:

mobilefidelity on Instagram: "We at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab are aware of customer complaints regarding use of digital technology in our mastering chain. We apologize for using vague language, allowing false narratives to propagate, and for taking for granted the goodwill and trust our customers place in the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab brand. We recognize our conduct has resulted in both anger and confusion in the marketplace. Moving forward, we are adopting a policy of 100% transparency regarding the provenance of our audio products. We are immediately working on updating our websites, future printed materials, and packaging — as well as providing our sales and customer service representatives with these details. We will also provide clear, specific definitions when it comes to Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab marketing branding such as Original Master Recording (OMR) and UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S). We will backfill source information on previous releases so Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab customers can feel as confident in owning their products as we are in making them. We thank you for your past support and hope you allow us to continue to provide you the best-sounding records possible — an aim we've achieved and continue to pursue with pride. Jim Davis President, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab"