Mobile Fidelity Analog Vinyl Controversy

[restorer-john]

I mean wearing out a master tape is in itself a bit unethical right?

The master has to played at some stage. So it makes sense to play it and both make an A/D recording whilst at the same time cutting a master.

Trouble is, it's now clear MoFi had tapes from all over the place, of various provedence, some full albums, some just random tracks and without digitizing it all and then re-assembling those files to make a continuous album, they'd have nothing.

 

[restorer-john]

The point is that these guys are super religious about about their analog audio and LP. They pay huge premium to preserve and use that format. To have one of the icons of their world using digital all this time is just untenable. In that regard, MoFi abused the trust their customers put in them. It matters not whether the results are better, etc. It simply is not what they were selling.

Exactly. The deception was deliberate and ongoing.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Exactly. The deception was deiberate and ongoing.

I agree, and I am glad I'm not dealing with this at MoFi. But it was a heck of a blind test, and I'm still laughing. I give the record store guy who blew the whistle credit though, even after learning about what was going on he said their records were some of the very best versions he had heard. Nevertheless I'm laughing still.

I'd years ago converted a couple LP die-hards over to systems that digitized their phono stages so they could use digital DAC/preamps. They did believe demonstrations that they couldn't hear any difference vs the real LP. Something they never believed would be the case, but after listening they didn't dispute the truth of it. In both cases I had to convert at 88 khz however. They could hear something wrong with both 44 and 48 khz.

 

[mhardy6647]

Can you see the symbol of ANALOG reel-to-reel deck

Now I am just sayin'...

 

[Blumlein 88]

Now I am just sayin'...

The home version.

 

[DMill]

Had a QA manager working for me years ago at Sony. He brought his wife to a trip we made in Germany. She is vegetarian. They go to a restaurant and she gets soup which she believes to be devoid of meat. While eating the soup, she senses what could be meat. She proceeds to spit it out! Waiter goes and gets the Chef who had become quite angry of someone spitting out his soup! To me as a non-vegetarian, a bit of meat would be of no concern but clearly to her, was a huge deal to make a scene that way.

Perhaps they should add to their website that no animals were harmed in this remastering of B-52s Love Shack. But your point is spot on. It’s not about the merits of digital vs analog. The conversation is about did they mislead their customers? looks like they did to me.

 

[Vladimir Filevski]

Now I am just sayin'...

OK, that was witty.

 

[deniall83]

Sorry if this has been posted but there's now a class action lawsuit against MOFI.

 

[amirm]

That is going to be so expensive for them to defend. Wonder if they can survive it.

 

[JustJones]

The trial will be recorded in digital.

 

[GXAlan]

That is going to be so expensive for them to defend. Wonder if they can survive it.

Can’t they just offer people a full refund or free voucher for another vinyl LP?

They can just declare bankruptcy again and the audio community will just lose the source of good digital remasters for a while.

 

[Mnyb]

As I understand it, the main reason to insert the DSD step was ultimately to prevent wearing out the master tape.

Who on earth would want to have it the other way?

Master tapes age some better than others it’s a bit hit and miss I suppose.

I do wonder if the best version of some of them could be early digital copies from the late 80’s and 90’s if one could find them ?
The CD release migth have some eq etc . But the studios sure would have something on digital tape or disc ?

Many archives have large digitising projects going on to preserve really old recordings of all kind.

 

[Mnyb]

I mean wearing out a master tape is in itself a bit unethical right?

Or wanting someone to do that so you as a consumer can be sure of your AAA pressing.

A bit ? It’s very unethical now that we have the technology to preserve the recordings !

Wear down our cultural heritage so some audiphooles can enjoy “pristine” analog vinyl ,they will eventually be destroyed forever if one keep at it.

Imho it’s more unethical to wear out the masters than scam the audiophiles neither is good , but if one properly care for a good backup scheme , they digital versions may survive the master tapes us and mofi altogether.

 

[Balle Clorin]

One of the stand alone phono stages I own, the Puffin, is entirely digital based.

Well , not quite. I am being difficult here. The volume and RIAA correction is digital ,
It has an analog gain stage and ADC on the input end, and the option of analog out or spdif out. I am very very pleased with mine, using spdif output to my digital DSP preamp. I do not buy a Mofi or other audiophile reissues. Bought one or two reissues 20 years ago, and they were worse than my original 70s record . I got enough 70-90 vinyl , for new music I use Tidal.
What matters is the mixing and mastering, not being untouched by digital, the purpose of vinyl is not better sound, But the fun of tweaking , and maybe a different sound, and nostalgia

 

[IPunchCholla]

I agree, and I am glad I'm not dealing with this at MoFi. But it was a heck of a blind test, and I'm still laughing. I give the record store guy who blew the whistle credit though, even after learning about what was going on he said their records were some of the very best versions he had heard. Nevertheless I'm laughing still.

I'd years ago converted a couple LP die-hards over to systems that digitized their phono stages so they could use digital DAC/preamps. They did believe demonstrations that they couldn't hear any difference vs the real LP. Something they never believed would be the case, but after listening they didn't dispute the truth of it. In both cases I had to convert at 88 khz however. They could hear something wrong with both 44 and 48 khz.

Wow. Was it blind that they could tell the difference? I certainly can't.

 

[Steve H]

That is going to be so expensive for them to defend. Wonder if they can survive it.

I’ve read the complaint. They will write a response and a motion for dismissal. Think of all information about master tapes lost in fires (Universal) and just thrown away (Warner Music) and damaged in other ways they can cite. Any reasonable person would not rely on any statements about providence of recordings. Then present evidence the plaintiffs and any other members of the class are batshit crazy, hence not reasonable people.

 

[IPunchCholla]

I’ve read the complaint. They will write a response and a motion for dismissal. Think of all information about master tapes lost in fires (Universal) and just thrown away (Warner Music) and damaged in other ways they can cite. Any reasonable person would not rely on any statements about providence of recordings. Then present evidence the plaintiffs and any other members of the class are batshit crazy, hence not reasonable people.

The way Mofi described their process won't be judged on a reasonable person argument. It will fall under the "Moron in a Hurry) standard. As in, only a moron in a hurry would think that it was an all analog process. IANAL, but looking at the email above as well as their own advertising copy, they did everything they could from saying there were digital steps involved. Look at all of that communication and think about how long it took for people reading the copy asking direct questions to get confirmation of a digital step. Is it really only morons in a hurry that would be deceived?

 

[Ron Party]

That is going to be so expensive for them to defend. Wonder if they can survive it.

Hmmmm. Western District of Washington. Amir, any chance you might get a jury summons?

 

[abdo123]

Since MoFi is offering 100$ for a first print Micheal Jakson's thriller, I will give it to anyone who reaches out to me.

My in-laws owned one and i digitized it with a state of the art ADC.

 

[Rednaxela]

Sounds like you wanna be startin somethin.