Mobile Fidelity - MFSL 2-466 -  180 Gram Virgin Vinyl 

Mastered  by Kreig Wunderlich 

Numbered Limited Edition -   Pressed at RTI  

Half Speed Mastered on the Mobile Fidelity The Gain 2  System

1/4" Inch  / 15 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe

The Absolute Sound Super Disc List      TAS Harry Pearson Super LP List

Now comes this reissue and how times have changed! Starved as we are today for actual musicianship and craft in popular music, this record becomes musically attractive and enjoyable, aided by a stellar remastering job at 45rpm. The record sounds amazing. If you are a fan, you’ll want to upgrade to this. If you’re not, it’s still worth considering if just as a demo test record to help determine your system’s transient precision and clarity and especially its bass and mid-bass performance Dire Straits Debut Delivered as a 45rpm Sonic Spectacular Sound 10/10 Analgue planet

In a world full of questionable, cash-register-driven reissues, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s dead-quiet, ruler-flat, 45rpm version of Dire Straits is nothing less than the sonic restoration of a masterpiece, and it’s worthy of the spotlight in any passionate music-lover’s vinyl gallery - TheAudioBeat

Dire Straits' Self-Titled 1978 Debut Distinguished by Jazz-Inflected Mix of Folk, Blues, Country, and Rock: Guitarist Mark Knopfler Displays Uncanny Precision, Intricacy, and Texture 

Mastered from the Original Master Tapes and Pressed at RTI for Optimal Sound: Mobile Fidelity 45RPM 2LP Set Engages With Natural Tones, Superb Balances, Reference Imaging, Sterling Clarity 

Breakout Dire Straits Album Includes "Sultans of Swing" and "Down to the Waterline": Band's Shuffles, Boogies, and Ballads Spark With Crispness, Soulfulness, Coolness

Dire Straits' arresting self-titled debut arrived in the midst of punk's reign but couldn't have been further removed from the era's slash-and-burn style. Recorded in West London in February 1978, the band's tasteful, jazz-inflected set embraces folk, blues, and pub rock while also tracing a direct line back to the beat-oriented sound of early rock n' roll. Country and roots accents further distinguish the British quartet's stripped-down music from any 1970s peers, as does the transparent production, which has remained revered among audiophiles the world over – and which has never been better than on this meticulous analog pressing.

Mastered from the original master tapes and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 45RPM 2LP version of Dire Straits features natural tonalities, superb balances, you-are-there imaging, deep-black backgrounds, and pristine clarity. Even if you've heard this album hundreds of times before, you've never experienced it with such lifelike sonics and premium richness. This numbered, limited-edition collector's set immerses you within the smoky, laidback atmospherics of every song. This is how all vinyl should sound.

Crucial to every arrangement, Mark Knopfler's winding guitar lines emerge with supreme transparency and multi-hued textural detail. His intricate playing comes across as if it's being transmitted via his 60s-era Fender Vibrolux amplifier placed right before you. The cleanliness, dimensions, and live feel are that good. His bandmates, too, benefit from the extra groove space afforded by this 45RPM edition. Rhythms skate and swirl; percussive effects resonate with crispness and attack; the leading edges of notes naturally decay.

Dire Straits' strong, well-edited batch of original material further enhances the overall enjoyment and makes the record one whose pleasures go far beyond the organic sonics. Just as Knopfler's narratives pour forth with poetic and surrealist texts, the musical settings – an intoxicating combination of easygoing shuffles, back-hall boogies, and pop-honed ballads – mirror the old-fashioned soulfulness inherent in the classic recordings of the late 50s and early 60s. The lyrics are equally captivating.

Drawing from his time as a youth in Newcastle, Leeds, and London, Knopfler invests tunes with an autobiographical slant and emotional connectivity that become obvious the moment he opens his mouth to sing. "Down to the Waterline," "Wild West End," and "Lions" all feature colloquial touches that add to their reach. By extension, "In the Gallery" functions as a tribute to Leeds sculptor Harry Phillips (father of future Knoplfer collaborator, Steve Phillips) while the record's breakout smash, "Sultans of Swing," pays homage to struggling bar bands.

Through it all, Dire Straits performs with a subtle cool and clever poise that no band ever matched. Just how good is the chemistry? Bob Dylan heard the quartet and invited Knopfler and drummer Pick Withers to play on Slow Train Coming. But even Dylan himself didn't hear Dire Straits sound this magnetic back in its original heyday. Now, everyone can.

Secure your lowest-numbered copy 

    1. Down to the Waterline
    2. Water of Love
    3. Setting Me Up
    4. Six Blade Knife
    5. Southbound Again
    6. Sultans of Swing
    7. In the Gallery
    8. Wild West End
    9. Lions

 

GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ is a proprietary cutting system built and designed by legendary design genius Tim De Paravicini, with consultation from one of MFSL’s founding fathers – Stan Ricker, an audio engineer responsible for many of MFSL’s most heralded past releases.

 

The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system is comprised of a Studer™ tape machine with customized reproduction electronics* and handcrafted cutting amps that drive an Ortofon cutting head on a restored Neumann VMS-70 lathe. (*It is worth noting that independent studies have confirmed that the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system can unveil sonic information all the way up to 122kHz!)

 

First and foremost, we only utilize first generation original master recordings as source material for our releases. We then play back master tapes at half speed enabling the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system to fully extract the master’s sonic information. Our lacquers are then plated in a specialized process that protects transients in the musical signal. (Due to this process, there may be occasional pops or ticks inherent in initial play back, but as the disc is played more, a high quality stylus will actually polish the grooves and improve the sound). We further ensure optimum sound quality by strictly limiting the number of pressings printed for each release. These limited editions, in addition to being collectors’ items, ensure that the quality of the last pressing matches the quality of the first.

 

As you can imagine, all these efforts involve a tremendous amount of time, technology, cost and effort. The introduction of GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ maintains Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s position as the world’s leading audiophile record label, where a passion for music with extraordinary sound quality matters most.

 RTI 180 HQ Vinyl

Record Technology is a world class record pressing plant located in Camarillo, California. We have been operating since 1974, pressing for most audiophile record labels and for many quality minded independent and major record labels from around the world.