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"New" Beatles Mono Catalog Release on 180gr Vinyl

It looks like the Mono CD Collection from 5 years ago did well enough that the collection is to be re-scrubbed & re-mastered and released on 180-gram vinyl.

Scheduled release date is 09/09/14. Not sure if the September release date has any significance, but apparently the box set is part of Apple Corps 50th Anniversary marketing campaign.

Here's the link to the Rolling Stone Article:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-beatles-in-mono-to-get-lavish-vinyl-release-this-fall-20140616

For vinyl junkies, this looks like a no-brainer.

Personally, I'm on the fence as to whether to pull the trigger, especially given the $375.00 US Suggested Retail for 14 LPs (roughly $26.75 per album).

I have the Mono CD Box and the Limited Edition USB-Rom 24-Bit FLAC Collection (Shipped in its own aluminum Green Apple). I passed on the US-Release CD Box, and the UK Stereo CD & Vinyl Boxes. Still, it IS The Beatles, and adjusted for inflation the pricing is about the same as when I bought the record albums the first time...
courant
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,107 posts
 
Based on my own experience with Beatles vinyl. (I've never heard an original UK Parlaphone).

Their catalog up to MMT is most likely best heard on mono.

Again, this is just from my personal experience. I will order the mono box. (This is partly due to the value it will have in the future).I also plan to order some separate lps on the stereo issues.

Anyone remember the "Yellow Submarine" remaster around 10 years ago on yellow vinyl? It sounds fantastic. So does "Let It Be Naked".

The stereo versions of early Beatles are hard to listen to because they were meant to be listened to in mono.

My unofficial, end user opinion.
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,107 posts
 
I backed up my perception with my order of the mono box.
hevac1
812 posts
 
So far all of my mono recordings, new or old pressings sound better with my Lyra Helikon mono than with my Koetsu Urushi Black Phono Cartridge. There is better layering, height and clarity with the mono cartridge. I think it is because there is no vertical compliance with a mono cartridge so it does not have to deal with it.

I have 2 Beatles White Albums first pressings. The first one I purchased for a low price, it was not in great shape and had quite a lot of surface noise. Then I went and bought another at a much steeper price and it sounded great, at the time I only had the Koetsu. After purchasing the Lyra I played the first one again, it was not as good as the second one even with the mono cartridge but most of the surface noise was gone and it sounded very good. After that I no longer looked at mono records the same, even if they look bad they for the most part sound very good. The only issues I look for is groove error from when people used coins on the head shells and/or too much tracking force.

I am getting the new box set and will be trying it with both cartridges.
hevac1
812 posts
 
Had a chance to listen to Sgt Pepper yesterday. Vinyl is very quiet, voices sound clearer and there seems to be better space around the instruments. This is with the stereo cartridge, will try the mono cartridge over the weekend along with listening to more selections. A very nice job so far.
whart's avatar
whart
3,024 posts
 
I bought this new box as well. A neighbor has the early UKs, so we will try to do our own comparo once the box arrives. I never 'collected' The Beatles and an old UK Blue Box has served me well. But, I have been buying a few other copies around the fringes- an '82 japanese red mono of Rubber Soul, the 78 UK white vinyl White album (stereo). The coolest one, sonically, is that Horzu Die Beatles -2 pressing. Straight up early Beatles, and fairly gettable.
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