Are MFSL ultra discs really worth the price?

[admin_exported]

I have been considering buing some MFSL (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab) recordings, as they are supposed to be superior in many ways to a regular CD. I am really fascinated that these productions reflect the original master recording, and reamain faithful to the original tapes. They are also burned more slowly onto a more durable and more reflective disc material to also improve sound quality.

Does anybody here own any of these MFSL discs and how do they compare with a bog standard CD release?

 

[the record spot]

I have an Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road disc - I haven't done a straight compare with my fatbox DJM Records original disc, or against the 2LP set I have. It does sound very good however; a real high standard at work in laying this one down.

In fairness, with EJ, you're in some luck as even his more recent mid-90s remasters sound alright. The good thing also is with some of the original discs (marked AAD) you are often getting something which sounds great - if mastered well (Steve Hoffman, Barry Diament, etc) you will probably get a great disc.

I tend to look out for earlier releases than remastered ones; I landed the MFSL for £6.99 used in Edinburgh the other week. A total steal at the price. Likewise the fatbox.

 

[the record spot]

Some recommended discs of the past; I'm not sure if we are allowed to link directly to a site, but here is a list of some of the recommended MFSL titles you might want to consider which came from the Steve Hoffman forum. With thanks to Dave and co., at that site for putting this list together:-

MFSL Gold CD recommendations:

UDCD 505 Supertramp: Crime of the Century *

UDCD 507 Blind Faith: Blind Faith *

UDCD 512 Moody Blues: Days of Future Passed *

UDCD 513 Allman Brothers Band: Eat a Peach *

UDCD 516 Elton John Madman Across the Water

UDCD 518 Pink Floyd: Meddle *

UDCD 519 Cat Stevens: Tea for the Tillerman *

UDCD 520 Def Leppard: Pyromania *

UDCD 523 Jefferson Airplane: Crown of Creation

UDCD 525 The Carpenters: A Song for You *

UDCD 526 Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road *

UDCD 527 The Band: Music from Big Pink

UDCD 528 Sting: The Dream Of The Blue Turtles*

UDCD 529 Various Artists: After the Hurricane: Songs for Montserrat

UDCD 530 Hall and Oates: Voices

UDCD 531 Jeff Beck: Wired *

UDCD 532 Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story *

UDCD 533 The Who: Tommy *

UDCD 534 Supertramp: Breakfast in America *

UDCD 535 Boz Scaggs: Silk Degrees *

UDCD 536 Elton John: ***** Chateau *

UDCD 540 Jefferson Airplane: Volunteers

UDCD 541 Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson

UDCD 542 Various Artists: Red Hot and Blue

UDCD 543 Elton John: Tumbleweed Connection *

UDCD 545 Steely Dan: Gaucho *

UDCD 546 Sting: Nothing Like The Sun*

UDCD 547 John Coltrane: Blue Train *

UDCD 548 B.B. King: Live at the Regal *

UDCD 550 The Who: Quadrophenia *

UDCD 551 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedoes *

UDCD 552 Santana Abraxas (under review)

UDCD 553 Eric Clapton: Slowhand *

UDCD 554 Stevie Wonder: Innervisions *

UDCD 556 Lynyrd Skynyrd: Second Helping *

UDCD 557 Keith Richards: Talk is Cheap *

UDCD 558 Allman Brothers Band: Live at Fillmore East *

UDCD 559 Blood, Sweat & Tears: Blood, Sweat & Tears *

UDCD 561 The Who: Who are You *

UDCD 562 Cream: Disraeli Gears *

UDCD 564 Robert Cray: Strong Persuader (not perfect, but still the best I've heard)

UDCD 565 Tom Petty: Hard Promises

UDCD 567 John Lee Hooker: The Healer

UDCD 569 Rush: Moving Pictures

UDCD 572 Traffic: Mr. Fantasy

UDCD 573 Dave Mason: Alone Together

UDCD 574 Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

UDCD 575 Otis Redding: Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul

UDCD 576 Moody Blues: In Search of the Lost Chord

UDCD 577 Albert King: Born Under a Bad Sign

UDCD 578 Manhatten Transfer: Extensions

UDCD 579 Steve Winwood: Arc of a Diver

UDCD 584 Neil Diamond: Hot August Night

UDCD 585 Derek & The Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (under review)

UDCD 593 Muddy Waters: Folk Singer

UDCD 594 Eric Clapton: 461 Ocean Boulevard

UDCD 600 John Lennon & Yoko Ono: Double Fantasy

UDCD 606 Alan Parsons Project: Tales of Mystery and Imagination

UDCD 609 Traffic: The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

UDCD 611 Steve Winwood: Back in the High Life

UDCD 618 Robbie Robertson: Robbie Robertson

UDCD 619 Dr. John: In the Right Place / Gumbo

UDCD 620 Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland: Showdown!

