So, What is the Verdict on the Beatles Box Sets?


I see a WIDE variety of opinions on the new Beatles Box sets; both for the stereo and mono versions. Have you spent some quality time evaluating these? How good/bad are they? Should we run out and get both sets? What about releasing them on vinyl; is that going to happen?
stickman451
I didn't say mono passed me, and in fact watched and remember the moon landing. But when I started buying albums heavily in the 70s, which included the Beatles collection, most of them were stereo. I seem to recall that Revolver and everything after was in stereo, even if it was inititally pretty basic (voice out of one speaker instruments out the other). There was no choice of mono that i recall and I was an avid collecter visting many record stores even up through the late 80s. Things were a little simpler then too. :) Although the 2000s have been a little complicated to recall.

As far as buying Love (Money can't buy me Love}... I don't really care for those kinds of latter day collections though I've read some reviews that it was good. It got all the digital "treatment" and all right? Ooops, not sure that's a plus... And the new stereo remasters got some good reviews.

Generally, I haven't heard a lot of remasters that improved much on the originals, including those Jimmy Page did with their stuff ("How the West was Won"). Sorry it's all about boosted highs and higher levels. Ridiculous and a sad what these brilliant muscisians must be thinking when people tell them they have to go the DSP route and make it louder with more bass and sparkle "so that people will listen."

I'm happy with the mono reissues that I've heard. I think it's one case where the purists won out. Still I bet it doesn't sell an inkling of the stereo remasters volume.

Yesterday I was buying a couple of speakers from a smart but relatively young Dentist. He was telling me he's an audiophile. His "audiophile" source was a modded ipod called the imod that plugged directly into the active speakers I bought. I guess I encountered the target audience for "remastered" music!
I also agree with Wireless200, Shadorne, and others re the stereo remasters. Until now, I thought I was only one.
Can anyone put up a link to graphs that show the compression and EQing of the remasters compared to the original vinyl?
Tomcy6,

While it ain't as bad as the kind of compressed crap that Butch Vig puts out - it ain't pretty...

The article tries to imply it judicious compression but you know ...a euphemism is a euphemism.
Those spectrograms look to be fully modulated, not compressed. If you've even seen one of a compressed file, it's unmistakeable.