Mobile Fidelity MoFi Controversy - They Master From Digital!

As always, the mastering is far more important than the format. But, give me the same mastering on a CD rip and a SACD rip, the SACD rip wins every time on my system…

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That is correct.

No, that not correct…Any DSD is far better than Red Book for archival storage of analog tapes.

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You need to back that up with some evidence. If you look at the specs of the best pro tape recorders, you’ll see that they fall way short of what Red Book is capable of in terms of dynamic range and noise floor. It is true that a 30ips tape’s bandwidth can go beyond 20kHz, but that is of no consequence for members of the homo sapiens species, and it may hurt the low frequency response, which is potentially more consequential for the aforementioned humans.

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I just LOVE SACD. I’ve been collecting them for around fifteen-years. There aren’t many releases now, but it’s not ‘dead’ yet.

IMO SACD is probably the very best that digital has to offer. And at ‘only’ DSD64.

You probably don’t need it now. But go on! You know you want it!? :wink:

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SACD got hurt by the nascent streaming industry, to the point that SACD was almost still born. I think it will survive.

From what I understand, SACD is big in the classical crowd, in which I’m a fellow traveler.

There’s always (dare I say it?) MoFi releases which seem (understandably, now that everything is in the open) to go hand in hand with their vinyl pressings.

There seems to be some controversy as to whether it’s because of the format or the fact that the engineers are more diligent since the SACD audience is mostly ‘audiophiles’.

Very true. What do you think of the Technics SL-G700?

Still, I’ve geared my setup to an analog slant i.e. tube preamp/amp and Tannoy speakers so I wondering if I’m working at cross purposes.

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SACD is still liked by costumers in Asia, especially Japan. In Europe and US it is on the path of extinction like all physical digital media. Here in music, all is about streaming. Even downloads lost big time in the last years. I am a fan of SACD’s. Collect them like @Martin_Kelly since many years.

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Funny. I have a Kindle, but I never use it. I prefer to hold a book and dog ear the pages and make notes in the margin.

The same holds for music. I prefer vinyl to streaming and not just because of the sound.

I suspect at this stage my somewhat tenuous hold on existence needs to be balanced by the solidly physical. Dunno.

The younger people are, the less they reach to physical media. “Lossy” Spotify is enough quality. No more is needed. That is the path we follow, atm.

I could be considered part of the classical crowd, but I’m also part of the crowd that considers any and all hi-res to be a hoax. All my classical music is on CDs, and they seem to be as well mastered as any hi-res. If anyone sees indications of dynamic compression, brick-wall limiting etc. in classical red book releases, I’d like to know.

Another country heard from. :laughing:

Esoteric seem firmly behind the SACD medium. Thank goodness!

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I think this is a great combo. Great value too.

A vote here for streaming. With Qobuz I can stream high resolution, up to 24bit/192kHz, if available, and I never have to worry if my CD, LP or SACD is falling a little short in the resolution department.

Do I hear the difference between high resolution and normal CD resolution? I refuse to answer and take the Fifth, a fifth of bourbon that is :rofl:

What truly amazes me is that with my 3000+ LP collection I only have less than 10 Mobile Fidelity LPs. Mostly it was more about the records MoFi chose to release rather than about the sound. Where oh where is the Mofi LP release of Spirit’s “Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus” (it was released as a MoFi CD)? Instead we get four Rush LPs :face_vomiting: (always a good way to start a flame war :wink:)

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Ha, back in the day I used to listen to that during altered states of consciousness.

Also, ‘Blows Against the Empire’, ‘Hot Rats’, and later when the dust settled, ‘Its a Beautiful Day’ (the first album, all the others sucked).

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And Shirley that’s the best state to be in to appreciate that fine work of “art”.
Guess I have to drag the record out again now for a late night listen…

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I will second that “It’s a beautiful day” album. One of my favourites and most played albums.

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I have the MoFi CD and it is great!!!

The first of many class action law suits. Finding an unbiased jury who can still understand the complaint will be part of the challenge.

I don’t think they’ll get very far?

MoFi has been ‘ambiguous’ over the last few years, and has never stated on its products that they’re mastered from Analogue only sources.