MoFi Comes Clean

13

Comments

  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,161
    So Scott, what's it like hanging with Charlie Sheen?
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,905
    msg wrote: »
    I have to wonder if it was something they were developing with the intention of disclosing, and then there just wasn't a good way or time to bring it up. Like when your wife's away on a girls week and you accidentally have Charlie Sheen and hookers over the whole time she's gone. It doesn't hurt anyone not knowing, and telling her would only cause trouble.

    Speaking hypothetically of course.
  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 1,173
    Very very interesting article.

    I for one would have been pissed off royally if those one step lp’s had been sourced from cd sampling rate masters.
    DSD… I’m good with that, as long as the DSD master for the lp is sourced from the original master tapes.
    What a fantastic medium to preserve these precious recordings.

  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,530
    One thing's for sure...those DSD masters won't wear out over time.

    o:)

  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 1,173
    edited August 2022
    👍

    I have many DSD & DVD-A recordings and they sound sweet.
    All depends on the source.

    Have some SHM-SACD discs too.
    Some are fantastic & some aren’t any better than the 44k discs.
    It’s still about the source & the mastering engineer.

    Haven’t tried the blu-ray audio recordings yet….
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,530
    I have a bunch of Blu Ray Audio discs and don't find them to be of any higher audio quality than some of the old DVD-A discs. Both allow for 192/24 PCM tracks in stereo and surround if they are available. The source is still what determines the quality of the end product. Music with height channels may change things though.
  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 1,173
    edited August 2022
    Emlyn…
    Do you do 2-channel or other?
    2.1, surround, etc….

    I had tried the surround gig but found it mostly distracting.
    Movies in surround was pretty cool.
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,530
    Mainly two channel with 5.1 music only once in a while. Atmos or Auro 3D adds to the immersive surround experience. I agree some 5.1 music is annoying/distracting but on the other end is The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots which is like an art form in itself that can only be experienced with surround audio.

    Whatever the source, I'm willing to pay if the quality of sound is there. Not a buy as an investment goal for music.
  • SIHAB
    SIHAB Posts: 4,968
    skipshot12 wrote: »
    👍

    Haven’t tried the blu-ray audio recordings yet….

    If I may, I can recommend
    Rolling Stones Exile on Main St on blu ray for sound.

    For value, just about any Steven Wilson prog remasters are
    great on Blu ray.

    Speakers: Polk Lsim, ATC SCM19 v2, NHT SuperzeroSpeaker Cables: DH Labs, Transparent, Wireworld, Canare, Monster: Beer budget, Bose ears
  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,815
    Seems to me like $$$ would be better spent buying DSD files and a high end DAC than spending on rare limited pressings...I've been moving in that direction for years now and I don't regret it.
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 1,173
    Thanks for the tip SIH…
    I’ll give it a go.
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,197
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,305
    Ouch!!
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
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    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
  • jbreezy5
    jbreezy5 Posts: 1,141
    heiney9 wrote: »

    “Original recording tapes age, so only a limited number of analog recordings can be produced,” the complaint explained. “When defendant began using a digital mastering process in its records as opposed to purely analog, it inherently produced less valuable records – because the records were no longer of limited quantity and were not as close to the studio recording – yet still charged the higher price.”

    Well said.
    CD Players: Sony CDP-211; Sony DVP-S9000ES; Sony UDP-X800M2 (x2); Cambridge Audio CXC

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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,161
    I wonder how many people will actually utilize the refunds/credits.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • SIHAB
    SIHAB Posts: 4,968
    edited May 2023
    I just sold my ADAA's (or DAA's) outright.
    I thought the punishment met the crime.
    Post edited by SIHAB on
    Speakers: Polk Lsim, ATC SCM19 v2, NHT SuperzeroSpeaker Cables: DH Labs, Transparent, Wireworld, Canare, Monster: Beer budget, Bose ears
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,530
    LOL. For customers the settlement is for a full refund if an item is returned, 5% off prior purchases of the offending LPs, or 10% credit for future purchases. Hey, better than nothing.

    Good day for the lawyers most likely.

    :)
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,161
    Maybe MoFi will resell the returns at a discount...and with disclosure.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,530
    jdjohn wrote: »
    Maybe MoFi will resell the returns at a discount...and with disclosure.

    They might show up on Ebay at double the original retail. And people will buy them.
  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    edited May 2023
    F1nut wrote: »
    That's going to upset a lot of folks.

    On the other hand, DSD enthusiasts, such as myself, will see this as a spectacular endorsement of DSD technology.
    jdjohn wrote: »
    I wonder how many people will actually utilize the refunds/credits.

    I looked through my small record collection, which includes only sixteen audiophile LPs. Only two of those are MoFi reissues: Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" 45 RPM limited edition box set (purchased in 2015 for $44.99) and Marvin Gaye's limited edition reissue of "Let's Get It On" (purchased in 2009 for $29.99). Both LPs were recorded with MoFi's "Gain 2 Ultra Analog System". I converted both LPs to single-rate DSD and stored them on my music server.

