[patman657]

Everyone knows about the legendary Mobile Fidelity vinyls, but how are the CDs? I mean, The Wall is selling on eBay for $150. Are these discs really a whole lot better than regular issue discs, or just overpriced collectors items?

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by patman657 Everyone knows about the legendary Mobile Fidelity vinyls, but how are the CDs? I mean, The Wall is selling on eBay for $150. Are these discs really a whole lot better than regular issue discs, or just overpriced collectors items?

When it comes to the $150 discs, ummmmm, ya... I think it's fair to say that they're a tad bit overpriced based on sonics alone. Something else seems to be at play in that market, don't you think? Once you get over $40 or so, it's anyone's guess what the buyer motivations are.

Check out the SH Forums in general for any questions you have about specific high resolution discs (be they MFSL or DCC Gold discs, or XRCD's, or basically anything that has been remastered in any way). There are other sites that may be more helpful for DVD-A and SACD questions. I"ve got quite a few MFSL Gold discs, and they are uniformally good-to-excellent.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I just recently compared the Wall and DSOTM on MF gold to their standard counterparts. The Wall has MUCH better and punchier bass, and a smoother sound overall. Nothing worth $150 though. If the standard Wall sells for $30, then perhaps $50 for this one, more if you are into the collector aspect of it. If you just want the sonics, I have a perfect rip, and can be found on Soulseek

 

[Kikkoman]

I agree with the first two responses about the price being to much. I also have the MFSL release of The Wall and, while it is certainly good, it's not $150 good. At least not to me anyway. You realy have to search a lot or get lucky to find the popular out of print albums from the audiophile cd companies at a decent price.

 

[Aman]

Isn't the disc also a LOT more durable and just made of more higher-quality parts?

If you wish to discuss those CDs, you may want to run over to www.stevehoffman.tv - possibly the best resource ever for vinyl/CD collecting.

 

[Asterix]

Okay, I have this amp tech bugging me to try "EAC Ripped albums on black cd's" - I listen to everything from lossless compression off my hard drive, so I think this black disc stuff is crazy. I have a 24k gold disc and it has a really warm sound, but is it the disc, or is it the recording? How can a laser reading data (a series of 0's and 1's) tell any difference between anything other than on and off?

 

[JMT]

Many of the MFSL, DCC, CBS Mastersound, etc. gold discs are out of print and had limited production runs. So they command the prices that they do by collectors trying to complete their collection. Are the sonics good? Absolutely.

You ought to see what some people pay for rare vinyl. These CDs pale in comparison.

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asterix How can a laser reading data (a series of 0's and 1's) tell any difference between anything other than on and off?

I don't understand what you're asking.

That IS all they read - on or off.

But do you know how many on and off's there are?

More than one could count. It would be billions multiplied by billions.

 

[markl]

It varies from title to title and from ear to ear. There's no guarantee that you will prefer the presentation/mastering on any given CD. One of the "problems" (or the benefits, depending on your point of view) with many of the early MoFi Gold Discs is that they mastered them at extremely low volumes, following the then-recommended practice of leaving 10 or so db of headroom for the loudest peaks. Many early MoFi's will sound *a lot* quieter than most modern CDs.

The Steve Hoffman-mastered DCCs don't have this problem, and most of his work is considered the best that these albums have ever sounded on CD. But again, taste is a personal thing, you might not like the sound of any of the gold discs.

BTW: the fact that gold is used in the manufacturing process has *nothing* to do with their sound quality, gold is only used to create a disc that will have a very long life (and as a blatant marketing gimmick). The sound quality comes in with the use of good mastering engineers, who will treat the tape with more time, care and respect, than they otherwise might on a standard CD issue.

 

[Wmcmanus]

I've been trying to get my hands on Jim Croce's "24 Karat Gold in a Bottle" which is a Steve Hoffman job, for some time. There is an eBay auction that is ending in the next 5 minutes, and it's already up to $79 for a used copy!!! My bid was $60, thinking I'd get it at a "steal" but knowing deep down that I wouldn't get away with that kind of caper.

There are 2 more copies of this disc on Amazon at the moment for $100 and $149, but I think these are NOS (i.e., sealed). Most of the people who buy them are collectors and have no intention of listening to them! Shame.

Maybe I should bid $500 just to make sure... nah!

Edit: Sold! To the lucky $79 bidder.

 

[xantus]

i've got Lost in Space, by Aimee Mann on a MFSL SACD and the quality is top notch. ive also got the MFSL press of The Wall, and it's like everyone says...beautiful

they dont squash the crap out of it like all the pop mastering houses are so inclined to do.. so its a plus in my book. I wish they would go back to mastering things with more headroom, i mean...that's what we've all got amps for right?!

 

[zoboomofo]

I've got a gold disc that was produced using MoFi-s GAIN process. I think that this GAIN v1 made treble sweeter, and more easy to listen to on even the cheapest cd player when compared to a regular version. The downside to GAIN v1 is that MoFi has made it obsolete with v2 and DSD equipment on their newer discs. I think the improvement in v2 is supposed to be bandwidth. Both versions are top notch to me though. I don't find either of my MoFi cds quiet, but I'd prefer quiet to hot any day.

 

[jpr703]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asterix Okay, I have this amp tech bugging me to try "EAC Ripped albums on black cd's" - I listen to everything from lossless compression off my hard drive, so I think this black disc stuff is crazy. I have a 24k gold disc and it has a really warm sound, but is it the disc, or is it the recording? How can a laser reading data (a series of 0's and 1's) tell any difference between anything other than on and off?

You're right, the laser can only read 1s and 0s. The reason why the discs are gold is because it makes the disc less prone to oxidation. It doesn't change the 1s and 0s, it just helps to make sure that they're readable for a long time to come.

 

[duff138]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asterix Okay, I have this amp tech bugging me to try "EAC Ripped albums on black cd's" - I listen to everything from lossless compression off my hard drive, so I think this black disc stuff is crazy. I have a 24k gold disc and it has a really warm sound, but is it the disc, or is it the recording? How can a laser reading data (a series of 0's and 1's) tell any difference between anything other than on and off?

the gold disc has nothing to do with the sound. These titles are remastered. using audiophile standards for sound quality.

 

[LFF]

I think the vast majority are superior in sound to their original counterparts. However, with some of the newer remaster's coming out I would say they are on par. A good example is the CD Bing Sings Whilst Bergman Swings. The gold disc has excellent sound but anyone who has listened to the new remastered red cover would definately agree they sound comparable if not better than the Gold disc.

Of course, you could always end up with remastered crap to begin with as in the classic recording Frank Sinatra - The Voice. The sound is no doubt the best you will find but even the best sounds like crap.

On the whole, when I purchase a gold disc I know that I am purchasing something good and something that will retain its value over time.