I took a study break from work this afternoon and decided to see if the hoopla surrounding MFSL LPs is justified. These records command truly amazing prices on eBay, and I was wondering if this reflects a meaningfully better musical experience or just "collectoritis". So I decided to do an "unscientific" test. I wouldn't rely upon my experience alone: try it yourself. But I thought that it might interest a few AK folks.

To do this, I used two albums that I have copies of both in MFSL and "original" pressings: Grateful Dead's "Mars Hotel" and the Allman Brothers Band's "Brothers and Sisters".

Equipment used: Dual 721 TT with Shure V-15VxME cartridge, Fisher 500-C receiver, AR3a and ADS 810a speakers and Grado SR125 headphones. No expensive interconnects, speaker cables or power cords, I'm afraid.

All the records were in used condition, and all but the standard pressing of the Grateful Dead album were in near mint condition. (The Dead album was more in the VG category.)

First, Mars hotel: Through either set of speakers, the standard pressing sounds fairly muffled or muddy, with ill-defined bass. Difficult to pick out all of the instruments. This improved (a lot, actually) when I donned the headphones. I switched to the MFSL pressing through the headphones and found that the bass was much improved: it seemed more restrained, less muddy. I could pick out all of the instruments, and many of them sounded different. In particular there seems to be a harpsichord (I find that a bit hard to believe, but there you go) that sounds much more like a harpsichord on the MFSL pressing. The sound of the MFSL pressing compared to the original is even more improved when listening through speakers.

Brothers and Sisters: The key difference here was the separation of the channels and a sense of openness in the sound...the MFSL pressing achieved this noticeably better than the standard pressing. Like with the Grateful Dead album, I found the MFSL pressing to be "cleaner" sounding, with tighter bass and better higher frequencies.

The most dramatic difference between the MFSL and standard pressings was the underlying noise level. The standard Brothers and Sisters pressing was pretty solid dynamically, but had a lot of vinyl noise underlying. Both MFSL albums were virtually dead-quiet.

You might pay for an MFSL LP 10 times the price of a near mint standard copy, or even more. Was there 10 times the difference in sound? No way. But as with most things, you pay more and more for smaller and smaller increases in quality.

Hiya PB,

That makes complete sense; paying more and more for smaller increases in quality.
Thank you for sharing this PB; I was thinking of doing a similar test meself.

cosmicdust.

I took a study break from work this afternoon and decided to see if the hoopla surrounding MFSL LPs is justified.

<snip>

To do this, I used two albums that I have copies of both in MFSL and "original" pressings: Grateful Dead's "Mars Hotel" and the Allman Brothers Band's "Brothers and Sisters".

Thank you for your test report -- very interesting! I have nothing to add, except it cracks me up to imagine the fellow in your avatar listening to the Grateful Dead (or Allman Bros., for that matter)!

--Bob

Did the same with a MFSL pressing of Al Jarreau's All Fly Now and the original "standard" pressing. MFSL was mint (second playing) and original was in VG+ condition. Far more life to the MFSL recording and much better detail with a very broad range male singing voice.
I buy every half speed I run across including a Radio Shack Audiophile series half speed country compilation. Glen, Kenny and Dolly don't do much for me, but they do it even better on a half speed pressing. On the other hand, The Ride of the Valkyries, Who's Next and Wishing You Were Here become superlative.

Thank you for your test report -- very interesting! I have nothing to add, except it cracks me up to imagine the fellow in your avatar listening to the Grateful Dead (or Allman Bros., for that matter)!

--Bob

You never quite knew with Arthur Fiedler! :D

In the late 70s and early 80s I bought many MFSL records and on a good stereo their quality pressings became evident. This is especially true when you consider the crappy pressings/records that the labels were putting out back then. The standard pressings were often warped and made my needle jump around like a hot tomale and often skipped through the first song on each side. MFSL records never did that.

The horrible pressings are what made me stop buying music as the stores did not want to take them as a return and MFSL didn't press all that many recordings as compared to what was being released - they generally only pressed well known hit albums.

BTW, I still have problems w/80s pressings but I solved the problem by buying a Denon electronic servo arm TT which dampens the warps and otherwise poor pressings.

Thank you very much for your observations.

What about a CBS half-speed recording versus a MFSL vinyl recording?

In particular there seems to be a harpsichord (I find that a bit hard to believe, but there you go) that sounds much more like a harpsichord on the MFSL pressing.

Are you referring to the harpsichord in "China Doll" or elswhere on Mars Hotel (Ugly Rumurz)? The harpshchord's pretty fundamental to "China Doll"; if you cannot differentiate it on the 'standard' LP that's not so good.

EDIT: BTW & FWIW, The MoFi LP version of American Beauty is one of the best sounding records I own. Period.

I have a CBS half speed recording of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. I was amazed at how good it sounded (I actually played it for the first time the other day while testing a new set up in my living room). Unfortunately I do not have any MFSL recordings, at least that I know of, to compare it to.

Are you referring to the harpsichord in "China Doll" or elswhere on Mars Hotel (Ugly Rumurz)? The harpshchord's pretty fundamental to "China Doll"; if you cannot differentiate it on the 'standard' LP that's not so good.

I was actually referring to "Scarlet Begonias", in which the harpsichord is much more difficult to pick out than in "China Doll". I listened again today; the resolution is a lot better on the MFSL LP.

ahh... funny you mention that! I had 'dubbed' a few of the songs from the Rhino "Mars Hotel" CD onto a CD for the car last weekend. Listening to it on the way to work Monday, I, too, noticed the harpsichord on "Scarlet Begonias". I'd forgotten about it. What a great, pop-py (in a good way) tune that is.

While I'm no deadhead, I do have a great deal of respect for the band. There is a very attractive delicacy in many of their songs that I sure didn't appreciate when I was in high school.