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MoFi controversy

I see this hasn't been mentioned here yet, so I thought I'd put this out here.  Let me just say that I haven't yet joined the analog world, so I don't have a dog in this fight.

It was recently revealed that Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs one step LPs are being cut from digital masters (DSD) rather than being straight analog throughout the chain.

Here is one of the many Youtube videos that discusses it

 

To me, it seems that if MOFI is guilty of anything, it's "deception by omission."  That is, they were never open about the process and the use of digital in the chain. 

One thing to mention is that hardly anyone is criticizing the sound quality of these LPs, even after this revelation.  Me personally, I wouldn't spend over one hundred dollars for any recording regardless of the format.

 

ftran999
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,640 posts
 

I made the same mistake FWIW...

twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 

@tomcy6 It's in the July/August 2022 Absolute Sound print edition.  I don't think it's been posted on line yet.  It definitely discusses analog/digital stuff, as well as Tim de Paravicini's contribution.

ricmci
214 posts
 

I have a handful of MOFI LPs. In general, I think they sound great. However, I would have to say that every Tool album I own sounds better than my MOFI albums and the Tool albums are not MOFI.  Quality control probably has a lot to do with sound reproduction. 

tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,544 posts
 

Thanks @twoleftears .  I thought maybe they had put something up about the MoFi story.  It will be interesting to see if they have anything to say about it.

emailists
923 posts
 

The latest in this debacle is that an unnamed (but well known) Mofi executive called a Youtuber to try and get him on Mofi’s side, but ended up blasting Michael Fremer and made implications that it was the buyers fault for misinterpreting!

The original video was quite long and rambling, but I edited down the revelatory bits to a couple of minutes and put a comic spin on it, in case anyone is interested.

Fremer saw it and emailed me and seemed pretty shocked at what Mofi said about him. (there is a link to original Youtuber’s video where talks about the call in full.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17qVmjz_ZkY

Some background - I own about 6 one steps and bought into the hype even though the file of the Paul Simon one step that Fremer posted sounded far inferior to playing the SACD rip, so needless to say I’m no longer an MFSL buyer, and cancelled 4 upcoming pre orders, since I prefer to play digital sources as files/DSD files rather than LP.

 

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