    To my ears, on my system, the DSD conversions of the LPs sound better than the LPs. I'm sure a two-ton $500,000 vinyl playback system would leapfrog over my all digital system, but I wouldn't go back to the inconvenience of records even if I were gifted a $1,000,000 vinyl playback system.

    I have no desire to send the LPs back for full refund (at my expense?) because I like the packaging and extra materials. I don't want the store credit because there is nothing in MoFi's current catalog that interests me that I don't already have. The 5% cash refund if I keep the records is not worth the effort of going to the mailbox, and then going to the bank to cash the small check of a few dollars. However, if I were an outraged analog purist with thousands of dollars invested in these recordings, I might consider one of the settlement options.

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    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,161
    edited May 2023
    @DarqueKnight Those don't qualify anyway. It is only the 'Ultradisc One-Step' that qualify and/or were considered false advertising. The One-Steps originally sold for $100+ each.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    jdjohn wrote: »
    @DarqueKnight Those don't qualify anyway. It is only the 'Ultradisc One-Step' that qualify and/or were considered false advertising. The One-Steps originally sold for $100+ each.

    A copy of the lawsuit can be read and/or downloaded from here:
    https://www.classaction.org/news/mobile-fidelity-sound-lab-vinyl-records-not-as-analog-as-advertised-class-action-alleges#embedded-document

    Here is a screenshot of part of the first page of the lawsuit. Compare the statement below to the pictures of the front covers of my albums shown in my previous post.

    wf4mbzwuez8h.jpg

    Below is a screenshot from page 3 of the lawsuit. Compare the statement below to the pictures of the rear covers of my albums.

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    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,161
    I'm sitting at the moment, but I 'stand' corrected.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 339
    Back in the late 70s, they used digital sources...
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,161
    edited May 2023
    I happen to own two different vinyl pressings of 'The Rolling Stones: Hot Rocks 1964-1971'. One is a an older ABK vinyl pressing, and the other is a modern ABK pressing from DSD sources. The modern pressing from DSD sources sounds better to me.

    EDIT: Even comparing to a 24-bit HD Track download, I still prefer the DSD-mastered vinyl pressing in this case.
    Post edited by jdjohn on
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    edited May 2023
    The holy grail of Mile's Davis' "Kind of Blue" is Classic Records 45 RPM single-sided set. I picked up a copy for $370 in 2016. The $45 45 RPM double-sided MoFi pressing is a close second to the Classic Records edition in terms of detail, clarity, and holography. The Classic Records pressing produced heavier images, particularly at the sides and rear of the sound stage. MoFi did an excellent job with their pressing.

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    The last record I bought, in 2017, before putting my turntable in storage (after converting all records to DSD64) was John Coltrane's luscious sounding "Blue Train" on 45 RPM 200 gram single-sided vinyl.

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    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,648
    Most of the MoFi CD, SACD and LP copies I have sound excellent. There are a few dogs, but a very few. While I don't like the fact they misrepresented the source for however many issues I can't fault the end result.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,197
    edited May 2023
    This except came from a Nelson Pass interview. This is Nelson Pass discussing his work for MoFi in the early 90's

    So, shortly after founding Pass Labs in 1991 I did some work for Mobile Fidelity, replacing the Ortophon electronics driving their cutter-head. This was a particularly challenging project, as the original electronics were very complex, with tons of ancient op amps in the circuit. The goal was to create a better-sounding system by simplifying the active circuitry as much as possible.

    The functions included balanced inputs, reverse RIAA equalization (full and half speed), additional equalization, feedback, feedback equalization, and balanced outputs. The outputs went to balanced Class A power amplifiers which drove the cutter-head, and feedback from the cutter-head came back to the control unit.

    Because cutter-heads are very delicate and expensive to repair, there were numerous delicately adjusted protection circuits. The cutter-head drive coils were cooled by helium and monitored for temperature by running a very small amount of DC current through them. A circuit sensed the DC voltage across the coils and interpreted this as temperature. The protection needed to respond quickly, so the filters were quite sharp to avoid being triggered by the AC drive signal.

    To accomplish all this, I first measured all the characteristics of the electronics and the cutter-head as precisely as possible and created a model of the system that I gave to a simulator (an early version of MicroCap). Then I began simplifying the active electronics by consolidating as many functions as possible into a few active stages. In the end I was able to get all the gain, equalization, and feedback folded into one active stage which still delivered the same “objective” performance.

    The power amplifiers were cousins of the A75 design and predecessors of the later Adcom MOSFET designs. The project was successful, paid well, and broadened my experience in vinyl production and circuit simulation, but it was a tremendous amount of work over a couple years.


    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,303
    I don't think I have one MoFi SACD,or Vinyl I can say I don't like, nor would I bother with some sort of refund or return.

    If this was the Back to Black vinyl records (MoFi had nothing to do with) I would gladly send them back, the 4-5 I have purchased I hated, and would never purchase another one..
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,569
    So basically the lawyers got rich right?
    Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R