hanoirocker Posted May 11, 2008 Posted May 11, 2008 HI i am a pretty hardcore audiophile when it comes to the gold cds. Anyways I was cruising around some JApanese auction sites when I saw a Japanese MFSL copy APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION with an OBI around it.I am not sure if it was sealed or not, either case doesn't shake my interest for it.Anyways I totally have to get the japanese MFSL Appetite CD. Does anyone know any place or addresses like maybe MOFI Japan or something like that?if you know any whereabouts of this cd please point me in the direction of any FOREIGN auction sites,probably in japan.I know yahoo auctions sometimes has one, but it would cost me an arm and a leg to get that one. I don't believe rakuten has it ever listed. any sorts of Japanese or audiophile messageboards would be of great appreciation. ALSO were there MFSL OBI CDS of LIES and USE YOUR ILLUSION 1 and 2??? thanks Quote
KBear Posted May 11, 2008 Posted May 11, 2008 (edited) If I may ask, why do you need a Japan version? Just curious.I've got all four MFSL CDs, but they are the American versions. Cost me a small fortune!I'd assume that MFSL made both versions, and that the discs themselves are probably exactly the same. Edited May 11, 2008 by KBear Quote
hanoirocker Posted May 11, 2008 Author Posted May 11, 2008 If you ever listen to a Japanese CD compared to an American CD You will NOTICE a BIG DIFFERENCE... Same thing with Vinyl to a certain extent. I have all 4 AMERICAN MFSL guns cds myself, However I think getting the Japanese CD or CDS would be a step above the sound, and also a nice addition to my collection. Quote
williambailey01 Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 If you ever listen to a Japanese CD compared to an American CD You will NOTICE a BIG DIFFERENCE... Same thing with Vinyl to a certain extent. I have all 4 AMERICAN MFSL guns cds myself, However I think getting the Japanese CD or CDS would be a step above the sound, and also a nice addition to my collection.I've never heard of a Japanese MFSL - do you have a link to it?I totally agree with the comment that the Jap CD's are better than any other ones in sound quality. Take for example the first Japanese pressing of Appetite - 32XD 821, the sound quality of this is superior to other standard CD releases of AFD. Quote
KBear Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 Well I know that they often get bonus tracks that we don't but I wasn't aware of sound quality differences. CDs today are made to sound best on mp3 players and car radios, hence why their sound quality is actually lacking compared to older releases when played on a high quality stereo system. If the Japanese hifi market is thriving compared to North America's, then I guess it makes sense that their CDs sound better than ours.But when it comes to these MFSL dics, high fidelity is the whole point. So I seriously doubt MFSL would make an inferior version, no matter where it was sold. But I could be wrong. Quote
hanoirocker Posted May 12, 2008 Author Posted May 12, 2008 Well AS far as i know THERE is an Existing auction in japan, but you have to live in japan to get the item.The Appetite CD is the only Guns CD i know of that had a dual pressing of Japanese and American.BTW does anyone else here speak Japanese, I speak it pretty well, and have some contacts in Japan, that are willing to send me new copies of Burrn and things of that nature. But using different auction services is just how you say a burden on a good friendship, and besides that no one i know that is japanese is willing to sign up to get the item for me, and besides that the dude is ridiculous, charges over $250 for the item and WONT ship outside Japan. I have been watching him relist the thing maybe 5 or 10 times now. I am waiting till maybe the $200 mark. I remember at one point keep in mind i am converting the YEn to USD, it was like 400 USD.I can tell this is an amazing White elephant to get, but I just hope if i do find a way to get this item it will blow me away. If you compare european cds to japanese cds ... JUST GET THE Japanese cds.There is a hierarchy of CD quality and tracks etc.US. the lowest quality, lowest tracks CheapestEurope- medium quality some bonus tracks Moderately expensiveJapan. comes with an OBI, sometimes stickers and different booklets, as well as the most Bonus Tracks you will ever get on that particular release. And if you do not get any bonus tracks, the sound quality will be noticably superior at the very least as a small condolence to the Exagerated price you pay for the japanese cds. Expensive Quote
ThinkAboutYou Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) So how noticable is the sound quality difference? is it worth it? Edited May 12, 2008 by ThinkAboutYou Quote
artfromtex Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 But when it comes to these MFSL dics, high fidelity is the whole point. So I seriously doubt MFSL would make an inferior version, no matter where it was sold. But I could be wrong.i agree. Quote
axl_thebest Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 whats the difference between the cd and mfls cd? Quote
ThinkAboutYou Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) whats the difference between the cd and mfls cd?Can your ears actually tell that it's superior qualitythat's what I want to know Edited May 12, 2008 by ThinkAboutYou Quote
