MoFi debacle

I'm surprised there isn't a thread here about it. What are your thoughts?
afterburnt wrote: »
They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

Village Idiot of Club Polk

Comments

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,559
    A link would help.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,559
    Thanks. IIRC this is pretty common with modern vinyl releases, but I suppose you wouldn't expect it from a big name like this. Interesting.
  • tratliff
    tratliff Posts: 1,651
    I have many Mofi's in my collection, 100'ish, along with 14 One-Steps and a number of UHQR's. They sounded great before this so-called news broke and they still sound great today.
    2 Channel Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II, 2 REL Carbon Limited, Norma Revo IPA-140B, Lumin U2 Mini, VPI Prime w/SoundSmith Zephyr MIMC, Modwright PH 150, Denon DP-59l w/Denon DL-301MKII, AudioQuest Thunderbird Speaker and Interconnect Cables, AudioQuest Niagara 7000 w/Dragon and Hurricane Power Cables
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    edited July 2022
    Short version: for the last several years Mobile Fidelity has been producing excellent sounding vinyl LPs using digital masters of the original analog tapes when they're available.

    My take: they sound good, they are using the best modern technology at 4X DSD rates, they cost a lot, people buy them.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shg0780YgAE
  • SIHAB
    SIHAB Posts: 4,493
    I have one word for use guys, DIGAlog. :)
    Speakers: Polk Lsim, ATC SCM19 v2, NHT SuperzeroSpeaker Cables: DH Labs, Transparent, Wireworld, Canare, Monster: Beer budget, Bose ears
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    I thought Josh was posting about Natalie Merchant's Tigerlily being back ordered again to 3000+ people MusicDirect, despite another recent pressing release. That one sold out again in less than an hour. I think it may even minutes. As soon as I hit the site after receiving the text, it was unavailable. I thought I was too early at first.
    I disabled signatures.
  • tratliff
    tratliff Posts: 1,651
    msg wrote: »
    I thought Josh was posting about Natalie Merchant's Tigerlily being back ordered again to 3000+ people MusicDirect, despite another recent pressing release. That one sold out again in less than an hour. I think it may even minutes. As soon as I hit the site after receiving the text, it was unavailable. I thought I was too early at first.

    I was late on the Mofi site for the Natalie Merchant but was able to pick one up on Music Direct. In fact I just received the shipping notification about 30 minutes ago. I let that one slip by and then regretted it. Will be a nice add.

    2 Channel Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II, 2 REL Carbon Limited, Norma Revo IPA-140B, Lumin U2 Mini, VPI Prime w/SoundSmith Zephyr MIMC, Modwright PH 150, Denon DP-59l w/Denon DL-301MKII, AudioQuest Thunderbird Speaker and Interconnect Cables, AudioQuest Niagara 7000 w/Dragon and Hurricane Power Cables
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,559
  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,288
    I have to agree with Steve on this. Most of the Mofi SACD or LP's I have, sound way better vs the original cd or LP. How they got it to sound better to me, I am good with! What frustrates me is when we pay a lot of money for 300 gram LP or something that is supposed to be better and pay a premium for it, and the original 60's or 70's LP sounded better.
    Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, Audioquest Thunderbird Zero Speaker Cable, Tyler Highland H2, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    Clipdat wrote: »
    Natalie who?
    Natazzy Star, fool!
    I disabled signatures.
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    tratliff wrote: »
    I was late on the Mofi site for the Natalie Merchant but was able to pick one up on Music Direct. In fact I just received the shipping notification about 30 minutes ago. I let that one slip by and then regretted it. Will be a nice add.

    The strangest thing happened - shortly after I posted that, USPS delivered a package from... MusicDirect. I thought it was a catalog. Nope. Natalie Friggin Merchant. I'll have to write back to the rep who told me of the 3k back orders B)
    I disabled signatures.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    They're just a company of Natalie merchants, I suppose...
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,477
    edited July 2022
    msg wrote: »
    tratliff wrote: »
    I was late on the Mofi site for the Natalie Merchant but was able to pick one up on Music Direct. In fact I just received the shipping notification about 30 minutes ago. I let that one slip by and then regretted it. Will be a nice add.

    The strangest thing happened - shortly after I posted that, USPS delivered a package from... MusicDirect. I thought it was a catalog. Nope. Natalie Friggin Merchant. I'll have to write back to the rep who told me of the 3k back orders B)

    They know how important you are...
    🤣
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    edited July 2022
    First impressions - this album likely needs a wash, but there's a noticeable amount of background groove noise/hiss/rumble. This is especially present in quieter passages, which this album has a lot of. I have lots of better quality, quieter albums.

    Most owners on Discogs talk about how great the first pressing was. Mine sucked. I thought I got a bum one. I was too late to exchange it at the time, since my turntable was down at the time I received it, and I didn't get around to listening until well past the return window. Finally got another copy with this recent run, and while it's better than the first both in appearance and quality, it's still not as great as people say.

