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Original Master Recordings - I ordered 2 CDs

post #1 of 16
4/27/10 at 5:49pm
Thread Starter 
Got a wild notion to try out a couple of those 24KT Gold CDs from Mobile Fidelity. Can't wait to compare them to the versions I own - Yes "Fragile" and Rush "Permanent Waves".

Should be fun.
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post #2 of 16
4/27/10 at 6:56pm
Both have dynamic range compression unfortunately... MFSL CDs are a hit or miss in that department. I haven't listened to either of those releases in a while but I no longer have them (for a reason), so YMMV.
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post #3 of 16
4/27/10 at 7:04pm
Yes Fragile is vastly superior to the regular release. It sounds much much better IMO.

Permanent waves isnt as great as it couldve been, not a significant enough difference to justify the extra money IMO. But once again, Fragile is totally worth it.
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post #4 of 16
4/27/10 at 7:42pm
Thread Starter 
This is something new for me, so I am looking forward to deciding whether or not they are worth the extra $15 or so.

Maybe I'll start a site that shows the Audacity image of each track in order to help people decide whether or not they want to spend the $$. Goodness knows I was hoping to avoid dynamic range compression. I hate the loudness war.

At least I'll get to see for myself.

I wonder if some of their non-rock stuff suffers, too? Like the Sinatra stuff.
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post #5 of 16
4/27/10 at 8:23pm
I have the complete catalog and as Vkamicht said...they are hit and miss. Compression can be a good thing when used properly but unfortunately, most mastering engineers are getting heavy handed with the compression and limiting tools.

The Sinatra is good, much better than the originals, but they aren't great either. Trust me - out of all the Sinatra official releases from the Capitol Catalog, only one is optimized to sound amazing. That would be the MFSL vinyl of the Swing Easy two-for. All other modern releases are just bad. If you want to hear Capitol Era Sinatra in all it's musical glory, you must pick up mint original vinyl pressed before 1962. How sad is that?!

A better bet in regard to musical mastering quality is the now defunct DCC label. Everything they released is just top notch. Audio Fidelity is the reborn phoenix of DCC but the sound signature is not the same. However, Audio Fidelity releases are still top notch.

I better stop because I could go on for hours regarding music and mastering.

EDIT:

As far as Sinatra and sound quality go, this "cheap" looking compilation has got some of the best sounding Sinatra I have ever heard.
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post #6 of 16
4/27/10 at 8:40pm
I didn't know about this... And very affordable, too! Excellent.
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post #7 of 16
4/27/10 at 10:43pm
Thread Starter 
I'm always learning something! I just love to listen to music.
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post #8 of 16
4/28/10 at 3:41pm
For Fragile my go-to version is the 1994 remaster. No compression (which is odd as the guy who did these remasters compressed other releases...) and if I remember right it has about the same brightness and detail as the MFSL. Perhaps a little too bright for me but oh well. Also it's from the original master tapes, unlike the first CD. I wish Barry Diament had access to those tapes because he would have mastered some phenomenal sounding discs.
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post #9 of 16
4/28/10 at 4:25pm
I've got U2 - War on MFSL, quite a bit better sounding; definitely worth it.
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post #10 of 16
4/28/10 at 4:44pm
i gotta admit, i mostly collect the MFSL stuff because it's "neat" to have. and, i feel better knowing i have a master that has at least been "considered" at length, if not agonized over. some albums i bought on MFSL without having ever heard a different master. so i don' know if there's any improvement with those...

i've got about 30 or so MFSL discs. as mentioned, they are hit and miss.
but here are my favs:

ryan adams - heartbreaker (one of the best soundstage discs i own)

los lobos - this time (amazing guitar texture)

faith no more - angel dust (production still sounds early 90's, but there's some dynamic range at least)

bee gees - trafalgar (amazingly balanced)


and there are MFSL albums where i couldn't appreciate the difference:
aimee mann - bachelor #2 (can't tell any difference)
doobie brothers - toulouse street (already sounded good)
marshal crenshaw - self titled (sounds a bit bright and edgy)
santana - selft titled (already sounded good)
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post #11 of 16
4/29/10 at 12:18am
Thread Starter 
I just received the non-re-mastered version of XTC's "Oranges & Lemons." Tons better than the remastered version, even thought that version wasn't too bad. It was still too loud! So, I'd have to turn it down, and then I wouldn't be able to hear the subtleties of the music. Now, I turn it up to a decent volume that won't blow my ears out and I can kick back and enjoy.

You know, now that portable mp3 players are so popular, I wonder if there will be more complaints against the dreaded "wall of sound"? The younger folk may not know better, since, for all I know, they've only heard "wall of sound" mastering jobs?
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post #12 of 16
4/29/10 at 9:59pm
Thread Starter 
The OMR version of "Permanent Waves" is nice. Really nice. I am listening with my DT880, and my ears did not get fatigued. I tried the remastered version, got the volume to where they were about the same with my SPL meter, and tried to listen. It wasn't bad, but things sounded a little more congested than on the OMR version. I also noted that the decay of the cymbals, although not bad, ended more abruptly than on the OMR version. With the OMR version, cymbal clashes just seemed to fade away nicely.

I am no audiophile. I have no idea what to look for, but I definitely heard a difference. I had to listen closely to pick out the cymbal clash phenomenon mentioned above. The congestion thing may be my imagination, and once I heard it that way, I could play the songs from each album and still sense it. That's probably because I knew which was which, and my mind was subconsciously leading me to that sensation/conclusion.

Honestly, the biggest difference I notice is what I feel in my ear. I don't just hear the sound - I feel it. My inner ear tickles as the guitars go from high to low and vice versa. Cymbal clashes give me a slight chill. I kid you not. With the remastered version, I don't get much of that "feeling." Rather, I notice that I need to turn things down a bit or rest my ears after 2 or 3 songs because of the loudness. I'm not good enough to tell WHAT part of the music is louder. It just is - my uncomfortable ears tell me so.

I need to A/B this stuff in foobar, but I forgot how to do so! Anyway, too busy enjoying the music...

edit: [dunno if it is worth 2x as much as regular cd, but it sounds like a superior product...]
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post #13 of 16
4/30/10 at 9:09pm
Very nice writings about MoFI CDs in the above threads........My source is vinyl and I do own the (early and Late) pressings of most titles and to me along with the Gold CDs, You either get a "tipped up sound" In the Mids and highs... IMO this is prefered in alot of the pressings, but "Muddies" the sound, IE. (Notes,voices etc. etc.) in many titles. This is more apparent in the MoFI CDs......BUT! BUY Anything you like now because I can't believe the price many are bringing in todays Market!!!! So buy and enjoy them......
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post #14 of 16
4/30/10 at 11:05pm
Thread Starter 
I've noticed that there isn't much difference in dynamic range of the two 24kt CDs vs. the non-MoFi CDs. The non-MoFi CDs were OK in that regard to begin with. One measureable I can see that must have an impact on my enjoyment is the loudness level - as in not overly loud.
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post #15 of 16
5/1/10 at 3:15am
Rush - Permanent Waves [MFSL] - "The Spirit of Radio"


Rush - Permanent Waves [MFSL] - "Jacob's Ladder"


Rush - Permanent Waves [MFSL] - "Natural Science"


Yes - Fragile [MFSL] - "Roundabout"


Yes - Fragile [MFSL] - "Cans and Brahms"


Yes - Fragile [MFSL] - "Heart of the Sunrise"
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