Any Opinion on DCC/MoFi CD Quality?

Cbucki, I'm curious...what was your gripe(s) with P.F.'s "The Wall" on Mo-fi?

Problem is not with MoFi or DCC but rather with the masters quality, or in this case lack of quality. The original recordings of these tended to be 'dreck' and therefore do not transform into magic recordings. I own many MoFi remasters but of jazz artists who tended to make better master recordings. My John Coltrane/Johnny Hartman is unbelievable compared to the Redbook. Elton John's 'Tumbleweed Connection' is also quite good.

I've found many importants, for example, Harvest version of Pink Floyd's the wall to sound much better than the MoFi version. Queen's Night at the Opera is much better on import than on DCC. There is far too much compression used on the original US release and the DCC release as compared to the import. Was this on the original tape and then expanded on the import version--hard to tell--but those engineering the re-releases from the master would know. Hoffman was a purist from what I have read in that regard and would try to replicate the master tapes as close as possible--so it is possible that his CD sounds more like the master tape, but the important (at least to my ears) sounds better. There are some examples where I feel that these companies have done a superb job. Cat Steven's Tea for the Tillerman on MoFi is about the best (particularly if you compare it to the original US release).

I think to be fair you need to remember when these discs were issued,I've tended to find that most of the newer remasters do tend to sound better than DCC/Mofi (Floyd,Queen,Doors etc.)now but I think it's fair to expect that.
Obviously I have not heard every disc so it may not be exclusively true.
I do also tend to find most (but not all)of these discs have been mastered quite quietly.

I have compared many of the MFSL CDS and they are much cleaner and smoother than other releases . Listen to Elton's Honkey Chateau and you should be able to hear one of the best recorded cds ever . and there are many other great titles. Floyds, Supertramp, Hall & Oates, Claptons, Winwoods, Allman Brothers, and lots more

Ben said it all. Look at the time when these were released. The MoFi "The Wall" was released in the early '90's (like '91 or '92 I think) and at the time was way beyond the regular version that was out. The remastered version of The Wall, released in 1997/98, is better but that is to be expected. I can tell you that all of the Moody Blues MoFi's are better than the current remasters. If you are in the market for MoFi CD's, you will probably be OK if you purchase anything that is "Ultradisc II" as opposed to "Ultradisc" (which "The Wall" was). Ultradisc II was their "new" remastering system they used in the mid-'90's and was superior to the older system and in the discs I have compared, still outperforms or holds its own against anything out there. But as someone else mentioned, it all begins with the master tape!

I tried to fool myself into believing that these "premium" pressings were superior. When you pay 2x to 8x the price over the standard issue, that's easy to do. The fact is, even on the new Patricia Barber titles, you have to use delusion to believe the MoFi are clearly superior.
My dealer and I have done several of these A/B comparisons.
The remastered "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" absolutely decimates the MoFi. Ditto for "Double Fantasy".
Those who claim the Gain II process was a significant improvement are correct. They are still a far cry from today's 24 bit remastering efforts.
I am a recovering MoFi/DCC addict. The first step is admitting there is a problem...

I have an extensive collection of both DCCs anf MOFIs. With the exception of John Mellancamp's 'Scarecrow ' they are all vastly superior to the standard issues ... even the remasters. The bass makes all of the difference in the world. The remasters have impressive clarity in the mid and top ranges but are lacking in the bottom end.

I think the MFSL issues also tend to have a somewhat "silkier" sound than most other issues.

The Floyd and ELP releases kick butt on the bass end to be sure.