Absolutely! I made the mistake of getting caught up in the search for the best sound. My system is good, but it is far from the best. This video was a good reminder to stop the search and just sit back and enjoy the music. Thanks man.

I don't know whether I'd ever consider myself audiophile. All I know is that I have some reasonable ears and qualified as an audio engineer. I dig analogue like anyone, but as far as remasters and anything goes, as long as it sounds good, I couldn't give a flying fuck whether it was analogue, digital, made out of toffee and sellotape. I honestly don't care, and always believe the proof is in the pudding.

I’m only 25. I’ve never understood the hate digital gets, a great sounding record is a great sounding record no matter the source. Thanks for calling out the BS

MoFi just conducted history’s biggest double blind test. Involving thousands of record lovers throughout the world and lasting 7 years. Apparently everyone failed to detect the digital step involved. Several years ago Sony declared that because of age they would no longer allow any label to remaster the Kind of Blue analog master tapes. Maybe we all should have suspected that it was no longer possible to remaster from those old tapes.

As a mixing and mastering engineer I can tell you that vinyl is certainly not the most accurate format, it's about being a pleasing format. A high end digital copy will always be a more accurate representation of what the artist was hearing, which does not necessarily make it a more pleasing representation. The flaws of vinyl are part of the charm. Digital won't replace vinyl, but they may live side by side and compliment each other again.

I’m with you 100% Robert!! This is so much fun to watch unfold!! Don’t knock your “Rock’n’Roll” ears too much. It now appears that your ears and mine have more integrity and a better track record than the guys with the four inch thick speaker cables and thousand dollar styli. Cheers fellow music fan!! Jon

I've heard that years ago, some high-end audio magazine had a "blind" test where audiophiles listened to music on a system that was composed of tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment versus a system that cost much less. Supposedly, the audiophiles couldn't really hear a difference. (There's an amusing short KZfaq video put out by the Wall Street Journal called "Japanese audiophiles are going to extremes" ; one guy's apartment is so full of audio equipment that he has to move his couch just to open his refrigerator).

One other thing, if the experts such as Fremer can hear the difference between digital and analogue so well, then he could save us the controversy by listening to a few and then let us know either "Oh yes these are digitally compromised" or "Nope, puuuuuure analogue" I call BS on him or anyone else being able, in a well mastered comparison, to be able to hear across the board the difference in a digitally mastered lp or analogue.

Lol, and I'm supposed to feel bad for the guys who spent $125 for a "One Step" vinyl. People spent $125 for a Muddy Waters 1Step, I spent $10 for an original pressing that sounds fantastic at a local record store. The hilarity continues to ensue, even weeks later. Great video as always Robert.

Audiophiles don't listen to music. They listen to their stereos.

Saw a recent interview with Kevin Gray, arguably the most qualified audiophile there is, responsible for so many brilliant all analog pressings. He said something to the effect that if done well, no one can really hear the difference caused by a digital step in the chain. I like mike from the in groove, but there’s a lot of analog fetishisation and I feel he and others should own up to this - the end result is what matters, not the process imo

We will never be the same after MoFi-Gate. I just hope we are a better version of ourselves when it’s done and healing has happened. Don’t sleep on that MJ cassette - bet it sounds awesome.

Its all about the mastering imo. There are great analog masters, terrible analog masters, and the same for digital. I think most of high end audio is getting the correct EQ, which is accomplished through various component matching: loudspeakers, preamps, tubes or solid state power, cables, cartridges, DACs, etc., which is an expensive way to get a good EQ on your preferred music. I'm an audiophile myself, well rather a music junkie first, so I play the game too. However my system is reasonably priced (around $8k or so complete with both vinyl and CD).

So MoFi has been selling box wine for the last seven years? 🍷📦👂🤣

We were wrong in assuming that MFSL was all analog only because of the way the product was presented. It was a lie of omission on their part. But because of the packaging and more importantly the high price, no one thought to question these. They should lower the price since we know less work is involved, but this will not happen.

