[mironathetin]

Have a listen to some samples:

http://www.goodrob13.com/2009/04/26/the-beatles-mono-vs-stereo-remastered-cds-coming-sept-2009/

http://www.goodrob13.com/2009/07/26/the-beatles-mono-vs-stereo-part-2/

Interesting links. The sound examples in stereo and mono are really instructive. Stereo, when switched to mono in the middle of the song, clearly sounds more interesting. It opens up the space so nicely. But then, when a voice or an instrument plays only from one side, it immediately starts to be annoying.

Especially in complex situations where many instruments are playing, the stage provided by stereo sound seems to have more space for an uncluttered arrangement of the instruments. These passages sound inferior and muddled in Mono.
So stereo seems to be better indeed, but only if done right. In the case of the Beatles albums, stereo is certainly not done right most of the time.

In my amazon review (of the white Album in Stereo I guess) I requested new mixes where the duophonic sound is improved to real stereo. My readers did not really get my point, because they felt, the Beatles never sounded like that. But these great examples seem to support my request nicely.

Cool blog. Many thanks also for the tremendous work of the blogger rob.
This is work the Abbey Road engineers should have done.

 

[Chris J]

  The problem with some of the earlier recordings that were included in my stereo box set is that with headphones, ALL of the drums are in one ear, and the vocals are ALL in another ear. It just sounds unnatural to me.  Like I said, it almost feels like my sinuses are congested when listening through headphones.  Though, this is not true for every song, and I do prefer the quality of the later stereo albums. 
 
Have a listen to some samples:
 
http://www.goodrob13.com/2009/04/26/the-beatles-mono-vs-stereo-remastered-cds-coming-sept-2009/
 
http://www.goodrob13.com/2009/07/26/the-beatles-mono-vs-stereo-part-2/

 
The ugly truth is:
sometimes I prefer the Mono version, sometimes I prefer the Stereo version
I'm really not a big fan of those Stereo mixes for the first few albums with hard panning left and right, and I don't think they sound any better on loudspeakers. 
As George Martin has said, the early albums were never meant to be mixed to Stereo from the two track.
One of those edits in the Mono version is rather clumsy, so much for the blanket superiority of all Mono mixes.
Frankly, I'm not surprised.
 
I think the real answer is.......it depends.
 
Take all this with a heavy grain of salt, it's just my opinion, folks. 

 

 

[sonitus mirus]

It is hit or miss with some songs.  I have both box sets, but if you could only get one, the stereo version is the more complete set.
 
If you ever get a chance to sit back and enjoy the music, I highly recommend reading these notes while listening.
 
http://www.norwegianwood.org/beatles/disko/html/longpla2.html
 
Very detailed information on practically everything the Beatles recorded.

 

[bigshot]

Two things...
 
Stereo... even fake stereo sounds better in headphones. Mono with headphones is a pinpoint midway between your ears, but with good speakers, really good mono can sound a lot better than mediocre stereo.
 
Also, it depends on what you are listening to. If phase effects and left / right are important to you, obviously the mono box will be a letdown. But if you are listening to overall balances in the mix, an overall sound where every part is clear and defined, mono kicks ass.

 

[brhfl]

 
Stereo... even fake stereo sounds better in headphones. Mono with headphones is a pinpoint midway between your ears, but with good speakers, really good mono can sound a lot better than mediocre stereo.
 
[…]

I would rather shoot myself through the ears than listen to hard-panned stereo in headphones. Fortunately 'fake stereo' is generally fairly narrow, of course it sounds alright in headphones. Give me mono over the nasty hard pans of the early stereo era any day, though, headphones or loudspeakers…

 

[Chris J]

  Two things...
 
Stereo... even fake stereo sounds better in headphones. Mono with headphones is a pinpoint midway between your ears, but with good speakers, really good mono can sound a lot better than mediocre stereo.
 
Also, it depends on what you are listening to. If phase effects and left / right are important to you, obviously the mono box will be a letdown. But if you are listening to overall balances in the mix, an overall sound where every part is clear and defined, mono kicks ass.

 
Obviously you've never heard some of these stereo mixes!

 

[bigshot]

I've heard the stereo mixes. They're all mediocre, even the recently remixed Rubber Soul. In general, I prefer mono up to Sgt Pepper and stereo from then on. But I listen with speakers, not headphones. I prefer the mono Peter Sellers acetate of the Get Back sessions better than either version of Let It Be.

