Van Halen's '1984' Gets An Audiophile Upgrade

Official Announcement | Published: May 11, 2026 4:50 PM EDT

(Scoop) Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MoFi), the leader in high-fidelity audio reissues, is proud to release the definitive audiophile editions of Van Halen's landmark 1984 album, 1984, available May 15 as an UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP (order here) and numbered Hybrid SACD (order here).

This milestone release marks the conclusion of MoFi's ambitious project to reissue the band's first six studio albums. It follows the previously released audiophile treatments of the band's iconic David Lee Roth-fronted catalog-8607 Airdrome Street Los Angeles, CA 90035-all of which were made available in both UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP and numbered Hybrid SACD formats.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes (1/4" / 30 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe) and strictly limited to 7,500 numbered copies, the UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP 1984 box set presents the group's album in reference sound. The numbered Hybrid SACD, also sourced from the original analog tapes and housed in mini-LP-style packaging, delivers enhanced coherence, clarity, and richer detail.

Less than six years after changing the music landscape with its diamond-platinum-certified self-titled debut, Van Halen repeated the creative and commercial feats. Featuring groundbreaking performances, infectious chemistry, and four enormous singles, 1984 witnesses the band incorporating synthesizer elements that guitarist Eddie Van Halen had been championing - as well as seamlessly bridging pop and metal sensibilities into a cohesive melodic whole. A landmark that's never aged a day, 1984 feels as fresh, fun, and innovative as it did in the Reagan Era.

Recorded with producer Ted Templeman at Eddie Van Halen's 5150 Studios in California, 1984 can be experienced with unparalleled transparency, directness, and definition. Soundstaging extends far beyond the external boundaries of speakers, providing complete replication of the leading edges of notes and imaging that allows listeners to picture each member in an exact space. You can crank this version as high as you want without risking noise-floor interference or shrillness. Even at low levels, the sonic pedigree reveals how amazing every aspect of this record is, including the quieter parts that purr and percolate.

From the first notes of the atmospheric title track and the momentous synth-based anthem "Jump" to the stormy closer "House of Pain," David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, and Alex Van Halen hit on all cylinders. From the charged electricity of "Panama" to the timeless "Hot for Teacher"- launched with one of history's most famous drum leads: Alex Van Halen's superhuman-powered double-bass rolls - this diamond-certified record epitomizes loose, boisterous, living, fire-breathing rock 'n' roll

As MoFi has continually demonstrated with its UD1S series, the premium packaging of this box set pressing befits its elite stature. A deluxe slipcase, thick foil-stamped jackets, and faithful-to-the-original graphics illuminate the splendor of the recording. It is for listeners who want to immerse themselves in everything about the album, including the iconic cover art that quickly became as associated with 1984 as the music itself. Regularly cited among the 100 best album covers of all time, Margo Nahas' illustration of a crying angel holding a cigarette - blending the sacred and rebellious - captures Van Halen's aesthetic to a proverbial "T."

180g 45RPM 2LP Track List:
Side One:
1984
Jump
Panama

Side Two:
Top Jimmy
Drop Dead Legs

Side Three:
Hot for Teacher
I'll Wait

Side Four:
Girl Gone Bad
House of Pain

SACD Track List:
1984
Jump
Panama
Top Jimmy
Drop Dead Legs
Hot for Teacher
I'll Wait
Girl Gone Bad
House of Pain