I feel like the ghost of Nyquist is just trolling the analog Übermensch.

Enjoyed your video. The intention behind the Loudness (brick walling) Wars, was so that the label's artist music would pop more than the competition on radio. The Loudness Wars was the reason I started going back to Vinyl since the Vinyl version wasn’t over compressed like the CDs were........And yes (deep sigh) I made a video too 🤣

I have been buying music since the early 60's and have gone thru every format...vinyl...reel-to-reel...cassette...mini disc...CD etc. which are all now sitting in a storage unit because I no longer have room for all of that. So now I have ended up in the autumn of my years just listening to MP3's (Not even WAV) and I can't even tell the difference anymore between an MP3 at 192 kbps or at 320 kbps or 1,140. It is what your ears gets accustomed to.

Great job on presenting this and giving it the humor it deserves. People paying $125 per record will always be the funniest thing to me through. If you don't have a piece of music you'd like but can't afford, you just listen to something else. Emptying your wallet isn't necessary.

Haha I love this. Audiophiles actually love CD quality now. I have no mofis out of my 8,000 records. I think Mofi has contributed to the overhype and overpricing of vinyl these days along with RSD. Its going to collapse some day in terms of these peak prices.

This is the best F'in take on this "Controversy" I've seen. Mine was a 5 min. rant but yours is way better ! Subscribed !

I’m completely with you, it’s so funny watching people jump on the audiophile train and the rabbit holes some people go down. In my mind if it sounds good who cares where it’s sourced. To me vinyl is the process, the artwork, the feeling and the thrill of digging. Sound quality is an added plus. Great video and channel man, keep it up!

You got a new follower. The best video on the MoFi-Gate. Thanks.

This is CRAZY!!!!...on a side note I wanted to tell you that I reorganized the collection so no more records are outside the plastic sleeve....I think it was you and Mazzy that stated we never did that with records growing up and the vinyl from those is still good

You and I share a lot of similar views about MoFi, why we turn records, and generally our outlooking on audiophiling in general. I enjoyed your video, and I laughed hard at your comment about your OG Thriller cassette being superior to the upcoming One step. Also FINALLY someone brought up the notion of HEARING and getting a little older. Nicely done.

"These are Folger's crystals?"

Yes! CD AAD ADD and the most wanted DDD back in the days, especially for Classic (Deutsche Grammophon). BUT Vinyl is more about the EVENT to watch and listen. Sometimes a vinyl with a good late 1970s/mid 1980s amplifier SOUNDS super duper. Why? Because Compact Cassette (tape) was one of the main storage media. And it was totally analog. So the producers who want to sell there best products like Revox, Nakamitchi or even Yamaha and Technics or Sony focused on that. So if you want a very good and inexpensive HIFI System for both vinyl records and CD check this out and enjoy. Cheers!

Haha finally, the most coherent video I've seen of all this mess. Congratulations!

great video you hit it right on the head out of all the mofi wars you killed it thanks

What a beautiful refreshing take. Your humility is match only by your knowledge Rasta…also loving the pretentious British wine snob. hearing notes of Sussex.

That Herbie shirt is amazing !

This is the most sensible video I’ve seen this week

I watched the second video and left a comment. I’ve just watched this, and I think you’re bonkers!! You should certainly try stand up. A great video!! Your take on this is the most hilarious!! In stitches

MoFi should definitely start offering the DSD download.

You hit the mail on the head. It’s about enjoying the tunes. Truth is CD, vinyl, streaming are all very good. It’s about being happy enjoying the tunes. I’m not gonna fetishize the vinyl.

Robert your diatribe ...is absolute comedy gold !!!!!!!!

Vinyl vs Digital is like being in an extra marital affair. One I love with a passion knowing it’s clean and reliable (Digital) The other I drool over with unbridled desire and want; turned on by the high price and the depths I can sink or swim into (Analogue) I am now a recovering meth head due to cleaning vinyl with methylated spirits. Life sucks when you love the Bee Gees

I’m stoked when I can find an awesome record in the dollar bin or for under ten bucks. As you stated, I’m in it for the experience and ritual as a whole; the album art, placing it on the turntable, etc. That’s enough for me.