 

[Chris J]

Perhaps, if they sounded better.

Edit: I don't really need to snark out on this I suppose. I genuinely don't believe that it can be chalked up to 'well, we already did it once, smooth sailing ahead!,' especially given that the band didn't by all accounts even want to take part in the stereo mixing. Regardless, it's a bit silly to argue over anecdotes, and more practical to actually discuss the sound of the mixes. I find the mono mixes to be superior pretty much across the board.

Ugh.
Just picked up the mono Rubber Soul on vinyl 2 days ago.
I've been comparing the new mono vinyl release to my 1987 Capitol stereo vinyl. The 1987 Capitol stereo is not the greatest pressing.
Mix wise, I prefer the mono!
Also compared the new mono vinyl to the MFSL stereo vinyl, mono wins again! At least the MFSL vinyl sounds better than the Capitol vinyl.

I don't think I can ever listen to stereo versions of RS again....groan....

 

[bigshot]

Don't get the vinyl. Get the CDs. Vinyl of recent digital remasterings just adds another layer of complication. The CDs are what you want.
 
And by the way, Rubber Soul in stereo was remixed. Your 1987 version isn't the original stereo mix. George Martin was unhappy with the original stereo mix and went back and remixed it for CD release. That and Let it Be are the only two albums that have been remixed. Rubber Soul isn't the best album to judge by, because the stereo mix was done much more carefully than with the other albums.

 

[mironathetin]

  Don't get the vinyl. Get the CDs. Vinyl of recent digital remasterings just adds another layer of complication. The CDs are what you want.
 

 
The new vinyl mono recordings are taken directly from the analog master tapes. They don't have seen any digital processing and are different from the 2009 CDs.
From what I have heard, compared to the original vinyl releases of the 60s, they lack treble. It seems to have vanished from the old tapes. How those mono recordings compare to the CDs, I don't know.
Informed contributions are welcome.

 

[bigshot]

The CDs sound very good and have plenty of treble. If you're going to buy vinyl, buy original pressings. These fancy vinyl editions are just collector bait designed to sell people albums they already own. A new LP can only sound as good or worse than the CD. It can't sound better.

 

[Chris J]

The new vinyl mono recordings are taken directly from the analog master tapes. They don't have seen any digital processing and are different from the 2009 CDs.
From what I have heard, compared to the original vinyl releases of the 60s, they lack treble. It seems to have vanished from the old tapes. How those mono recordings compare to the CDs, I don't know.
Informed contributions are welcome.

I haven't heard the vinyl from the 60's, but the Midrange on the new mono vinyl can be quite attractive, especially the guitars.

BTW, the stereo version of Revolver is a lot easier to listen to than the Stereo Rubber Soul. I have a still preference for the mono Revolver though, sometimes the stereo panning on the double tracked vocals can be a a bit odd.....

 

[SKisaGooner]

It doesn't matter which mix you prefer. What matters is what's canonical, what's definitive.
 
The people upstairs are trying to make the stereo mixes mainstream, with the mono mixes a niche for the uptight. It shouldn't be this way. Their earlier stuffs are supposed to be listened to in mono, and their later stuffs obviously in stereo. The right mix of mono and stereo is the one that needs to be mainstream. There's no avoiding mono.
 
I've spent years figuring out which material should be on mono, and which should be in stereo. For that and so much more, please click the link on my signature.
 
If by any chance there's anything on the list that you disagree with, let me know and I'll gladly explain my reasoning.
 
Also, I don't understand the hate on the Beatles on 24-bit FLAC. I'm personally waiting for the monos to be released in 24-bit FLAC.

 

[bigshot]

Then there's the Love album, which is not at all canonical, but it sounds ASTOUNDING on a good 5.1 system.

 

[SKisaGooner]

  Then there's the Love album, which is not at all canonical, but it sounds ASTOUNDING on a good 5.1 system.

 
Ken Scott, the Beatles recording engineer:

 
"People have asked me what I think about the Love soundtrack that Giles [Martin] and Paul [Hicks] did. It’s great, it’s amazing. I love what they did. As long as you can always get the original. Which is, for the Beatles, it’s the mono."