MoFi Records claimed its expensive reissues were purely analog reproductions. It had been deceiving its customer base for years.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/08/05/mofi-records-analog-digital-scandal
All of my purchases from Music Direct, the parent company of MoFi, have been excellent. The one time I required customer service it was also excellent. But false advertising is bad, and I assume there will be repercussions.
The deception regarding MoFi’s “all analog” releases aside, this is a non-issue for me. I have assumed for years that new vinyl releases are cut from digital masters. Why wouldn’t they be?
MoFi has been using DSD source material, which is as good as it gets digitally. Assuming it isn’t something that was simply scaled up to meet the specifications of the format, because the original analog master tape was lost in the infamous Universal Studios fire. If there’s a scandal to be found in music mastering, that’s where to look.
The “problem” with lossless digital audio sources is also their strength — there is precious little difference between players in the way they sound. You press or click Play and that’s it. Playing records is, well, more fun!
One of the things that makes records so attractive, beyond their physical appeal, is that changes in the turntable, tonearm, cartridge, and pre-amp can have significant audible differences. As with speakers and headphones, finding the sonic characteristics of a turntable setup that best suit your taste is a big part of the enjoyment.
So while I’m not pleased that MoFi’s customers were deceived, I don’t see the company’s use of digital masters as invalidating their commitment to quality. Perhaps today I’ll play my 1979 all-analog LP of Mobile Fidelity’s Original Master Recording of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.
https://www.discogs.com/release/416621-Pink-Floyd-The-Dark-Side-Of-The-Moon
Gold CD’s more likely to have zero defects, unlike aluminum discs that trigger error correction code.
I’m jealous! I have no MoFi vinyl, but also think that the key is in producing the best LP possible, rather than being a foolish analog purist. (I do have a couple of MoFi gold CD’s. Do they sound better than standard ones? Dunno.)