I remember "audiophile" from the 1970s. The good reviews of advertisers' products . . .

Analog or digital source has never mattered to me. My Analog Productions Stereo Pet Sounds is incredible and that's obviously digitally sourced. I'm interested in the cleanest vinyl copy with a dead quiet sound floor. Sourcing unimportant.

Thank you for making this video. I've been having fun watching audiophiles back pedal and try to explain this away as they now have some egg on their faces after dumping on digital in the past, yet they claimed many of these, possibly digitally sourced, Mo-Fi's were amazing and now ...oops. It's going to be interesting to see how many people are willing to accept the possible reality that a digital sourced vinyl can sound really good or "gasp" even superior to an original analog version. I sort of collect vinyl but I just go for an original if I can find it and stick with that, I don't care if there is a Mo-Fi super high fidelity directors cut half speed version...I'll stick with my original, warts and all.

I haven't been able to sleep since this story broke.

With vinyl I would prefer all analog but as long as it is mastered well and the digital transfer is higher resolution than a standard CD then I see no problem with digital steps on vinyl

I couldn't agree with you more! I not only have rock n' roll ears but also motorcycle ears where I rode several years without ear plugs. Needles to say there's no way I'm GOING To hear subtle differences or nuance soundstage and imaging differences lol. Oh and i was a mobile dj for ten years and was a band geek in school. My ears are not toast but they definitely ain't picking up "audiophile/mastering" differences. Yes I can hear some differences between good quality gear and records/cd's/tapes, but i can still enjoy it all. I just enjoy all the music, all formats, all "mastering' styles. I love vintage and semi-vintage hifi gear as well. I dig the looks and sound quality of it, but that being said I'm not super critical of it either. Cheers from Houston!

They don't have unlimited access to these original tapes they get one shot, so they copy the tape to 4X DSD so they can get the best results possible. That is why MOFI sounds better than the original copies.

The search for the best sound always makes for a great discussion. I have never been a huge mofi guy , mostly due to price and availability. I relate to your "rock n roll ears " comment . I am trying to understand why I would need a vinyl copy of a DSD recording rather than an SACD ? Especially when factoring in the price.

I thank you for your videos about the MOFI issue. The MOFI case is a mirror faced in front of the Audiophile community that reveals the replacement of the main goal of a common audiophile which is the desire for a maximum/best sound quality reproduction with a race after the isosteric hard to get more expensive all analogue process. This has occurred without us the community stop to ask ourself or even worse, when a digital step added to an audio process is ruled automatically to be bad for the whole cutting process even it enables a (no doubt about it) superior one step pressing. no one is evaluating the whole chain. the word digital has blocked the thinking process of the total result. The question have to be asked why MOFI who undouble achieved a higher sound quality (as reported for the Abraxas release for example) had to be vague on the fact they are using a digital process in their updated sound reproduction process? is it because they want to hide a fact they are selling a much easy to produce and inferior "CD on Vinyl" product (the statement is just for the sake of discussion) and continue collecting money with higher profit from the audiophile "suckers"? or maybe is it because Audiophiles community, who their moto is judging a product sonic quality with their own ears will be too shocked to hear (Double meaning... 🙂 ) that digital process exists and add an advantage to the sound quality, in conflict with the community conception which automatically detach a "made from original master" when a step of a super high resolution digital copy is involved? If MOFI would have used a 2nd generation analogue copy, done by MOFI from original master, and not a DSD process, would the Vinyl community have accepted this step because the All analogue purity has been maintained? we have to remember that MOFI have replace the "Father + Mother" steps with a 2nd generation copy so there is an important improvement added to the process together with that 2nd generation added step. Why nobody talks about the total results? why focus only on one (important) added step? why nobody evaluate the 2 choice between a DSD vs a 2nd generation Analogue copy which MOFI has gone already for us? So the vinyl community has to first identify if the latest MOFI "one step" process has a total improvement of sound or not, comparing to any process MOFI has presented over the years, and comparing with other companies audiophile releases, of course also with price tag comparison. Last, I present you with the most shocking "Elephant in the room" which no one yet on all the MOFI videos so far has neglected to talk about: In case MOFI "one step" process is found to be actually the best audio quality and efficient way to cut a vinyl from an original master then it means that within the chain of cutting process, The DSD step has the maximum and better sound quality source for the vinyl cut process, better than the vinyl product itself. This has a huge impact on the vinyl industry, because the DSD (or other high res digital file format) can be sold and streamed with even a better quality than that of the best vinyl pressing there is. This means that audiophile vinyl format becomes to be in the third place of the highest audio quality possible (the second place belongs to an exotic, expensive and very limited in quantities direct Reel to Reel studio quality copy of the original master Tape) and 1st audio quality posible to obtain at home would become to be a digital file. This removes the carpet under the whole vinyl industry, or at least the audiophile vinyl industry, and this is in my opinion the real reason for MOFI ambiguity on the cutting process.

