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Eagles: Hotel California

Eagles: Hotel California

Mobile Fidelity  UDSACD 2233

Stereo Hybrid

Pop/Rock


Eagles


THE THIRD BEST-SELLING ALBUM IN HISTORY RECEIVES A SUBSTANTIAL UPGRADE: SOURCED FROM THE ORIGINAL ANALOG MASTER TAPES

The moment the instantly recognizable intertwined guitar passage on the title track to the Eagles' Hotel California begins, the record's genius becomes obvious all over again. Ranked the 118th Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone, certified by RIAA as the third best-selling LP in history, and looked upon as the foundation upon which the Golden State's mid-'70s rustic music scene was built, the 1976 landmark is a music staple immune to shifts in trends, eras, and styles. Fearlessly addressing the chaos and consequences of American life, its songs remain strikingly prescient and gain credence with each passing day.

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7 of 8 recommend this, would you recommend it?  yes | no

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Comments (7)
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Comment by Paul Hannah - January 29, 2023 (1 of 7)

I wonder how this compares with the DVD audio version ..............Anybody know ?

Comment by Downunderman - February 3, 2023 (2 of 7)

Hi Paul, as at this point this SACD has not hit the shelves yet. It is still a preorder over at the MoFi site.

Comment by Glenn Belkin - March 29, 2023 (3 of 7)

Just received my copy, direct from MOFI, a week ago. Well, they have done their usual incredible "treatment" to one of the very best classic rock albums of all time! I own the other 2 audiophile versions of this album. The Japanese SACD and the 40th anniversary Blu-ray audio edition. They are all excellent. But, after listening to all 3 versions back to back to back, my ranking would be as follows. The MOFI SACD #1, The Japanese SACD a very close #2, and the Blu-ray Audio a little bit of a distant #3.I only use headphones due to living in an apartment. My setup is the Sennheiser HD800S, and their dedicated headphone amplifier, the incredible HDV820. If you have a spare $4,000.00 that you want to use to get a GREAT headphone setup, BUY THIS COMBO, NOW! And no, I don't work for Sennheiser in any way. Have worked my way up to the current setup, over the last 40 years of owning various exclusively Sennheiser "cans". SACD's really bring out the very best of this Sennheiser setup. MOFI's Hotel California is no exception.

Comment by Postercowboy - April 7, 2023 (4 of 7)

For many years, my favorite digital version of this album was the old DCC Gold CD. Not anymore it is: The MoFi disc offers a wider soundstage and a more relaxed and ‚laid-back‘ presentation. I always liked the DCC, but in direct comparison it now sounds edgy and even somewhat unpleasant. The MoFi disc is better balanced and much more natural. It has a better flow and a much more musical, more ‚analog‘ presentation, which leads to a much more involving listening experience. A must-have.

Comment by analogue - April 7, 2023 (5 of 7)

The original dvd audio has always been a treat for me and is still a great listen. The new Mofi sacd is also great but there are differences between the two to be sure. I find this scenario fascinating. While I cant be sure .I believe that the dvd audio is ever so delicately compressed as well as having a tad of reverb added to complete the overall feeling. As a high rez disc the dvd audio is awesome.
Comparing the Mofi, on my system, the overall volume is lower and very noticeable. This is not a problem in any way........just crank the volume and the sacd springs into life. I want to really watch my verbiage here as I dont want to conjure up the wrong comparisons between these two great discs. The dvd audio is more bolder and glossy..........it does everything right for the listener. As to how it compares to the original tape source, which had to be baked prior to the transfer being done, I cant say. The Mofi is more elegant and refined and perhaps the more honest transfer that doesn't deviate from the original tape source. The Mofi sacd needs to have the volume increased quite a bit and it blooms very well. It has a more authentic studio sound while the dvd audio is punchier and more energetic.

I recommend the new Mofi sacd and hope that Mofi will release Hell freezes over and perhaps the live double album.
We can all hope, right.
Cheers. Analogue

Comment by Postercowboy - April 8, 2023 (6 of 7)

I can only second Analogue’s comment here: More elegant and more authentic it is. The DCC Gold is also noticeably louder. As stated before: The DCC was my go-to disc for many years, and I never thought there was anything ‚wrong‘ with it. That said, on my (highly sensitive) system the MoFi is a major improvement and the more I listen to it, the more I like it.

Comment by George P - June 3, 2023 (7 of 7)

Over the last month, I have compared this new MFSL SACD to the old DCC Japan CD a number of times. I always loved the warm, full sound of the DCC CD, but I love this album so I wanted to get new MFSL SACD. The best thing I say say about the MFSL SACD is compared to the DCC CD, it has a very different sound. If it sounded similar to the DCC, it would be a shame. Who needs two audiophile masterings that sound the same? However, as every audiophile knows, different isn't always better. I find the new MFSL SACD to be more detailed, but also brighter than the DCC, which did not any additional treble. The warm, full bass of the DCC is missing in the new SACD, which is truly a shame. Finally, the vocals are often sibilant, something I have never found with my DCC CD.