LOS LOBOS / This Time
[MFSA2024]

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's ongoing quest is to deliver the foremost sounding audio entertainment software that technological innovation can provide. From our first UHQR™ vinyl LP to our latest Ultradisc UHR™ SACD, we have been and will remain a steadfast innovator in the audiophile frontier. We further believe that technological development serves best when accompanied by a profound awareness and appreciation for the elusive magic and mystery that comprises music itself. Our greatest hope is that our products will serve as conduits for ears ands souls to experience premium, pure, natural sound reproduction of diverse, pre-eminent original master recordings across the entire musical spectrum.

Mobile Fidelity believes that mastering systems should be neutral and transparent. The essential idea is to unveil all the detailed musical information on the original master recording without adding deterioration, coloration or other sonic artifacts.

It is worth noting that Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab stands out as one of few record labels that independently invests in research and development of audio technology. With proprietary innovations such as GAIN 2™, general music enthusiasts and audiophiles alike have reaped the benefit of a higher consumer audio standard without investing in costly new hardware. Mobile Fidelity is pleased to work with a variety of engineering legends and companies including Tim de Paravicini, Ed Meitner, Pass Labs, Theta Digital and Sony Electronics. Our joint efforts to seek out the ultimate audio experience, has resulted in significant advances for the technology of music reproduction.

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has been the undisputed pioneer and leader in audiophile recordings since the company's inception in 1977. Established by dedicated audiophiles, Mobile Fidelity's first and foremost goal was to offer faithfully reproduced high fidelity recordings that would compliment the numerous advances occurring in audio delivery systems. Throughout its history, Mobile Fidelity has remained true to this goal, pioneering state-of-the-art technologies and setting audiophile standards that remain in place today.

In response to rapid advancements in both recording formats and audio delivery systems over the past several years, Mobile Fidelity has maintained its ongoing commitment to improving industry standards. This has resulted in the introduction of numerous innovations in the audiophile arena: half-speed mastered Original Master Recording™ LPs, Ultra High Quality Records™ (UHQRs), high fidelity cassettes, consumer alignment devices for phono cartridges and audio cassette decks, Original Master Recording™ compact discs, the 24-karat gold plated Ultradisc™ CD and the Ultradisc™ Ultra High Resolution™ (UHR). To this day the independently owned firm continues its commitment to exceeding industry standards.


GAIN 2™ :

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) is the undisputed leader in the art and science of record technology. Through the evolution of its Ultra High Quality Records (UHQR) to the ANADISQ 200 series, audiophiles and serious music collectors alike have long applauded Mobile Fidelity’s contributions to the research and development of making the best records humanly and technically possible. MFSL’s latest innovation on the vinyl frontier is the GAIN 2™ ULTRA ANALOG system

The introduction of GAIN 2™ ULTRA ANALOG maintains Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s position as the world’s leading audiophile vinyl record label, where passion for music is merged with extraordinary sound quality. The GAIN 2™ ULTRA ANALOG disc mastering system is comprised of a modified Studer A-80 tape machine with proprietary reproducer electronics and customized, handcrafted cutting electronics and power amps that drive an Ortofon cutter head on a modified Neumann lathe. Independent and in house studies have confirmed that the GAIN 2™ ULTRA ANALOG system can unveil sonic information all the way up to122 kHz. First and foremost, Mobile Fidelity Sound lab utilizes only first generation ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDINGS as source material for our releases, never the second or third-generation master tapes that are often used by mass producing music labels. The master tapes are played back at half speed enabling the GAIN 2™ ULTRA ANALOG system to fully extract the tape’s sonic information, resulting in more cutting amplifier headroom, as well as allowing the cutter head twice as much time to inscribe the full bandwidth of the audio signal. Half speed mastering allows for incredible frequency response and hysteresis (a type of playback distortion) is greatly reduced from the tape transport’s playback head. Lacquers are then plated in a specialized process that protects transients in the musical signal. Optimum sound quality is further ensured by strictly limiting the number of pressings for each release. These Limited Editions, in addition to being collectors’ items, assure you that the quality of the first pressing matches the quality of the last.

To protect your GAIN 2™ ULTRA ANALOG pressing after purchase, each is protectively custom packaged to maintain flatness and prevent warping. Each GAIN 2™ ULTRA ANALOG record contains a specially constructed heavy-duty album jacket that is supported by a rigid cardboard “stiffener”, and the entire package is loosely “bagged” instead of being subjected to a tight shrink-wrap that can contribute to record warpage. To help eliminate dust -and minimize surface noise- a unique static-free “rice paper” inner sleeve protects each disc. These “Original Master Sleeves” are also available separately from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab to help protect the rest of the records in your collection.