There is still the mastering process for the target medium. A great sounding song is one where the whole chain has been carefully considered. Once you have the song (whether tape, CD, Vinyl, streaming) then it’s up to you to continue that chain with great gear.

Both Cd,& Vinyl have their charm.

Man you making a lot of sense! The only thing I have to say is I'm mid 20s an just getting into vynl, and the reason is just for a feeling of aesthetic hearing the cracle, its just an audio texture thing especially for sampling. Like for myself I get what your saying why not just but the digital and get the best version I can available. All comes back to the sensation of damn I did that from vynl

You hit it on the head when you said most people think of "digital" with Mp3 files and the whole loudness war which is why it got a bad rap. I convert to DSD files a year ago after hearing them as opposed to Flac and Wav files and I love it.

I did a shoot out once with a MoFi record and an OG. I couldn’t tell the difference. Maybe it was the Crosley I was using. I dunno.

Nice STP No 4 poster. An UNDER DISCUSSED band

The most sensible video on this entire thing. I found it very amusing to watch all the analog snobs who talked about how great the one steps sound now feeling ripped off because digital may be in the chain. If it sounded good a month ago, what exactly has changed other than they're wrong about their anti-digital stance. Does the record now somehow sound worse?

Great channel, just found it. A digital file still has to be mastered differently for vinyl and applied an EQ curve. Playing the record on your turntable with your needle is what makes it sound analog. The record is the music score and the cantilever the musical instrument. So digital master is irrelevant I guess

Bursting bubbles is just so much fun! :) To make things even more confusing, in the '80s far away pressing plants received digital audio sources in many many cases. Not saying that was the typical case or anything, but I am sure it happened a lot, and I assume it was the more convenient and safer solution in the second half of the decade. Speaking of releasing Western European or US recordings, an ex-mastering engineer at the Hungarian Record Company told me that they received digital sources from the early '80s, starting with classical music, followed 1-2 years later by pop recordings. If such a high tech solution was available behind the Iron Curtain, it makes you wonder about all the US pressings of European (incl. UK, sorry Boris) recordings, highly regarded Dutch, German pressings of US recordings etc. Japanese pressings? You sure they always received analogue tapes? :D Yes, in many case it can be evidenced that the USA sent plates to Europe. But in all the other cases, where the lacquer was cut on this side of the pond, who knows what happened? Even before CD was the primary medium, LP releases were very proud of digital recording and/or mixing, advertising it on the hype stickers. JMJ's Zoolook is one example, that Dire Straits another, which you forgot to trash this time. :)

I love your honesty about vinyl limitations, unlike so many on you tube rubbishing good digital formats.

I've got the rock and roll ears too. If its not scratched and there are no pops I am extremely happy!

This is all very amusing… and humbling to those who have been arrogantly trashing any digital sound.

