I bought the stereo box set today at my local record store and will receive the pre-ordered mono set next week. So far I've only quickly compared the remastered Abbey Road album to my previous CD version from 1987. The remaster sounds much better in every way: it's more punchier and not as flat sounding, there's more bass and the 1987 CD sounds more distant compared to the remaster.
Those who were afraid that the remasters would suffer from compression need not worry, because the remasters seem to have less headroom (=will play at a higher volume) but none of the tracks are clipping and dynamic compression isn't an issue.
I used the Dynamic Range Meter that I've downloaded from
DYNAMIC RANGE | pleasurize music! and got an 'Official DR value' (visit their website if you want to know what the meter actually measures) DR10 for both the 1987 CD release and the remaster. I've used the DR Meter to measure the dynamic range of over 150 of my CDs and all the results are stored on my computer. DR10 in my experience is a very good result.
Below are the results the DR Meter gave me for both of the Abbey Road CD releases I have (
track name:
DR value 1987 CD/remaster, track peak 1987 CD/remaster, track RMS 1987 CD/remaster):
Come Together:
DR9/DR9, -3.97 dB/-0.37 dB, -16.14 dB/-11.44 dB
Something:
DR9/DR9, -3.89 dB/-0.37 dB, -16.05 dB/-12.42 dB
Maxwell's Silver Hammer:
DR10/DR11, -4.28 dB/-0.37 dB, -17.73 dB/-13.82 dB
Oh! Darling:
DR10/DR10, -3.80 dB/-0.29 dB, -15.53 dB/-11.30 dB
Octopus's Garden:
DR10/DR11, -3.89 dB/-0.37 dB, -16.65 dB/-12.92 dB
I Want You (She's So Heavy):
DR10/DR9, -3.50 dB/-0.34 dB, -15.38 dB/-11.25 dB
Here Comes the Sun:
DR10/DR9, -2.80 dB/-0.37 dB, -15.57 dB/-11.37 dB
Because:
DR10/DR10, -3.71 dB/-1.15 dB, -16.26 dB/-14.30 dB
You Never Give Me Your Money:
DR10/DR9, -2.25 dB/-0.37 dB, -16.02 dB/-13.30 dB
Sun King:
DR9/DR10, -4.27 dB/-0.55 dB, -16.06 dB/-13.36 dB
Mean Mr. Mustard:
DR10/DR10, -0.97 dB/-0.35 dB, -12.76 dB/-11.02 dB
Polythene Pam:
DR8/DR9, -1.94 dB/-0.37 dB, -12.12 dB/-10.51 dB
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window:
DR9/DR9, -2.40 dB/-0.36 dB, -12.45 dB/-10.55 dB
Golden Slumbers:
DR10/DR10, -2.24 dB/-0.37 dB, -16.07 dB/-13.22 dB
Carry That Weight:
DR9/DR9, -2.27 dB/-0.37 dB, -13.07 dB/-10.70 dB
The End:
DR10/DR9, -1.08 dB/-0.24 dB, -14.04 dB/-12.25 dB
Her Majesty:
DR10/DR11, -5.31 dB/-0.37 dB, -22.66 dB/-19.71 dB
I can't wait to get my hands on the mono remasters.