Dark Side of the Moon - Is MFSL really all that?

Erik, I can't help you except with this - do not buy any MFSL pressings. Buy original, in this case either British or Japanese Toshiba Pro.

Hey eric
i always enjoyed the original press and still do 

Pink Floyd's Toshiba Pro, especially most popular albums, are quite expensive and not always available on ebay. I cooled off to Pink Floyd but occasionally play original German WYWH, my favourite PF album. German pressing is okay, nothing special.

Thanks everyone, I thought MFSL CDs were top notch, but man, what a let down this particular one was, especially given how many rave about it.

I just learned something! :) 

MFSL CD of 'Inner Mounting Flame' by Mahavishnu Orchestra is the best remastered CD I've ever heard, great job. But that was before MFSL got bought out by Music Direct. That CD is not too far from the record and incomparably better than Sony Mastersound remaster.

What about the 2011 Capitol remaster? Sounds good to me compared to other CD remasters.
How good is the 2009 Japanese?

DSOM MFSL is typical re-issue re-master that nowhere near sounds as good as original.
2011 Capitol remaster does not sound any better than 80's Capitol re-issue.
My personal PF collection is all German pressed. All US releases I sold. I also sold UK releases. I did not find them inferior to German pressings, but also found them to be far more collectible and profitable.

My 2011 Capitol remaster is the best sounding vinyl I own.

Hopefully Mofimadness will weigh in on this. He is well versed on all things MFSL.

Agree, original CD sounds better. Anybody know which Japanese original is best?
Black Triangle CD 1983 or
Black Face Harvest CD 1983

Dark Side of The Moon is iconic and a sonic experience if you have a good copy and the right medication... Otherwise, it's just great.

I have an old vinyl pressing that is good, but the ***very best*** by far is the Pink Floyd re-release CD/BD box set ("Immersion") that came out in 2011. If you see this somewhere: BUY IT. ...It has everything, live, studio, freaking fantastic remaster!

[PF re-released a few of their iconic albums on CD over the past decade, ALL are excellent. BTW, the same original album remaster is available separately, but be careful as to source...]

Seriously: THIS IS THE ONE. I do not know if there was a vinyl box set also, if so... 

I have to admit that I was unmoved as well  by my MFSL copy. I used to listen to this LP at a friends house when I was in high school. We were listening to vinyl but that sounded way better on his mediocre system than my MFSL CD copy today. Hate to admit it but it's true.

I have both the MFSL cd and vinyl and the vinyl is much better although not nearly as good as an original pressing I bought back in 1973.  The cd also seems to have much less gain than other cd's.

The CD is pretty low volume, but the effects of the original are all missing too. Kind of unmistakable if you switch back and forth.

As mentioned, it depends on your medication! Whenever I play any of my dozen pressings of LPs or SACD or that boxed set I just zone-out... ;-(    Which one is the best?  I will never know...

I can't speak to the MSFL release but when i opened my copy of DSOM after 30 years i found a nice surprise. 


Smoked it that night

@grinnell my man, I am going to meet you there in a sec... My Sondek is warming up!!!

I have always liked the British Harvest pressing. SHVL804. A certain purchase when I happen on one.

Don't know if anything will ever be quite as nice as Mobile Fidelities Original 1979 Direct to Disc Master Recording LP, taken direct to disc from the1973 studio cut.
One of my all-time favorite LPs. Maybe it would be worth a bit today had I kept it pristine and un opened. Not really a collector, so I guess the purpose for good HI-FI is to listen to good music and can't do that with it sealed in a package.
Happy listening,
Jim

UHQR

SACD

I have the MOFI half speed mastered from 1979(?) as someone else mentioned that pressing. That one is GREAT. I have purchased several copies of that one. I also had the Toshiba PRO, and various other pressings; not sure in my memory right now. I always thought that 1979 MOFI pressing was the BEST! The Toshiba PRO I had was not in perfect shape when I got it...but the sonics never measured up to the very first MOFI. I would seek out that first MOFI in Mint-Excellent condition. They can be really expensive; but the Best copy I have was $50 on Ebay. Every single time I listen to that one it is impressive!!! More Bass, dynamic range; scares you out of your chair when it starts side one.

I have that version as well.  I thought it was done in 1978?  The half speed mastering is unbelievable.  I don't understand why the LP has less hiss than the MFSL CD that I also have.  I have 9 LP's of Dark side, 5 CD's and 3 downloads plus a DVD Audio version.

Hey @stereo5 which of your digital releases would you recommend?

I have no vinyl here I'm afraid.

Best,

Erik

The MFSL CD I have is a different recording altogether.

Thanks!

Erik

IMO, the 1983 Japanese Harvest CD sounds better than any remaster I have heard.
Very open sonics, uncompressed, with wild sound effects. Can be found on Discogs.

There are 2 MFSL pressings of Dark Side. The first, and better sounding, has block letters across the top. The second has slanted letters. Neither release is remarkable. 
I own 16 copies of this album and the best are:
1. Original U.K. first pressing
2. Japanese Pro-Use Series EMLF-97002
3. Japanese EMS-80324

Can't comment on an original UK but own the Japanese Pro Use and have heard the Mo Fi  UHQR. The UHQR is superior IMO. 

I'm a little late getting to this discussion and noticed a term I'm not familiar with: obi...what does it stand for?

Never liked the MFSL versions, particularly the UHQR.  Too compressed, thin, and lightweight.  I like the original UK and German pressings.  I have also tried a number of reissues and don't like them either.

Found this in Wikipedia:

An obi (帯?) is a strip of paper looped around a book or other product. This extends the term obi used for Japanese clothing; it is written with the same kanji. It is also referred to as a tasuki (襷?) (another kimono accessory), or more narrowly as obigami (帯紙?, belt paper).

Been reading this thread and for clarification please state what year is your DSOTM MFSL from? They have been pressing this sucker from day one,my copy by MFSL is from the year the first MFSL PRESSINGS were released 1978? . It sounds good but I’m sure there are better since it’s been done by every quality Audiophile label.
Thanks.

I think that maybe "best sounding" is too broad of an inquisitorial challenge for us re: the plethora of offerings of this masterpiece of music.

I have four copies of the vinyl MSFL OMR (no UHQR) and never noticed audible differences in sound quality, only in the quietness of the pressing/copy, between them. As with many early-era MFSL masterings, the treble is jazzed a bit and the bass enhanced also, or is it attenuation of the upper midrange that makes it sound that way to me, or both?

None of the Redbook CD versions that I own come close to matching even these LPs in sound quality in my system. This title (as all PF stuff I have yet heard IMO) just seems to favor the euphonic contribution of a good vinyl rig. This is not always the case for me with non-PF recordings, lest my comments/inquiry be dismissed as vinyl obsession.

I admit to not having or even ever hearing the highly-coveted early European/US pressings, so I would like to ask those of you do who own these if any overcome what I feel to be a lack of openness, dynamics, and sheer energy in the upper midrange (snare drum in particular) and, if so, which pressings do the best here?

BTW and FWIW - the 2003 Capitol/EMI digital remaster via SACD sounds the best to me in the upper midrange of anything I have heard.

Best to all,
Dave