Spot on! If the vinyl came from DSD then just play the DSD. I think I’m right in saying that DSD was actually developed for archiving analogue masters so this is the perfect use case. MoFi are still doing the audiophile community a great service by getting hold of the master and using top gear to digitise to DSD, they just need to be honest and stop all the BS.

You always make me laugh. Well done!

I'm finding it hard to give any f*cks about these rumors, speculation, etc. Some of these videos are treating this with the same sense of seriousness as the January 6th hearings. I don't feel the least bit sorry for wealthy record collectors who are now fearful that their expensive status symbol toys could have been picked up at the used CD wall at the local goodwill for a buck a piece.

It actually started with Michael @ 45 RPM Audiophile, then The In Groove but I could be wrong. I think your MFSL The Wall CD is probably digital.😉 I want the best sounding vinyl I can get, but I also have thousands of CDs

You summed it all up perfectly. I had to chuckle reading that thread on Hoffman. Personally, as a listener, I'm all in on CD so I certainly found it entertaining watching these so-called "audiophiles" eating some crow.

The Grateful Dead have been releasing HD CDs of live shows for the last few years and they sound surprisingly amazing. I don’t feel the need to get those on vinyl.

You make some good points. I don't own audiophile equipment, and I pretty much got off the vinyl bus in the 1980s. I have probably bought about a dozen vinyl albums since then. I certainly don't begrudge anyone who enjoys vinyl, for whatever reason: sound, packaging, whatever. Listen to what you like. Most of my listening in the time since has been CD, SACD, and Blu-ray (and digital files when away from home). There a lot of factors besides the release format that influence how the final product will sound. There are good and bad sounding records, good and bad sounding CDs. I've even got a Blu-ray or two that don't sound that great, at least to my ears. There are still a lot of people spitting venom about digital formats. It's fine not to prefer them, of course, but they can sound pretty fantastic (as these MoFi listeners would seemingly attest, since they were listening to digital masters on vinyl for years without knowing it). I've pretty much accepted that the only way a lot of these old tapes are going to survive the future is as digital transfers. Likewise a lot of old movies have been salvaged digitally, as the film elements are lost or have decayed.

I like great sounding records no matter how it's made! 😎

Someone said: people buy artifacts to listen records, audiophiles buy records to listen artifacts.

Digital if fine in the case of records where the tapes are over 50 to 60+ years old. As long as they play back the tapes on the equipment they were recorded on in to the encoder at a high bitrate. It is often the ONLY WAY to preserve legacy recordings like Please, Please, Me and others. The tapes have to be baked for over an hour before they can be played, and often they may not survive the process after it's most recant use. Thus losing the recording & the tape FOREVER!

DSD Files sound Magnificent. This whole MoFi episode is funny I need more chocolate biscuits

Digital is Evil unless it sounds good by an artist I like. Another great video Mr. Fithen.

"Brothers in Arms" is not fully digital. Some mixes were made in an analogue console, computers couldn't handle it back in the day. Book: Milner, Greg: "Perfecting audio forever". New York, 2015.

I have to agree with you man. I’m enjoying the show from the sidelines. Perhaps if I had a $100,000 stereo system I could hear some difference (maybe???) but for a commoner like myself, the whole conversation is mute. Although, if I did have an expensive system, I suppose I’d also want transparency. Hopefully, for the benefit of the wine tasters, audiophile labels will become more transparent going forward.

fantastic video

Hi Robert, thanks very much for this video full of common-sense, at last. All this MoFI story is like a storm in a tea-cup but I was awaiting for someone who would point the most interesting part of it , which is that if a digital file is made with enough resolution, no one can make the difference with pure analog. Funny that the supposedly pure analog records all these audiophiles talibans have praised all these years were in fact vinyl copies of digital files. How ironic. I collect both CDs and vinyls, and more CDs actually, because they are much cheaper than vinyls which go up to ridiculous prices in France where I live. I love vinyls, as you say, the sleeve, the artwork, the liner notes, the format etc... and some of them sound awesome if you have the right cartridge, but I never totally bought this voodoo about the absolute sounding superiority of vinyls. Sure enough the first CDs which were made with a low sampling rate sounded like shit, but as you say if they can create a "lossless" digital format and create the system to read it : fair enough, that suits me fine. And when I buy vinyls, it's always used ones which I am sure have been recorded and mastered purely analogical. Cheers. Thierry

We as humans , have the Worse hearing as a Species on the Planet. Analog/ Digital most of Us cant tell the Difference. Especially when You get My age , and Your Ears have been around Tanks for 20 Years . ( I'm 67 )

Head Hunters…good album.

