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Mobile Fidelity Analog Vinyl Controversy

bkatbamna

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They were not remastered. This comes up over and over, it is a myth that will not die.

From 2005:


I have a lot of CDs I got from the BMG club. A lot of Telarcs and some audiophile type CDs as well. They all sound wonderful. There would be no reason for the club to remaster them. It would add to their costs that they could not recoup. The way they made money was hoping that the member would forget to send in the "decline" card and end up with the club choice CD at full price.
 

Labjr

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I bought hundreds of record club discs. Possibly even thousands. I'm pretty particular about my music. I would've noticed differences in the quality of the discs. I remember some of the Columbia discs having the same bar codes as the retail versions. As I said before, a lot of the CD matrix codes I compared were the same. The cost of making a new master for record clubs was pointless and expensive. They didn't just author a CD on a PC using freeware. The equipment was all proprietary.
 

anmpr1

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Class action filed against MoFi, vinyl enthusiasts seeking damages.
Really? That's pretty funny. The way these things go, each disenchanted purchaser will likely get a coupon for a dollar or two off their next MFSL purchase, while Dewey Cheatham and Howe LLP will walk away with several million dollars in fees. LOL
 

Midwest Blade

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Really? That's pretty funny. The way these things go, each disenchanted purchaser will likely get a coupon for a dollar or two off their next MFSL purchase, while Dewey Cheatham and Howe LLP will walk away with several million dollars in fees. LOL
Not sure if everyone is really in on this, there does appear to be some vinyl people who are saying “bad on MoFi…the album still sounds good though”. As with todays world, plenty of misinformation coming through on social media.
 
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Azazello13

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great. some scumbag lawyers are going to put Mofi out of business. fantastic.
 

BDWoody

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great. some scumbag lawyers are going to put Mofi out of business. fantastic.

I'm going to put that on hold while I figure out what to do with it.
 

MarkS

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Why would it be a shame? Let's put it in these terms: they lied about the provenance of the art they were selling.
 

NTK

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Why would it be a shame? Let's put it in these terms: they lied about the provenance of the art they were selling.
Because objectively what MoFi is doing is the best known method. No more wearing out the original master tape and future copies of the digitized master will be identical to the first generation and audibly transparent to master tape.

But for some purity to the religion is of supreme importance. Infidels and apostates must be destroyed.

I am not a lawyer. But however I think for the lawsuit to succeed, they would have to prove damage, and put a dollar amount to it if they want compensation.
 
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MarkS

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If you are going to make a business out of selling to religious believers, then you have a duty to follow the practices of the religion in the making of your product. MoFi did not, and lied about it. IMO they deserve to go out of business for that.

And I say that while in no way being a member of the religion. I have not bought a vinyl record since CDs came on the market in 1984.
 

BDWoody

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Some lawyers hired by customers may put MoFi out of business is maybe a better phrasing? It could happen, and it would be a shame.

We just had one specifically sign up to post an advertisement as his first post.

I have removed it from view as I'm not sure that's what we're looking for.
 

Labjr

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Because objectively what MoFi is doing is the best known method. No more wearing out the original master tape and future copies of the digitized master will be identical to the first generation and audibly transparent to master tape.

But for some purity to the religion is of supreme importance. Infidels and apostates must be destroyed.
All of that is irrelevant. What MoFi did is deception, fraud, false pretenses or whatever you want to call it. Doesn't matter if it sounds better than a full analog chain. It's not what buyers thought they were paying $125 for. And MoFi knew this. If they claim they didn't know, then they're lying.
 

Mnyb

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Because objectively what MoFi is doing is the best known method. No more wearing out the original master tape and future copies of the digitized master will be identical to the first generation and audibly transparent to master tape.

But for some purity to the religion is of supreme importance. Infidels and apostates must be destroyed.

I am not a lawyer. But however I think for the lawsuit to succeed, they would have to prove damage, and put a dollar amount to it if they want compensation.
They could improve thier methodology further, now there is analog eq during the mastering for vinyl, they have some further analog steps to remove, they should eq digitally and save the results to file ? Ie making an digital lp master, so that they can consistently extend the editions of popular items .
 

Blumlein 88

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All of that is irrelevant. What MoFi did is deception, fraud, false pretenses or whatever you want to call it. Doesn't matter if it sounds better than a full analog chain. It's not what buyers thought they were paying $125 for. And MoFi knew this. If they claim they didn't know, then they're lying.
I don't think they've ever said they didn't know. In fact they've been more forthcoming than many companies are. When questioned about it they didn't want to just trumpet what they were doing, but they did own up to it in time. I know in a perfect world this wouldn't have happened this way, but they've not been terrible about it from where I see things. Now someone who purchased these might feel differently. Of course I remember when some companies would plaster on the cover that an LP was from Digital Masters.

More of a sin of omission which never veered into actively hiding the fact.
 

anmpr1

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All of that is irrelevant. What MoFi did is deception, fraud, false pretenses or whatever you want to call it. Doesn't matter if it sounds better than a full analog chain. It's not what buyers thought they were paying $125 for. And MoFi knew this. If they claim they didn't know, then they're lying.

Were these really one hundred and twenty five dollars? Whatever. If the company is smart, they'll simply offer to buy back the product at whatever the dissatisfied consumer paid for it. They should do that immediately, before the legal beagles are let loose upon them. They should have done that from the get go.

And I'll tell you this for sure, if the company bought back the discs, and they subsequently wound up in bargain bins at the local hippy-dippy used record and latte shop, those same people who complained about being insulted and defrauded by the company would gladly scoop up a 'used' copy for fifty dollars. And feel good about it.
 

Jaxjax

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I'm choosing to not over think this one. Mofi just won't get my money & simple as that. I don't personally know anyone who will give Mofi anymore $. If this is realistic sample of things to come for them they are in near future financial trouble. There is many places to go other then Music Direct
 
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