artfromtex Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) whats the difference between the cd and mfls cd?Can your ears actually tell that it's superior qualitythat's what I want to knowbig time improvement. it's not just a "crank up the volume" remaster. there's real separation between instruments. everything is clearer. it's eq'ed better.i always thought the production on AFD was lacking because it's so mid-range dominated and a bit muddy. but the MFSL mastering makes it sound very crisp without losing the raw feel.luckily i bought mine when it was still in print. the eBay prices are just ridiculous. Edited May 12, 2008 by artfromtex Quote
KBear Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) Oh man, I so wish I got the discs when they were in print. I think I spent $550 on ebay for all four, sealed (got all four in one auction). That was about two years ago.But I'm happy. As a fan and someone into hifi it's a great collectible to own. Edited May 12, 2008 by KBear Quote
KBear Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) ebay pretty much. I guess you could go around to retailers in your area and see if by sheer luck they have something in stock. It would probaby be a used copy though. Any new copies are probably on ebay as the seller would want the most $ he could get and ebay is the biggest marketplace.A collectible store like eil may carry these discs too. Edited May 12, 2008 by KBear Quote
williambailey01 Posted May 13, 2008 Posted May 13, 2008 Well I know that they often get bonus tracks that we don't but I wasn't aware of sound quality differences. CDs today are made to sound best on mp3 players and car radios, hence why their sound quality is actually lacking compared to older releases when played on a high quality stereo system. If the Japanese hifi market is thriving compared to North America's, then I guess it makes sense that their CDs sound better than ours.But when it comes to these MFSL dics, high fidelity is the whole point. So I seriously doubt MFSL would make an inferior version, no matter where it was sold. But I could be wrong.I wasn't implying that the Japanese MFSL with the obi strip was better quality than the other MFSL's (Personally I think it's the same MFSL disc it's simply got an obi strip on it). I was saying that some standard Japanese CD pressings are better sounding than other standard overseas releases.I assume this is the original poster's Want it now Post for this item (thought I would include it so people could see the pic):http://wantitnow.ebay.com/MFSL-JAPAN-Guns-...idZ160239430421The first Japanese CD pressing of AFD 32XD 821 was mastered by Barry Diament on request from the band and Zutaut. Here is a link to a forum where someone is asking the exact question to Barry as to why this release sounds better than others:http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/...hp/t-99846.htmlI think it's also important point to note that there can be major differences in CD quality from one CD plant to another as well. The skills, care, precision, expertise etc used at a plant can create quite varying sound quality. And for those people saying - it's just a CD being replicated how can quality vary, then read this article:http://www.stereophile.com/features/827/Now back to the MFSL - yes these are generally accepted as superior sound quality to standard CD releases - although some still debate this, particularly when the manufacturing of the MFSL's was moved from Japan (Ultra Disc I) to the US (Ultra Disc II). Some people give the UD II's a bad rap because they aren't made in Japan and therefore the quality and precision arguments come up again. Quote
troccoli Posted May 13, 2008 Posted May 13, 2008 (edited) Queen's A Night At The Opera was the last MFSL cd to be made in Japan, and all GNR MFSL releases were after that and hence made here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Fidelity_Sound_LabI think the Appetite MFSL cd with obi was just being sold in Japan as an import. Sort of like the links below - items bought in the UK but made in the US.http://www.troccolitm.com/patience7ussti.html?1165124262390http://www.troccolitm.com/patiencetapeusst...l?1165124367750Here's another great example:http://www.troccolitm.com/greatjaprocd.html?1165729057640Of course, it still would be an awesome item to have. Some of you may be asking, but why doesn't it have the Ultradisc II paper wraparound on it like here:http://www.troccolitm.com/appmfsl.html?1163999970671That's because some of these MFSL cd's, and not just Appetite, were released without it. I know this because I saw these at Tower Records (back in the day) without them. Anyways, that's my two cents. Edited May 13, 2008 by troccoli Quote
Estranged Reality Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 (edited) I have a FLAC copy of:Japan 32XD-821 (1st Pressing)The quality is definitely better, but you also need proper equipment to really notice the difference... I'm converting my copy to MP3 V0. I own a retail copy of the album and the sound on this one seems a bit crisper.Also I can hear all sorts of background shit I never heard on the US/UK retail copy. Like, during "It's So Easy," the background vocals during the chorus are higher in the mix and during the opening riff to "WTTJ" you can REALLY hear every little note on Slash's guitar, whereas if you listen to a regular copy of the album unless you're really straining yourself, the riff sounds a bit more simplistic. Hearing Appetite in this form made me aware of just how dynamic the interplay between Slash and Izzy is - there's all types of underlying guitar shit going on that I had never even heard before. And Duff's bass sounds killer.whats the difference