Two questions: although this is a very interesting development/topic and one that I will be following with great interest, Now that it seems, at least at some point, that most or all of the older music with be, in some way, delivered in a digital format, where can a person find/buy the best sounding CDs? Does this mean that even buying CDs is a bit fruitless and I need to learn how to stream my music?

That Wine Story is crazy

It would be good to hear the MoFi DSD transfers in high res digital format. If they are well done, they should be excellent.

The emperor’s new clothes me thinks 😂 Great take on this new watergate..

I'm glad to see someone pointing this out. This die-hard ALL ANALOG crap in the 21st century is insanity. Most recordings done in the 1980's and later WERE Digital at some point. I'd be surprised that Thriller wasn't recorded using a Digital Tape Recorder or at least mastered on one. I remember buying hundreds of records in the 1980's and it proudly said right on the jacket, A DIGITAL RECODING! I have some Windham Hill recordings for the late, late 1970's that were DIGITAL!!!! So how could you have an ALL ANALOG remaster if the original utilized a digital somewhere...and SO WHAT, most ALL masters have been converted to a Digital master by now...for obvious reasons. I enjoy the vinyl I hung onto, but I far prefer SACD, DVDA, Blu-Ray...I mean, even the very best vinyl still suffers from Inner Groove Distortion, Tracing and Tracking Distortion, warp induced wow, God forbid the pressing is eccentric and it speeds up and slows down as the tonearm swings in and out...I for one, WII NOT be cancelling my pre-order of the Thriller SACD...can't wait to get it...digital and all! btw...I own a REGA P8 w/ Ania Pro LOMC cartridge...but even I wont go so far to say that is superior to SACD, DVDA, or Blu-Ray...once you hear music in Atoms, you'll lose interest in your 8-Track tapes real quick-like!

I have a Yamaha TSR700 (RX V6A) 7.1 setup (virtual height speakers enabled) and it can play DSD256 from a thumb drive. I recently purchased a Sony 4K player that plays SACDs. I bought the new Animals 2018 SACD. I cannot hear a difference between the stereo mix and the Apple Digital Masters version. It’s 24/48 lossless streaming from my Apple TV 4K over HDMI. Apple has hinted that hi res lossless will be enabled on the ATV like the iOS/iPadOS devices (24/192). The reason I will still by physical media is that I have had albums pulled from my Apple Music library before. I have over 250 CDs. The (hi res)lossless Apple Digital Masters versions of many of these CDs sound superior. Those would be the earliest CDs that had quickie transfers done in the 1980’s. The last LP I bought was “Empty Glass”

In my experience, it is far less expensive to get amazing sound out of a vinyl setup over a digital set up. So a digitally made vinyl could make a sound more easily attainable to those who don't have a super DAC, especially one which handles DSD.

Subscribed. Your "style" of communicating is great, you point out precise aspects of this constamt digital vs analog war. I am for vinyl all the way, but digital sounds great. I recently almost decided to sell all vinyl but after some listening of only stream music found such experience less engaging, less pleasant regardless quality. So I'm listening to vinyl and canceled Tidal subscribtion.

The first issue with CDs digital is the sample frequency and the quality of analogue reconstruction equipment. That doesn't apply to the MoFi digital if it is HF it would be better. However, the analogue recordings should be analogue on record.

Great Video ! Tapes do sound great ! We have all bought Beatles Records that look clean only to find a poor sounding listen. If Mofi make 40 000 copies of Michael Jackson's Thriller and it is one per Record Shop, that would make sense. If Limited to 500 copies only they would never be played and end up in a 50 to 100 dark Bank Vaults !

