Is MF Ultra worth it?

[oldtexasdog 2,341]

I am a SRV fan and saw where MF has a limited dual 45rpm release of SRV pre order for 125.00. Is there proprietary vinyl realy that much better to justify the price? Just wondering

 

[RodH 4,805]

Do you want the music or the pricey vinyl?

Do you have a quality copy of it now?

In the end, there is only the one original master to work from. 

 

I have a very few MF LPs, a couple I bought just because I wanted them, and a few that were the only quality recordings available at the time. 

[oldtexasdog 2,341]

I do not have the LP just the CD and was wondering if the Ultra thing was just hype. I would like to have an LP of this album.

[RodH 4,805]

Like all vinyl, it really comes down to how well it was mastered to work within the physical limitations of that medium. 

 

And no, I do not have an 'Ultra'..

[4krow 4,398]

When it comes to MF copies, I will say that the likelihood of disappointment is much less than with many of the other remastered reissue sort of products. I trust MF, along with JVC XRCD. Other remasters on the other hand have been teeth gritting experiences. 

[Zenith4me 1,229]

I am also a SRV fan. I've seen him in concert a few times and loved watching him play the guitar. The man was a guitar playing genius.

 

I considered buying the one you mentioned but ended up going with this:

 

https://www.musicdirect.com/vinyl/stevie-ray-vaughan-texas-hurricane-limited-edition-200g-45rpm-vinyl-12lp-box-set

 

They are also 45 RPM and were produced using the original master tapes. They were having a 10% off sale at the time and free shipping over $49.

 

 

[oldtexasdog 2,341]

Ouch! The rabbit hole gets deeper. How does the 45rpm compare to a regular LP though?

[Zenith4me 1,229]

My turntable is packed up so I haven't had a chance to listen to the new SRV vinyl. 

 

I have other 45 RPM vinyl and to me I just hear a fuller sound. I hear things that I didn't previously hear listening to a regular recording. 

 

Then again my hearing isn't that great so I need to turn it up loud. Being a jet mechanic in the Navy didn't help my hearing one bit. Oh well, a small sacrifice that I gladly paid. It does come in handy when I don't feel like answering my wife though....lol.

[RichP714 3,148]

17 hours ago, oldtexasdog said:

Ouch! The rabbit hole gets deeper. How does the 45rpm compare to a regular LP though?

 

ALl Vinyl is 'mastered' so it will be transducable on the disc.  If there is extremely high frequency content, it must be reduced to prevent harsh distortions cause by the physical limitation of the cantilever (it can only move so fast).  If there is extremely loud low frequency content, it must be reduced to prevent the cantilever from skipping the groove entirely (like a scratch).

 

So, the rise time of high frequencies, and the level of low frequencies are problematic and are reduced (the RIAA curve).

 

If the actual medium is moving more quickly along the cantilever, there is more medium  with which to contain the signal without distortion, and the bass and treble cuts can be less (the groove modulations are more spread out).

 

Likewise Reel to reel tape decks have a higher inch per second velocity that gives them better dynamic range

 

In theory

[Sk1Bum 9,436]

I have all the Mofi Ultradisc releases except the first one, Santana Abraxas. The only one of the bunch that I say meh to is Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Trouble Water. To me, every one of them is worth the money,  but I just can't bring myself to pulling the trigger on Abraxas at the $1500 it's being listed for on ebay now. The second, Bill Evans Sunday at the Village Vanguard, is approaching $1000.

 

All of the UD1S Mofi albums are 45rpm, 180gr double albums. My favorites so far are Donald Fagen, The Nightfly; SRV, Texas Flood; Marvin Gaye, What's Goin' On; and Yes, Fragile. These are by far the highest quality records that I've owned or heard.  

 

The proprietary vinyl is just one piece of the process. Manufacturing is another, and it's described in detail here.

 

A UD1S Blood Sweat & Tears album is also available for preorder.

 

 

[4krow 4,398]

I had a Patricia Barber 45 RPM set long ago. I shook my head in disbelief so many times, it gave me a cramp. If better is better, and it happens to cost more, I am still your customer.

[RodH 4,805]

44 minutes ago, 4krow said:

I had a Patricia Barber 45 RPM set long ago. I shook my head in disbelief so many times, it gave me a cramp. If better is better, and it happens to cost more, I am still your customer.

So did you think it was better or no?

[oldtexasdog 2,341]

I noticed that some of the MoFi Ultra pressings soon sell for more than the original cost?

[Receiver2000 2,097]

I have many Mofi recordings. My experience is that most are better than the originals but not always. A few are quieter but not much better. That is, except for the 45rpm Mofis. They are all extraordinary and just a different experience completely.

[Sk1Bum 9,436]

2 hours ago, oldtexasdog said:

I noticed that some of the MoFi Ultra pressings soon sell for more than the original cost?

 

Once Mofi sells their run, the price for an unopened copy usually doubles in just a few months. 

 

Santana,  Abrxas was the first, originally 99.95 + shipping. The least expensive one I've seen listed on ebay recently was $1200. Bill Evans, Sunday at the Village Vanguard was #2. A year ago,, you could get a copy for $300, and it's being listed from $700 to $1K now.

 

Starting at #3, Donald Fagan The Nightfly, price was increased to $125. Prices have stayed there but production runs have increased , 7K I think. Abraxas was limited to 3K and others were 5K.

 

A listing for all 10 mofi UD1S releases just sold on ebay. It was listed with a starting bid of $3500, and a make offer option.  They turned down my $2500 offer.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mobile-Fidelity-One-Step/154037500661

[4krow 4,398]

4 hours ago, RodH said:

So did you think it was better or no?

Yes, undoubetly so. Her recordings are very fine to begin with, yet the album topped the CD that I had mostly as just being able for me to listen as though I was in the recording room. Pretty rare for me to expeirence this.

Edited August 13, 2020 by 4krow
no reason

[RodH 4,805]

Cool! Thanks for clarifying!

[RichP714 3,148]

Does anybody have any Japanese Vinyl?  I lived in Okinawa from 84 to 91, and gathered quite a few; the quality was superb (I only have one record crate of Vinyl left, most of it Japanese, that I can't bear to part with), and I believe they had a hand in MFSL's pressings as well.

 

 

[oldtexasdog 2,341]

Don't know about the Japanese vinyl except that some think highly of some of the pressings. On the MoFi, I just went ahead and pulled the trigger on it. I would be glad to share my impressions when I get it, but any comparison I am able to do would be against a CD.

A fool and his money??

Susan's gonna kill me!

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2020 by oldtexasdog

[Sk1Bum 9,436]

Keep the vinyl in pristine shape along with the box, shipping box, and all the included goodies. If you don't like it, you should easily get your money back once it goes out of production.

[Zenith4me 1,229]

On 8/15/2020 at 2:00 PM, Sk1Bum said:

Keep the vinyl in pristine shape along with the box, shipping box, and all the included goodies. If you don't like it, you should easily get your money back once it goes out of production.

 

I just ordered two. One for me and one for the retirement fund.

[Sk1Bum 9,436]

47 minutes ago, Zenith4me said:

 

I just ordered two. One for me and one for the retirement fund.

 

That's what I do every time.

[Zenith4me 1,229]

15 minutes ago, Sk1Bum said:

 

That's what I do every time.

 

I wish I had bought two of the Iron Butterfly albums. About a week later I decided to buy another one and they were all gone.