[johnwmclean]

I tried the stereo versions, severe left to right panning of that era is not to my liking, the SQ is great though. Abbey Road is still a fav.

 

[DavidMahler]

Merely curious....haven't had a chance to compare them............but how do you folks feel the first four albums (Please Please Me / With The Beatles / A Hard Day's Night / Beatles For Sale) compare from the original mono CD release to the new mono CD release?

 

[HeckTo]

I just heard "I am the Walrus" 1987 version and 2009 stereo version from radio.... and I didn't notice any difference!

I think I'm not buying new remasters....!

 

[grawk]

don't use fm as a way to tell

 

[evanft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeckTo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just heard "I am the Walrus" 1987 version and 2009 stereo version from radio.... and I didn't notice any difference! I think I'm not buying new remasters....!

Can't tell if srs.

 

[Pangaea]

I just heard a negative review from a guy who just registered to post a review based on what he heard on the radio!

I think I'm not taking him serious....!

 

[ozz]

I noticed that the bass seems more prominent and the instruments are more identifiable
in some songs slight difference in the vocals but the bass is most noticable or at least on
my rig (stereo version).

 

[jp11801]

these remasters are a bit of a mixed bag, overall they are very good but comparisons of the Mono and Stereo are really difficult.

Take the while Album, the stereo remasters are extremely EQ tweaked to my ears while the Monos appear to me to very flat transfers. The stereos sound great on the acoustic/mellow songs but are sonic overkill on the rockers while the monos sound a bit soft on the acoustic stuff but shine on the rockers.

Going back and forth can yield very inconclusive results as the stereos are like drinking a very sugary drink and the monos are a light drink. When you hear the stereo then go directly to the mono the bass and upper frequency seem super weak but that is only due to them being very tweaked on the stereo cd.

I like both but take them for what they are the stereo is the mastering team at Abbey Road trying to present a more modern take on these without committing the sins or brickwalling. The monos are a pretty pure version that may sound dull to ears that grew up on brickwalled cds or hyper eq curves on music.

The original LPs still to my ears hold the edge over both as a general statement but each release is really unique coming down to a song by song call for what is the better sound. Help is extremely frustrating as the stereo sounds like crap to me while the mono is stellar and the 65 stereo mix included on the mono cd bettering the commercial stereo mix (George Martin's 86 digital remix of this release and Rubber Soul).

If you buy any of these make sure to include Beatles For Sale as is sounds freaking fantastic!

 

[HeckTo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just heard a negative review from a guy who just registered to post a review based on what he heard on the radio! I think I'm not taking him serious....!

Yeah! Actually I heard also "Something" from radio... and I think my vinyl sounds as good as the new remaster...! On Abbey Road album the original sound quality (and music!) is just perfect!

When I get stereo boxset for 100€, then I'm buying it... maybe.

Buy the way, I like Miles' Pangaea... wild stuff!

 

[Real Man of Genius]

After spending a few days with both sets I prefer the stereo version overall but I am really disappointed that they didn't fix the panning.
I really hope that they someday remaster the whole library like they did with the Love CD (without rearranging the songs though). The songs on that CD have the best sound I have heard with any Beatles tracks by far.

 

[chadbang]

Here's my latest updates:

Magical Mystery Tour (Stereo version - only released in stereo). I'll give it a 8. Good, but not great. Some nice detailing of the various instruments, but not-jaw dropping better than what I've heard before.

 

[chadbang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp11801 /img/forum/go_quote.gif these remasters are a bit of a mixed bag, overall they are very good but comparisons of the Mono and Stereo are really difficult. Take the while Album, the stereo remasters are extremely EQ tweaked to my ears while the Monos appear to me to very flat transfers. The stereos sound great on the acoustic/mellow songs but are sonic overkill on the rockers while the monos sound a bit soft on the acoustic stuff but shine on the rockers. Going back and forth can yield very inconclusive results as the stereos are like drinking a very sugary drink and the monos are a light drink. When you hear the stereo then go directly to the mono the bass and upper frequency seem super weak but that is only due to them being very tweaked on the stereo cd. I like both but take them for what they are the stereo is the mastering team at

Interesting comment. If you have time, I certainly wouldn't mind here a breakdown of your White Album Mono vs stereo picks. I'll do a mix and match and take your suggestions to whip up the perfect album!

 

[Pangaea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadbang /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here's my latest updates: Magical Mystery Tour (Stereo version - only released in stereo). I'll give it a 8. Good, but not great. Some nice detailing of the various instruments, but not-jaw dropping better than what I've heard before.

