John Lennon/Double Fantasy Original US Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab

A CD reprint series of “Mobile Fidelity” which has attracted a lot of attention. The latest bullet has been decided to be released. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL), a manufacturer specializing in analog masters, is a trusted brand that is highly supported by audio enthusiasts around the world. With all of his passion, the sound craftsman has digitized many great albums from master tapes. Among such series, this work includes the 24K gold CD “UDCD 600″ released in 1994. Yes, it’s John Lennon’s masterpiece “Double Fantasy.” [Mobile Fidelity prioritizes master tape sound] Many high-quality CDs appeared in the 1990s, when the conversion of analog works to CD was at its peak, but MFSL was in a class of its own. Other high-quality CDs are based on the idea of ​​“suppressing digital deterioration” by using new technology to reduce the discomfort of compression, and by reducing reading errors in the material. On the other hand, MFSL’s policy is to “faithfully reproduce the sound engraved on the master tape and not add anything unnecessary.” We place the utmost importance on the “analog recorded sound itself,” including developing our own “half-speed mastering” technology that also focuses on the stage of extracting sound from magnetic tape. Since 1987, MFSL has borrowed original master tapes from record companies and meticulously digitized many masterpieces one by one. We have released the “Ultradisc” series, which transfers the sound of master tapes to CDs. Currently, it has expanded into the SACD and LP fields, but the point is that this work was released on CD in the first half of the 1990s. Magnetic tape masters are susceptible to deterioration over time, and the more time passes, the more the original sound is lost. There are cases where the tape becomes distorted or stuck, but even if it is stored precisely, it cannot prevent the tape from losing its magnetism. Nowadays, LPs recorded with physical grooves sound better than the master tapes themselves…and so on. In that respect as well, the “Ultradisc” series was a great achievement. It began in the 1980s when CDs were popular, and the sound of master tapes was digitized even before the advent of new CD technology that claimed high sound quality. [“Double Fantasy” feels the presence of instruments, and even the “world space” depicted in the work is natural] This work “Double Fantasy” conveys the master sound “14 years after recording”. Double Fantasy. Its natural sound is evident from the opening song “(Just Like) Starting Over”. This is true for all musical instruments, but for example drums. The drums in this song are very tightly recorded, the attack is sharp, and there is almost no reverberation. However, in this work, you can clearly feel a slight “ringing” in the shadow of the sharp outline of the attack. The current remastered version emphasizes tightness so much that only the core seems to pierce the ear, but in this work, you can even feel the presence of the vibrating skin. Speaking of vibration, the same goes for bass and guitar strings. “Cleanup Time” has fragmented phrases of guitar and bass dancing from the intro, and each one has a rubber-like dynamic feeling. Nowadays, the loudness war (sound pressure competition) has calmed down, and remastering has evolved considerably, but we still tend to think of sound at the level of “pitch, volume, and timbre.” However, in that case, they are just notes that appear on a musical score. The truth is that the instruments that create these sounds actually exist, and each one oscillates. With MFSL, you can feel the traces of the “sound source” left on the master tape, and even the sense of reality. Furthermore, the dynamism is natural. In the current version, the difference between weak and strong sounds is produced intensely, but this is not the case with this work. For example, the sound waves and bell sound of “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”. If you listen to it analytically, each song seems natural on the current version, but in terms of balance, only the peak of the bell sticks out and sticks out. In contrast, everything in this work is well-balanced, and it blends beautifully with the subsequent performance sounds. Writing this way may make it seem flat, but it is not. The mountains from the rise to the end of each note are neatly drawn, and because even the smallest detail has been preserved neatly, it has a three-dimensional effect without even needing to be an element. The “world of sound” that John was trying to depict is beautifully reproduced. The master sound of a famous album that has been preserved until the present day because it is a CD by “Mobile Fidelity”. Even if you want to get your hands on the actual product now, it will be difficult because it was originally produced in limited quantities. Taken from the original US Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (UDCD 600) from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab “Original Master Recording” Collection 1. (Just Like) Starting Over 2. Kiss Kiss Kiss 3. Cleanup Time 4. Give Me Something 5. I’ m Losing You 6. I’m Moving On 7. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) 8. Watching The Wheels 9. Yes, I’m Your Angel 10. Woman 11. Beautiful Boys 12. Dear Yoko 13. Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him 14. Hard Times Are Over