between the cd and mfls cd?Can your ears actually tell that it's superior qualitythat's what I want to knowbig time improvement. it's not just a "crank up the volume" remaster. there's real separation between instruments. everything is clearer. it's eq'ed better.i always thought the production on AFD was lacking because it's so mid-range dominated and a bit muddy. but the MFSL mastering makes it sound very crisp without losing the raw feel.luckily i bought mine when it was still in print. the eBay prices are just ridiculous.I have a US version of the MFSL (not talking about the Japanese one above) and the quality blew me away - I agree with you about the original production being kind of "muddy" or whatever - the MFSL added real clarity. I thought it was some kind of placebo effect at first but I burned FLAC to CD and played it in my car and it sounded amazing compared to my retail copy. The bass was nice too, whereas on the retail it's a bit flat. Edited May 20, 2008 by Estranged Reality Quote
hitmanhart408 Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 I have a FLAC copy of:Japan 32XD-821 (1st Pressing)The quality is definitely better, but you also need proper equipment to really notice the difference... I'm converting my copy to MP3 V0. I own a retail copy of the album and the sound on this one seems a bit crisper.Also I can hear all sorts of background shit I never heard on the US/UK retail copy. Like, during "It's So Easy," the background vocals during the chorus are higher in the mix and during the opening riff to "WTTJ" you can REALLY hear every little note on Slash's guitar, whereas if you listen to a regular copy of the album unless you're really straining yourself, the riff sounds a bit more simplistic. Hearing Appetite in this form made me aware of just how dynamic the interplay between Slash and Izzy is - there's all types of underlying guitar shit going on that I had never even heard before. And Duff's bass sounds killer.whats the difference between the cd and mfls cd?Can your ears actually tell that it's superior qualitythat's what I want to knowbig time improvement. it's not just a "crank up the volume" remaster. there's real separation between instruments. everything is clearer. it's eq'ed better.i always thought the production on AFD was lacking because it's so mid-range dominated and a bit muddy. but the MFSL mastering makes it sound very crisp without losing the raw feel.luckily i bought mine when it was still in print. the eBay prices are just ridiculous.I have a US version of the MFSL (not talking about the Japanese one above) and the quality blew me away - I agree with you about the original production being kind of "muddy" or whatever - the MFSL added real clarity. I thought it was some kind of placebo effect at first but I burned FLAC to CD and played it in my car and it sounded amazing compared to my retail copy. The bass was nice too, whereas on the retail it's a bit flat.any chance you can upload a flac version to rapidshare, yousendit, or something? Quote
williambailey01 Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 I have a FLAC copy of:Japan 32XD-821 (1st Pressing)The quality is definitely better, but you also need proper equipment to really notice the difference... I'm converting my copy to MP3 V0. I own a retail copy of the album and the sound on this one seems a bit crisper.Definitely!If you are trying to listen to the differences on crappy computer speakers or an ipod or something you won't hear shit. You need a quality sounds sytem to really appreciate it properly. Quote
Estranged Reality Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 (edited) I have a FLAC copy of:Japan 32XD-821 (1st Pressing)The quality is definitely better, but you also need proper equipment to really notice the difference... I'm converting my copy to MP3 V0. I own a retail copy of the album and the sound on this one seems a bit crisper.Also I can hear all sorts of background shit I never heard on the US/UK retail copy. Like, during "It's So Easy," the background vocals during the chorus are higher in the mix and during the opening riff to "WTTJ" you can REALLY hear every little note on Slash's guitar, whereas if you listen to a regular copy of the album unless you're really straining yourself, the riff sounds a bit more simplistic. Hearing Appetite in this form made me aware of just how dynamic the interplay between Slash and Izzy is - there's all types of underlying guitar shit going on that I had never even heard before. And Duff's bass sounds killer.whats the difference between the cd and mfls cd?Can your ears actually tell that it's superior qualitythat's what I want to knowbig time improvement. it's not just a "crank up the volume" remaster. there's real separation between instruments. everything is clearer. it's eq'ed better.i always thought the production on AFD was lacking because it's so mid-range dominated and a bit muddy. but the MFSL mastering makes it sound very crisp without losing the raw feel.luckily i bought mine when it was still in print. the eBay prices are just ridiculous.I have a US version of the MFSL (not talking about the Japanese one above) and the quality blew me away - I agree with you about the original production being kind of "muddy" or whatever - the MFSL added real clarity. I thought it was some kind of placebo effect at first but I burned FLAC to CD and played it in my car and it sounded amazing compared to my retail copy. The bass was nice too, whereas on the retail it's a bit flat.any chance you can upload a flac version to