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Post by Captain Hygiene on Sept 9, 2009 23:32:08 GMT -5
So do I want the more complete set in terms of albums, or do I want to get all hard-core audiophile on this? Abbey Road is the be-all and end-all of the Beatles' catalogue. I think the choice is clear.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 10, 2009 23:07:38 GMT -5
So do I want the more complete set in terms of albums, or do I want to get all hard-core audiophile on this? Abbey Road is the be-all and end-all of the Beatles' catalogue. I think the choice is clear. Don't be too hasty as I was. Here's the deal: Mono box offers the book, Stereo the DVD, both are incidental but that's one diifference. The other is that the mono is a limited edition and they wont be sold individually (at this time, how many times have we seen the entertainment biz double dip us or offer new limited editions after a few years?) So, get the Mono box and then gradually buy the stereo versions. You can go get Abby Road right now, today, apart from the box set. I should have done that. Bought the mono, then made a project of the stereo, maybe one a month if need be. -sigh- I seem to always make the wrong choices
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Post by quinnmartin on Sept 11, 2009 11:27:22 GMT -5
My only difficulty with spending another $200 for the mono, is the mono. I hate the whole, "voice in one ear, instrument in another" deal - I listen on headphones a lot so it's espcially noticble and distracting for me. I really, really want to get one, especially with it being in limited release. What to do, what to do... (the $400 total is a major hurdle for me and my budget) Isn't that the stereo versions of those early albums that have the "voice in one ear, instrument in the other" mix? The mono versions would have all the tracks in both "ears".
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Post by quinnmartin on Sept 11, 2009 12:41:23 GMT -5
While waiting for my mono box to arrive, I bought a few of the stereo CD's. Just listened to Help!, and it sounds fantastic. Not a huge improvement on the original CD, but it does sound noticably better. The vocals sound warmer and richer throughout, and the bass "pops" much more than the original CD. Certain other instruments sound much better as well. Most noticably George's guitar in "Act Naturally" and the electric piano in "You Like Me Too Much". Ringo's drums on "Ticket to Ride" also sound much, much better. And to my ears, it doesn't sound overcompressed. Louder, sure, but the dynamics are still there. The packaging is pretty weak, though compared to say a Sony Legacy or Rhino reissue. Though with the 3 Anthologies and all the various books that have been published about the Beatles over the years, they probably wouldn't benefit from the deluxe reissue treatment the way an obscure Byrds LP does. Btw, this version uses the stereo mix Martin did in '86, not the original '65 stereo mix. Just listening to Rubber Soul now. The biggest wow factor so far is the lead guitar break about 45 seconds into Nowhere Man. That 15 seconds alone is worth the price of the CD.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 11, 2009 23:16:06 GMT -5
My only difficulty with spending another $200 for the mono, is the mono. I hate the whole, "voice in one ear, instrument in another" deal - I listen on headphones a lot so it's espcially noticble and distracting for me. I really, really want to get one, especially with it being in limited release. What to do, what to do... (the $400 total is a major hurdle for me and my budget) Isn't that the stereo versions of those early albums that have the "voice in one ear, instrument in the other" mix? The mono versions would have all the tracks in both "ears". Yes - I realized a few days ago of my mistake and meant to correct it. It was suprising the first time I bought headphones and listened to my American albums and the damn vocal was in one ear. Not noticible without 'em with the 4 speakers placed all over the room, but with phones, very distracting. As to Help - theirs another like that. It upsets me that the mono version also includes the mixes from the 60s, but the stereo versions don't. Hopefully that'll be my only complaint... hurry up and get here CDS!
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Post by quinnmartin on Sept 12, 2009 10:29:41 GMT -5
Isn't that the stereo versions of those early albums that have the "voice in one ear, instrument in the other" mix? The mono versions would have all the tracks in both "ears". Yes - I realized a few days ago of my mistake and meant to correct it. It was suprising the first time I bought headphones and listened to my American albums and the damn vocal was in one ear. Not noticible without 'em with the 4 speakers placed all over the room, but with phones, very distracting. As to Help - theirs another like that. It upsets me that the mono version also includes the mixes from the 60s, but the stereo versions don't. Hopefully that'll be my only complaint... hurry up and get here CDS! I've heard bad things about the 60's stereo mix of Help!, but I've never heard it. It's too bad with the shorter albums (which would be most of them) that they couldn't have just released deluxe versions with both the mono and stereo mixes, like Capitol did with Pet Sounds. Just can't wait to hear Revolver in mono. ;D
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Post by Gripweed on Sept 13, 2009 7:30:02 GMT -5
People on Youtube have been posting the remastered albums, but the compression defeats the purpose. I put the Mono set on my birthday list, which falls on the 17th of October.
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Post by quinnmartin on Sept 13, 2009 7:59:33 GMT -5
People on Youtube have been posting the remastered albums, but the compression defeats the purpose. I put the Mono set on my birthday list, which falls on the 17th of October. That's like people complaining that the remastered CD's aren't on iTunes. Why would anyone waste their money buying MP3's of the new remastered songs/albums when that basically negates most of the audio-quality upgrade that you're paying for?
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Post by Gripweed on Sept 13, 2009 19:10:08 GMT -5
Who knows.
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Post by quinnmartin on Sept 16, 2009 12:37:59 GMT -5
Listening to Beatles for Sale for the first time in stereo, and it sounds bloody fantastic. Much better than the old mono CD. "What You're Doing" sounds especially great in stereo. The harmonies in "Baby's in Black" also really come alive in stereo.
But "Eight Days a Week" is almost unlistenable due to the handclaps during the verses, which are in the right channel, really jumping out of the mix. Very annoying. Which is too bad, because the vocals sound much better in stereo. I'm curious to see how much better, if any, the remastered mono version sounds than the old CD version.
The remasterd stereo White Album also sounds much improved, especially "Back in the USSR" and "While My Guitar...". The whole record just sounds significantly better when cranked. Both warmer and brighter, if that's possible.
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Post by Chuck on Sept 16, 2009 20:52:58 GMT -5
I ordered the stereo box after listening to the mono box.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 17, 2009 0:20:34 GMT -5
How did you like the mono?
I still haven't received my order. Usually Amazon is very fast but this time they are taking their time.
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Post by Chuck on Sept 17, 2009 6:32:30 GMT -5
The mono mix is astonishing. Rubber Soul has the new mono mix, followed by the original stereo mix. I kept going back to the mono.
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Post by quinnmartin on Sept 17, 2009 8:02:09 GMT -5
The mono mix is astonishing. Rubber Soul has the new mono mix, followed by the original stereo mix. I kept going back to the mono. How does the mono Revolver and Pepper sound?
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 19, 2009 17:18:23 GMT -5
Just got the stereo set - you know, unless your an audiophile I don't think it's going to make much of a difference. I was overall happy, the instruments pop and Paul really comes off good, his bass has a lot more punch to my ears.
The right/left channel stuff wasn't a bother, it's much tighter than my old Capitol records.
I'm curious about the monos now, but I don't know if I'm $230 cursious. I've read so many conflicting reviews - one guy prefers the stereo another digs the mono and still other's say there's not a big enough difference to warrtent purchasing both... so I don't know what I'm doing, save up and buy the mono or wait and see if they ever offer up single discs in the future.
I'm pleased with the work they did. But again, I don't hear a huge drastic difference between this version of "Revolver" and my orginal CD. Though I can hear a marked difference with "Please, Please Me" - it's a lot less tinny.
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