Magical Mystery Tour is included on the Mono set. Am I misunderstanding you here?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif Merely curious....haven't had a chance to compare them............but how do you folks feel the first four albums (Please Please Me / With The Beatles / A Hard Day's Night / Beatles For Sale) compare from the original mono CD release to the new mono CD release?

I have not yet received the Mono box, but I have always felt that the original CD releases of the first four albums had been butchered to begin with. First off, they transferred the mono tapes using a stereo tape machine! This alone begins the wackiness of the sound quality of the first four albums on the original CDs.
Then, they used one of three methods of getting the "mono" sound onto a stereo CD:

1. They simply took the better-sounding channel of the two separate channels for the transfers (as done with the first two albums); OR
2. They simply left the two channels as-was (AHDN); OR
3. They combined (folded down) the two channels into one in the transfer (BFS).

The first method was best, but still failed to capture anywhere near the full spirit of the original mono masterings on vinyl because some of the sound got lost there. The third method was the worst because folding down a two-channel output from a mono tape creates serious phasing problems that weren't even on the original mono tape! Folding down a two-channel output from mono media worked well with vinyl but poorly with tape.

Help! and Rubber Soul were remixed for the 1980s CDs, with additional digital reverb. It's somewhat unfortunate that the new 2009 stereo remasters of those two albums use the same 1987 digital remixes as the original CDs; however, the new ones sound a little better than the older CDs (which had been limited in sound quality due to the limitations of digital mastering technology of that era). Thankfully, the original 1965 stereo mixes are available as bonuses in the mono boxed set.

The original Revolver CD had been transferred on an improperly-aligned tape machine, while a backup safety tape was used in the original Sgt. Pepper transfer (as the original master stereo mix tape had been misplaced at the time).

And these are just the most noteworthy flaws of the original 1986-87 CDs.

The original 1988 Past Masters (Volume I) used a thin, wonky-sounding transfer of the 1966 stereo mix of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (the sound of that same track is fuller on the 2009 remaster of this comp). The two German-language tracks were stereo folded down nearly to mono, but still could be expanded back to the original twin-track-style wide stereo with digital processing.

By the way, the individual 2009 remasters are all in stereo where stereo tape sources are available. (This includes the first four albums.) And thankfully, (original) mono tape sources are used in place of the fake stereo for those tracks which had never been mixed into stereo (the exception being the Ringo-on-drums version of "Love Me Do" on Past Masters I and Mono Masters, which was mastered from a declicked vinyl source). And in case of the Yellow Submarine album in the remasters, the actual mono mix of "Only A Northern Song" was used in place of either the fake stereo copy (as used in all pre-2009 stereo releases of YS) or a fold-down of the fake stereo (as used on the original mono YS album--in fact, that entire mono LP was a fold-down of the compiled stereo LP master, with the two channels combined into one during lacquer cutting; this was done because either a mono tape machine was unavailable at the time of mastering or no mono mix had been made of the George Martin instrumentals). The other three tracks which appeared on YS also use the actual mono mixes in the mono boxed set (they are in stereo on the individual CD). Also noteworthy is a seldom-heard stereo version of "Thank You Girl" on Past Masters I, which is essentially the mix used on the Beatles' Second Album (one of many Beatles albums assembled by Capitol from leftover album tracks and A- and B- single sides between 1964 and 1966) but without the added canned Capitol echo.

 

[LaBreaHead]

My first post in many, many months ... some thoughts:

I've been debating whether to buy this material for the third or fourth time, in its latest incarnation, and if so, in which format -- mono set, stereo set, or individual stereo CDs (for me, "Things We Said Today" through "Tomorrow Never Knows" are "my" Beatles ... your mileage may vary). After skimming a few other sources online, it hit me ... so I simply searched for "Head-Fi Beatles" and navigated to where I should have started in the first place -- this highly entertaining thread.

I think this sort of thread shows Head-Fi (and the Internet) at its best -- not just a dry discussion of clipping, roll-off and sound stage (although they're certainly essential to Head-Fi), but a messy, passionate, uncontrollable thread on matters of music, taste, money, commerce, technology, nostalgia, discovery and rediscovery ... in short, a true forum about how people hear, think and feel.

I've read less than half of this thread so far, but I couldn't wait to post a comment on my enjoyment of it. I'm sorry there have been misunderstandings, but that comes with any public discourse (which in a true forum can take unplanned and unexpected turns). I don't yet know what I will decide about the latest Beatles remasters -- I might well pass for now -- but I do know that it's nice to experience the enjoyment of a Head-Fi thread that I find meaningful and thought-provoking.


LBH