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MoFi controversy

I see this hasn't been mentioned here yet, so I thought I'd put this out here.  Let me just say that I haven't yet joined the analog world, so I don't have a dog in this fight.

It was recently revealed that Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs one step LPs are being cut from digital masters (DSD) rather than being straight analog throughout the chain.

Here is one of the many Youtube videos that discusses it

 

To me, it seems that if MOFI is guilty of anything, it's "deception by omission."  That is, they were never open about the process and the use of digital in the chain. 

One thing to mention is that hardly anyone is criticizing the sound quality of these LPs, even after this revelation.  Me personally, I wouldn't spend over one hundred dollars for any recording regardless of the format.

 

ftran999
bubba_buoy
47 posts
 

One-Steps suddenly seem drastically overpriced. I don't own any of them. Though if they were fully analog I would have no problem with their charging that amount. My small collection, 10-ish, MoFi albums are absolutely fabulous values to me. Transparency is key, they need to do drastically better in that regard, and then the market set the new prices. Regardless of their source the "regular" ones I've bought were well worth the $40-45, on average, that I paid. They are all phenomenal sounding. 

jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
4,203 posts
 

I wonder if we will see a lot of mofi UDS1 vynil for sale less than $100 album. I will still buy Bill Evans Sunday at Village vanguard UDS1 for $125 used in good condition, digital or not. I heard this album it’s phenomenal.

lewm
13,220 posts
 

There are any number of great sounding originals and reissues of “Sunday at the VV”, probably because the recording process must have been so well done and the results so superb.

big_greg
6,664 posts
 

I don't own any of them.

Always so much speculation on this discussion board.  I can tell you with certainty that mine don't sound any worse after getting this "news".  You may not think they are "worth" the asking price, but go try to find a copy of the Nightfly (or most any of them for that matter) and you'll see they are not losing their value.  

 

aberyclark
1,355 posts
 

A couple of thoughts:

1. This is about misleading marketing practices...not which one sounds the best. A One Step could be made from an 8-track tape dub and may be the best sounding ever. However, the box needs to say the source and signal chain for such expensive pressings. 

 

2. Analog vs Digital. My guess with today's digital converters one would need to hear the original master tape and then a flat transfer(DSD) from that tape. Any sound quality differences at the consumer level probably has more to do with the mastering tweaks and/or format (LP, etc) and it's inherited sound charactoristics.

 

 

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