Mobile Fidelity 24k CDs

@stuartk

Thanks for your kind words. Not sure I can speak about CD-R, I probably haven’t bought one in ten years. I hardly ever play my CDs.

I sure can say that the Audio Research Reference CD9SE CD player / DAC… is unbelievably synergistic with a setup with an AudioResearch REF preamp and amp. Hugely synergistic. While it has been discontinued because the transport manufacturer stopped making the transports (I am sure ARC has some for repairs). I would go out and find one on the used market. I am so thankful my dealer brought one over and twisted my arm into listening to it (I was happy with my player / DAC… $18K)… 30 seconds l ordered one.

@tattooedtrackman 

I've found mofi cd quality is quite variable. You never know whether the extra $ will yield better sound quality or not. At this point, I've become rather cynical about the brand.

Although I can't afford gear at the level of ARC, what I've  concluded is that many  Redbook cds have the potential to sound great -- it starts with a high quality transport.

Maybe ask @ghdprentice -- he's very familiar with ARC.

Jasonborne I have good digital playback and analog. For my taste Vynil win.In fact I have to play cd first otherwise if I play vynil I can’t appreciate my digital source.

The Mofi gold sound way better than the aluminum silver but The gold Mofi are way too expensive one of my Elton John gold Mofi is now listed $150 at eBay maybe more.

I also have the REGA ISIS VALVE cdp/DAC, so I know it’s considerable audio performance strengths as a best-of-breed cdp very well.

my take;

These 24K cds are no better performance wise than “regular” redbook silver discs on your 5-figure $$$$$ superior resolving and premium DAC cdp. It’s a waste of money providing only an elusive novelty factor for a select small cohort who follow the marketing puffery .

They won’t fulfill any performance uptick promises on your Uber high-end CD player. It’s not they are bad choices, it’s just they are no better performance-wise and thus not worth the crazy money prices ascribed to them. There was a limited edition offerings of gold disks issued 10-15 odd years ago by the major companies . They died off just like the stillborn HDCD’s . I tried them both with my old ARCAM FMJ HDCD player before buying the current high-end ISIS spinner . Both of these CD unicorns are still in my stash but are they not any excelling products.

BUT .,,quality build OEM XRCD’s can be a performance uptick …. An entirely different animal !

CAUTION: DO NOT buy ANY XRCD’s from vendors (new or used ) listed in China, and stick with properly OEM mastered Japanese listings .
All the flood of XRCD Chinese listings on EBay etc. are just rip-offs for illegal POS fakes, and sound like shite. The China offerings are NOT clones of OEM units … they are illegal and cheap crap lousy sounding fakes. I got stung once …never EVER again to be repeated .

choose wisely

I used to think DCC  gold CDs are equal to gold 24k MF in sound maybe be better.But 2 months ago I found 2 of my Gold dcc disc cracks in the middle , non playable now. Nat King Cole greatest is one rhat cracks.OP First impressions cd recording are amazing done by late Winston Ma.They go on sale on holiday at Elusive disc.

If you are willing to explore elusive disc has the most cd collections, impex gold are superb, in my case I invested with good sacd players so many good sacd collections now.Like you I don’t have a plan to go streaming? I have plenty of cd collections audiophile grade .For redbook I do have Raysonic Tube cdp.

For the price that they are asking for the 24k MF cd is not worth it. I got so many of them, I bought them when they were cheaper.The last one I bought are Sacd by Patricia Barber modern cool sacd, I forgot the other title.I visited MUsic Direct I got lucky to find them.other alternative are xrcds they are excellent.You. Can visit acoustic sounds and elusive disc.I think elusive disc is the exclusives seller of xrcds in the US.

It is not so much the special coating (gold) or special plastic, etc. that matters.  It comes down to the mastering of the recording.  MoFi, DOES, often deliver well mastered, good sounding CDs. But, that is not always the case, at least to my taste, so it is a bit of a crap shoot.  I think it is good that they do a bit of fiddling with the mastering; otherwise, we would not have as much choices in versions of each recording. 

I own three of them; one Johnny Mathis, Aja by Steely Dan and Stand Up by Jethro Tull, and also have the regular remasters of two of them, and I would say don't waste your money, unless you just like the look, as they are pretty.

I don't think that they sound any better than the regular versions, and the way the disc comes in and out of the container will drive you crazy.

Waste of money. Don't fall for the MoFi advertising hype. They are in the business of selling merchandise. The standard CD is an excellent music storage device - clearly surpassing the LP. I don't stream yet. I prefer owning media.