Audiophilepure

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/mobile-fidelitys-ultradisc-one-step-180g-editions-michael-jacksons-career-defining-albums

The inner cover design — which is basically a flat black oaktag sleeve with a CD-sized matte image of the original album cover art centered in the middle — is indeed dramatic-looking, and it does conform with the design of other One-Steps like MoFi’s Van Halen reissue series and their recently released One-Step for My Morning Jacket’s Z. That said, I would have preferred those replicated cover images to be bigger on the sleeve cover, if not covered the entirety of them, but I do get why MoFi are keeping them uniform for the overall design concept of the One-Step series. (And, like AP editor Mettler, I also appreciated the full-size, four-sided inserts that did indeed replicate the cover art in full and also included the lyrics and track-by-track credits.)

As to whether you need to get these two UltraDisc One-Step editions of Michael Jackson’s two greatest solo releases, that is always a personal decision. If I had to choose between the two, Off the Wall would be my hands-down recommendation, and it is well worth shelling out the extra bucks to get it in hand right now. But, of course, Thriller is what it is — the most popular non-compilation album of all time — so if you want to hear what is quite possibly the best-sounding version of it to date, the MoFi One-Step is totally right for you.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0518/SVS_SB2000_Powered_Subwoofer_Review.htm

But let me be frank. The SVS SB-2000 is not going to be suitable for all systems, as some listeners might (and should) devote as much resources as possible in order to properly match it with the quality of the rest of one’s system. Does the system in which I tested this sub deserve a better subwoofer than the SVS SB-2000? Probably. It would be nice to have a subwoofer with a remote control, and it would also be nice to have a way to adjust its settings automatically, short of connecting it to a receiver that has internal subwoofer setup controls, which isn’t going to happen. It would even have been nice to have a sub that was even more extended in the bass than the SB-2000 and have even better sound quality overall. But those features would have cost lots more than the SB-2000. Because of it being designed by a company that obviously knows a thing or two about subwoofers and has put this knowledge to good use by manufacturing a subwoofer that can fight way above its weight class, an audiophile (or non-audiophile!) can hook up this subwoofer knowing they are getting the most for their money.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/quad-platina-integrated-amplifier

This superb performance continued with two of Van Halen’s finest cover versions, ‘Where Have All The Good Times Gone’ and ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’. Here the Quad amp showed breathtaking speed on Eddie’s guitar leads while reproducing all the nuances of David Lee Roth’s vocals. You could almost see him smirk. As with The Heavy Heavy and Led Zeppelin tracks, the percussion was massive, powerful and – had I removed the grilles to see it – pumping a lot of air.

But on to subtlety. Linda Ronstadt’s Prisoner In Disguise [Mobile Fidelity MFSL 2-608] is a go-to album for vocals. What I wasn’t expecting, though, was the same powerhouse drumming, even on tracks like ‘Love Is A Rose’ which is inherently gentle. Ronstadt’s voice was sibilance-free, detectably warm and even reminiscent of Quad valves. Whoever engineered this clearly had Quad Classic valve equipment to hand, also emulating their three-dimensionality. I had to keep reminding myself there wasn’t a tube in the audio chain.

Subbass is subtle and stays behind the rest of the presentation, giving tracks a light sense of depth rather than a deep rumble. It is not bad by any means, but it clearly avoids the kind of pressure and weight that bass-heavy sets deliver.

The punchiness of its mid-bass is what feels most noticeably missing, as kick drums do not land with strong impact. There is still a slight thump to keep rhythm sections from sounding empty, but the EPZ 550 does not push mid-bass energy aggressively.

Despite that weakened energy, the drums and bass guitars earn back attention through excellent timbre and texture. Every small tonal shift, drum hit, and string detail comes through with wonderful accuracy, allowing everything to sound as natural as can be.