UDCD 624 U2: The Unforgettable Fire

UDCD 629 Traffic: Traffic

UDCD 635 Albert Collins: Cold Snap

UDCD 645 Howlin' Wolf: The Real Folk Blues

UDCD 649 Cat Stevens: Teaser and the Firecat (possibly not the best though)

UDCD 650 U2: The Joshua Tree (not great, but the best I've heard so far)

UDCD 651 Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong: Ella & Louis Again

UDCD 658 Billie Holiday: Body and Soul

UDCD 659 B.B. King: Lucille (Perhaps not the best, but still decent)

UDCD 661 Cat Stevens: Three: Numbers, IZITSO & Back to Earth (3 CD Set)

UDCD 669 Traffic: Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory

UDCD 674 Steve Winwood: Talking Back to the Night

UDCD 675 Iron Butterfly: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

UDCD 676 Canned Heat & John Lee Hooker: Hooker 'N' Heat (just ok IMO)

UDCD 678 Peter Frampton: Frampton Comes Alive!

UDCD 684 Robin Trower: Bridge Of Sighs

UDCD 687 Ten Years After: Ssssh / Cricklewood Green

UDCD 691 Steve Winwood: Steve Winwood

UDCD 702 Ted Hawkins: The Next Hundred Years

UDCD 704 John Hiatt: Riding With The King

UDCD 709 Cheap Trick: Live at Budokan

UDCD 714 Steppenwolf: Steppenwolf

UDCD 715 Edgar Winter: Edgar Winter's White Trash

UDCD 721 Don Henley: End of the Innocence (better than the standard version)

UDCD 723 Stevie Ray Vaughan: The Sky Is Crying

UDCD 730 Tears For Fears: Songs from the Big Chair

UDCD 732 Simon & Garfunkel: Bookends

UDCD 735 Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever (better than the standard version)

UDCD 742 Blood, Sweat & Tears: Child is Father to the Man

UDCD 747 Toto: Toto IV

UDCD 753 Winter, Johnny: Second Winter

UDCD 757 Duke Ellington: Blues In Orbit (Dual Layered SACD/DSD)

Obviously, what sounds good to one person won't necessarily sound great to someone else, but if this doesn't get you started on the right footing, your ears are filled with mud!

 

[Tear Drop]

MFSL were one of the pioneers of audiophile LP pressings and later high quality CDs. MFSL closed down several years back and after a couple of years started up again. These days however, from the discs I've heard, I think the quality has taken a downturn - still good and most likely better than 'average' CDs/LPs but questionable as to whether they are now worth the premium. Typically the pressings from their earlier era have higher price tags as many are now collectible.

 

[Anonymous]

As some of the the CD companies have gone high level crazy they might just be on a winner.

 

[Anonymous]

I have never heard MFSL, however I have heard XRCD's. IMO they sounded great.

The only problem is finding them in the UK.

Would like to try MFSL. Are they available in most music shops?

 

[the record spot]

In a word, no. The Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (MFSL or aka Mo-Fi) discs were out some time ago and were initially vinyl, later embracing the digital medium on CD. They were at the high end of your typical LP spectrum (I recall a Genesis Trick of The Tail going for about £25 back in the early 1980s on this label - VERY exclusive!) and your best bet of landing one now is either on Ebay, or occasionally, they crop up in secondhand record shops from time to time.

Got my Elton "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" that way; same price as the remastered 1995 edition too. I had the choice of the two and it was a case of, "ooh...I'll have that one I think!".

Some are pretty rare, so they tend to go for a good price still, but you'll still turn up a bargain.

 

[Mike_Schmidt]

I have a couple of MFSL like Nirvana, GNR'S, Metallica etc and they do make a difference worth the cash

 

[Anonymous]

In general Yes - they often are better than many CD remasters.

There are always exceptions though - Full Moon Fever is not good. Basically they put it through a smilie EQ - so all you get is more highs and more lows with recessed mids. That one is NOT worth it. Many others - especially the Supertramp ones are very good with more dynamics then you will find on any almost modern remaster.

 

[audioaffair]

Some are better than others. The Gold CD surface helps to some degree but it depends heavily on the mastering used. Many of the MFSL titles are superb in this regard. My own personal favourite masters on CD include the long OOP Cat Stevens Teaser and the Firecat, some of the more recent SACD titles and some of the albums only previously available on 80s mastered commercial CDs that sounded tinny. Like many audiophile pressings though, its worth trying a favourite album or a few titles based on recommendation first to see if you think the difference is worth it for yourself.