Hey, you can never have too many opinions on this. Have at it! 😅 While I prefer analog, digital is fine, if it's done right and if you think about it, we better get used to it because these master tapes ain't getting any younger.. As time goes on, when legendary, popular albums get repressed again in the future, the less likely they'll be AAA and will probably be from a digital source. That doesn't mean they'll sound bad though.. Technology has come a long way. 🤷🏻

You deserve more subscribers.

I said exactly the same right away! Why don't they release their own highest-density-DSD player (just like they have released their own phonostage) and sell music on pendrives or memory cards? You could keep an act's whole discography in a little box and listen to it in the incredible quality.

Love the title dude. Says it all! AAA snobs eat humble pie!

Spot on, subscribed.

We're gonna need more popcorn.

I collect both formats as well. I dig Iron Maiden releasing mediabook formats with do7ble CDs. I think if CD packaging was broader and detailed it would be appreciated more. Also CD players with an open top where the disc would be visible.

Excellent video. So true, so true.

Thank you for your video. I would like to focus on the old vs the new Mofi cut processes and its impact on vinyl comunity. We all agree that a Mofi "original master recording" is and should be a process where MOFI gets its hands on the original master, not on an unknown copy of that master. The DSD MOFI which is using is an added, new step, within the MOFI cutting process of Original Master Tape system. The DSD copy is then becomes a (ultra hi res digital) second generation source within the Mofi cutting process. should that be the only modification for Mofi cutting process than yes, it would be a degraded Vinyl cut process comparing with MOFI original Legacy cutting system. However, Mofi takes advantage on this added step to actually reduce the total number of degradating copying steps from the whole cutting process as per the following: 1) Original Mofi ( and other companies) AAA Process steps are: Step 1: master tape to lacquer (a 2nd generation analogue mechanical copy of the master is generated into the laquer) Step 2: lacquer to Father stamper (a 3rd Generation analoge mechanical copy is generated ) Step 3: Father Stamper is copied to be Mother mold (a 4th generation analoge copy is generated) Step 4: a Stamper is copied from mother (a 5th Generation mechanical analoge) Step 5: Vinyl Stamping (a 6th generation final analoge copy is pressed on vinyl) to summarize AAA process: A vinyl recording is the 6th analoge generation copy of the original master tape 2) MOFI "1 step process" comprise of the following steps: Step 1: Master Tape to DSD (a 2nd generation Dsd version of original master is created) Step 2: DSD to Lacquer (a 3rd mechanical analoge Generation) Step 3: Lacquer to Stamper (a 4th analoge Generation) Step 4: Vinyl Stamping (a final 5th generation which contains only 4th analoge generations copy of the master ) To summarize: MOFI single step process results in a 5 generation copy of original master recording rwhere 2 analogue mechanical copies of the sound are replaced by a single DSD copy . DSD copy of original master is to my understanding a much closer to original master quality (if not identical) than to any 2nd generation analogue copy alternatives availabe. 1) This is to my opinion a significant over all advantage to the cutting process 2) The Elephant in the room: The DSD step which contains a 2nd generation copy of original master is by definition a supirior version in compare witg the vinyl outcome which is a 5th ( practically 4th) generation copy of the original master tape. This means that the best posible reproduction quality can be obtain by a direct use of the DSD via streaming or a SACD platformd. Thanks and best regards

I totally agree with you. Great video.

Fantastic video! I agree 100%

I used to have a bunch of MOFI releases but after a while I found that original pressings sounded better for the MOFI's released after 2000 or so. I sold them all a few years ago as I replaced them with OPs. I kept my older MOFI releases from the 80s and my MOFI of The Dark Side of the Moon as they sounded better than OPs or whatever else was out there, that I could afford. I figured they were just made better when pressed in Japan but now I wonder if it was the digital component of the later MFOI's. I have no idea.

great point about the digital file