MoFi has it’s detractors (obviously), and the company is to blame for their spotty record (ouch ;-) . However, one needs to know that not all Mobile Fidelity LP’s are created equally. You need to know about the history of the company, who was doing the mastering, plating, and pressing at the time a reissue was done. The sound characteristics can be broken down into two separate phases: the current Music Direct-owned releases, and those of the former ownership.
The MoFi Beatles LP’s, for example, are not as good as original UK LP’s. I had a complete set of both UK Parlophone (stereo) and MoFi pressings (just ’cause I could), but when the mono boxset was released I sold all my MoFi’s, the proceeds of which many times over paid for the box.
On the other hand, most "current" MoFi’s are really, really good. Whereas Stan Ricker was doing the mastering at MoFi in the 70’s and 80’s (and is responsible for the bass-heavy sound of the Beatles LP’s---he was a bass player ;-) , MoFi’s current team is one of the very best in the world.
Then there is Analogue Productions. In my opinion they are making the best LP’s the world has ever seen, uh, heard. Chad Kassem takes making records VERY seriously, and his products show it. If you want proof of that, at 12:00 noon CST tomorrow (Saturday, 5-8) on the YouTube channel "45 RPM Audiophile", there is going to be a live stream panel discussion about making records. The participants will be Chad, Classic Records owner Mike Hobson, mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, the production manager at QRP (Kassem’s LP manufacturing facility in Salina, KS), Michael Fremer, and Mr. 45 RPM Audiophile, Michael in Germany.
As to half-speed mastering, that was a fad in the waning days of the original LP reign. I recently read a mastering engineer explain that while running the tapes at half speed DOES provide an improvement in high frequencies, it comes at the cost of worse low frequency sound. None of the current audiophile reissue companies proudly proclaim their LP’s are half-speed mastered. ’Cause they’re not.
The MoFi Beatles LP’s, for example, are not as good as original UK LP’s. I had a complete set of both UK Parlophone (stereo) and MoFi pressings (just ’cause I could), but when the mono boxset was released I sold all my MoFi’s, the proceeds of which many times over paid for the box.
On the other hand, most "current" MoFi’s are really, really good. Whereas Stan Ricker was doing the mastering at MoFi in the 70’s and 80’s (and is responsible for the bass-heavy sound of the Beatles LP’s---he was a bass player ;-) , MoFi’s current team is one of the very best in the world.
Then there is Analogue Productions. In my opinion they are making the best LP’s the world has ever seen, uh, heard. Chad Kassem takes making records VERY seriously, and his products show it. If you want proof of that, at 12:00 noon CST tomorrow (Saturday, 5-8) on the YouTube channel "45 RPM Audiophile", there is going to be a live stream panel discussion about making records. The participants will be Chad, Classic Records owner Mike Hobson, mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, the production manager at QRP (Kassem’s LP manufacturing facility in Salina, KS), Michael Fremer, and Mr. 45 RPM Audiophile, Michael in Germany.
As to half-speed mastering, that was a fad in the waning days of the original LP reign. I recently read a mastering engineer explain that while running the tapes at half speed DOES provide an improvement in high frequencies, it comes at the cost of worse low frequency sound. None of the current audiophile reissue companies proudly proclaim their LP’s are half-speed mastered. ’Cause they’re not.