Jimjoyce,
sorry to be so general.....just trying to focus on the musical enjoyment. but to list a few things specifically on the Abbey Road new stereo disc compared to the 80's CD;
--much more separation of musical lines for a number of reasons. better dynamic contrasts. blacker backgrounds. bass lines are more distinct; with more slam and articulation. even though the vocals were at exactly the same level on the new disc and the 80's disc the other musical lines were much more alive and energetic. the 80's disc must have been EQ'd to death.
--better sense of space and bloom. this might be a bit system specific, but on my big rig there are some very nice things happening soundstage-wise on the new disc.
--less digital signature by far. none of that 'rough at the edges' early 80's CD signature. (i am concerned that what i'm hearing might have been a bit 'scrubbed' in the mastering and could be missing some of the 'life' and 'air' of the 80's CD's. i will need to listen more to really be able to tell one way or another; but it's possible. i'm a listener that 'likes' tape hiss in his music because it almost always means that 'all' the music is still there to be retrieved from a recording. i also am big into Lps (3-tt's, 10,000 lps) and love RTR tape. so i'm not into having big brother scrub my classic rock.)
--more a sense of musical flow and energy; the music pulses more with life. this is a very big deal as this is at the heart of things. of course; dub it down to MP3 and the life will leave.
--tonality is more real and the vocals are fuller and more textured.
i hope this helps somewhat; again.....it's only my limited viewpoint of Abbey Road.