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

Would you rather have bad sounding AAAA stuff? I buy it because it sounds good. They have since expanded on their explanation and describe what size and speed tape they use and the size of the data files. If that reduces their demand, all the better for me and the true audiophiles.

@grislybutter - yes it must be nice. Not me though- it’s all hard earned cash. I have a Rega P8 on top of a Townshend seismic platform sitting on a wall mounted shelf for max isolation. Cartridge and phono stage are also very important - (importance is reduced as you go down the signal path) van den Hul MC One Special and Sutherland Insight LPS. I feel the source is the most important so I purposely have spent less than what is typical on my speakers, KEF R500s. To round it out, I have. Plinius 8200MK II integrated amp and a nice Puritan Power conditioner. Traded in gear on most, and bought used, demos or close outs, except Rega.

I have enjoyed Mobile Fidelity MoFi Original Master Recordings since the seventies. It seems criminal and counterproductive in our tiny hobby to financially punish anyone. If you don’t like what they make, don’t buy them. Now it is sad that they chose to not be fully transparent, to offer "deception by omission". I can forgive them for this and move on. I’ll keep my old MoFi And continue to buy new issues, because they sound fine to me!

Being punitive helps no one. It’s just mean spirited. Life is too short for that nonsense.

mahler123 You covered the issue at hand with remarkable precision and clarity. Well done. I fully agree  

 

Happy MoFi listening. Thank you MoFi

Perhaps Sony/Philips should be punished (also) for having uttered the phrase “Perfect Sound Forever”? Or not. 

@sokogear 

Thanks for sharing, that's a pretty smart system! I agree that your high end is not your speakers (and I am not a huge KEF fan, I think they are great, just not warm, but super clean and fast), and I only learned now that speakers are not the be all end all of a system. 

I neglected my source and just upgraded to a Rega P3 (used) and I am very happy. The P8 looks and must be incredible!

 

The arm (RB880) is incredible. The table itself has some incremental upgrades from  my old P5 also. Its my biggest investment, but worth it to me.