rapidshare, yousendit, or something?I'm uploading Paradise City from the Japanese 32XD-821 disc. I can't upload the full album to the forum because it's official material, sorry. I know most of you like myself have bought/paid for retail copies of Appetite by now, so I'd offer to put it on a torrent site or something but the size of it is huge and I'm on a throttled broadband connection so it would take forever to seed all that. I will post Paradise City though and you can all hear how amazing it sounds - the whistle in the song actually scared me when I was listening. Usually it's kind of low in the mix and I'm used to hearing it that way, and it blasted through so loud and clear that it took me a second to realize it was in the song. And the outro guitar soloing was like an eargasm.I'll post the file when it's done uploading. By the way: I converted it to .WAV from FLAC because most people don't have FLAC compatible music players. There shouldn't be any loss in quality since FLAC and WAV are both lossless formats. Edited May 20, 2008 by Estranged Reality Quote
hitmanhart408 Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 I have a FLAC copy of:Japan 32XD-821 (1st Pressing)The quality is definitely better, but you also need proper equipment to really notice the difference... I'm converting my copy to MP3 V0. I own a retail copy of the album and the sound on this one seems a bit crisper.Also I can hear all sorts of background shit I never heard on the US/UK retail copy. Like, during "It's So Easy," the background vocals during the chorus are higher in the mix and during the opening riff to "WTTJ" you can REALLY hear every little note on Slash's guitar, whereas if you listen to a regular copy of the album unless you're really straining yourself, the riff sounds a bit more simplistic. Hearing Appetite in this form made me aware of just how dynamic the interplay between Slash and Izzy is - there's all types of underlying guitar shit going on that I had never even heard before. And Duff's bass sounds killer.whats the difference between the cd and mfls cd?Can your ears actually tell that it's superior qualitythat's what I want to knowbig time improvement. it's not just a "crank up the volume" remaster. there's real separation between instruments. everything is clearer. it's eq'ed better.i always thought the production on AFD was lacking because it's so mid-range dominated and a bit muddy. but the MFSL mastering makes it sound very crisp without losing the raw feel.luckily i bought mine when it was still in print. the eBay prices are just ridiculous.I have a US version of the MFSL (not talking about the Japanese one above) and the quality blew me away - I agree with you about the original production being kind of "muddy" or whatever - the MFSL added real clarity. I thought it was some kind of placebo effect at first but I burned FLAC to CD and played it in my car and it sounded amazing compared to my retail copy. The bass was nice too, whereas on the retail it's a bit flat.any chance you can upload a flac version to rapidshare, yousendit, or something?I'm uploading Paradise City from the Japanese 32XD-821 disc. I can't upload the full album to the forum because it's official material, sorry. I know most of you like myself have bought/paid for retail copies of Appetite by now, so I'd offer to put it on a torrent site or something but the size of it is huge and I'm on a throttled broadband connection so it would take forever to seed all that. I will post Paradise City though and you can all hear how amazing it sounds - the whistle in the song actually scared me when I was listening. Usually it's kind of low in the mix and I'm used to hearing it that way, and it blasted through so loud and clear that it took me a second to realize it was in the song. And the outro guitar soloing was like an eargasm.I'll post the file when it's done uploading. By the way: I converted it to .WAV from FLAC because most people don't have FLAC compatible music players. There shouldn't be any loss in quality since FLAC and WAV are both lossless formats.awesome thanks man! Quote
Estranged Reality Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 Paradise City from the Japanese disc. FLAC >> WAV - so there should be no loss of quality.Normally I wouldn't upload official material but considering it's just one track, the disc is out of print and most of us here own a copy of the retail version already, I don't think it's a problem. If the mods feel otherwise though I can take down the link. Quote
appetite4illusions Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 MFSL discs are really worth it. I first bought Appetite & Illusions MFSL's at a yard sale when I was thirteen, for a very moderate price I might add. Appetite in particular, sounds amazing when played through a nice system. I've since lost these dics (they were scratched to hell anyway) and have been trying to find new ones without dishing out tons of cash.Do yourself a favor, get them if you ever get the opportunity. Quote
hitmanhart408 Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 (edited) Paradise City from the Japanese disc. FLAC >> WAV - so there should be no loss of quality.Normally I wouldn't upload official material but considering it's just one track, the disc is out of print and most of us here own a copy of the retail version already, I don't think it's a problem. If the mods feel otherwise though I can take down the link.awesome thanks! Edited May 20, 2008 by hitmanhart408 Quote
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