    I don't get a lot of modern MoFi stuff. Musically, this copy is fantastic. Truly better than the standard CD of it that I have with respect to details and imaging, but noise wise, it's not what I'd expect from the MoFi reputation. Unless this cleans up, the vinyl pressing quality is subpar, imo. I've had better for less, like the Spiritualized reissues from Fat Possum I picked up this past year from Turntable Lab.

    The NM first press copy I received didn't clean up at all past some of the surface haze on new records. Similar noise as second copy, though more pronounced, as well as crummy surface scuffs and rub marks.

    So, yeah, modern MoFi vinyl pressing quality is hype in my limited experience. Musically, I acknowledge it's beautifully done.

    Still nice to have, and physical appearance wise, this new copy is beautiful - looks very clean at least; no scuffs and rubs like that first copy.

    Each of my copies of this album from them are later in the production run. Maybe they just got lazy or things got dirtied up.

    I'll post back if it improves after cleaning.

    Now if someone would just make a quality press of Chris Isaak's Baja Sessions. If ever there were an album for the vinyl experience, that's one.
    Post edited by msg on
    I disabled signatures.
  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,042
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    edited July 2022
    msg wrote: »
    First impressions - this album likely needs a wash, but there's a noticeable amount of background groove noise/hiss/rumble. This is especially present in quieter passages, which this album has a lot of. I have lots of better quality, quieter albums.

    Most owners on Discogs talk about how great the first pressing was. Mine sucked. I thought I got a bum one. I was too late to exchange it at the time, since my turntable was down at the time I received it, and I didn't get around to listening until well past the return window. Finally got another copy with this recent run, and while it's better than the first both in appearance and quality, it's still not as great as people say.

    I don't get a lot of modern MoFi stuff. Musically, this copy is fantastic. Truly better than the standard CD of it that I have with respect to details and imaging, but noise wise, it's not what I'd expect from the MoFi reputation. Unless this cleans up, the vinyl pressing quality is subpar, imo. I've had better for less, like the Spiritualized reissues from Fat Possum I picked up this past year from Turntable Lab.

    The NM first press copy I received didn't clean up at all past some of the surface haze on new records. Similar noise as second copy, though more pronounced, as well as crummy surface scuffs and rub marks.

    So, yeah, modern MoFi vinyl pressing quality is hype in my limited experience. Musically, I acknowledge it's beautifully done.

    Still nice to have, and physical appearance wise, this new copy is beautiful - looks very clean at least; no scuffs and rubs like that first copy.

    Each of my copies of this album from them are later in the production run. Maybe they just got lazy or things got dirtied up.

    I'll post back if it improves after cleaning.

    Now if someone would just make a quality press of Chris Isaak's Baja Sessions. If ever there were an album for the vinyl experience, that's one.

    I played this CD a lot. :)

    Chris Isaac's "Forever Blue".
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    Mo-Fi issues and the recent debacles aside? I haven't been too impressed with them lately. It used to be a hit or miss, recently, it seems to be a miss. YMMV

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 990
    edited August 2022
    It'll be interesting to see what this means for future sales on the one step lp's... and other mofi products.
  • tratliff
    tratliff Posts: 1,651
    It’s funny. I sit in my chair. Placed right in the sweet spot. First listened to the Muddy Waters one-step, then Rush Permanent Waves on gain2 and now a Sgt Peppers Mofi from 1982 that I picked up sealed last week. I wouldn’t trade any of them. If anyone has MOFIs they want to get rid of. Let me know….
    2 Channel Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II, 2 REL Carbon Limited, Norma Revo IPA-140B, Lumin U2 Mini, VPI Prime w/SoundSmith Zephyr MIMC, Modwright PH 150, Denon DP-59l w/Denon DL-301MKII, AudioQuest Thunderbird Speaker and Interconnect Cables, AudioQuest Niagara 7000 w/Dragon and Hurricane Power Cables
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited August 2022
    tratliff wrote: »
    It’s funny. I sit in my chair. Placed right in the sweet spot. First listened to the Muddy Waters one-step, then Rush Permanent Waves on gain2 and now a Sgt Peppers Mofi from 1982 that I picked up sealed last week. I wouldn’t trade any of them. If anyone has MOFIs they want to get rid of. Let me know….

    Exactly. :) Absolutely nothing has changed about those disks. If someone liked them 3 months ago (or whatever) there's really no need to stop liking them now. And, you know what? They sound exactly the same today as they did 3 (or whatever) months ago.

    Tell you what, though: I, too, will take any of them that any of all y'all don't want, if you wish to give them away. I'll even pick up the postage. :)

  • daddyjt
    daddyjt Posts: 2,305
    Y’all better speak softly in this thread, or you will wake the trolls….

    https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/196924/mofi-comes-clean/p1
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