Beatles Stereo Box vs Beatles in Mono Box. Which to get?

Third_Echelon

This has been really bugging me since the two new Beatles box sets came out... Which one to get?

Looking on Play.com:

Beatles in Stereo: http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/10502033/The-Beatles/Product.html

Beatles in Mono: http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/10502052/The-Beatles-The-Beatles-In-Mono/Product.html

Prices look good there, so that's where I'll buy I reckon.

Big Beatles fan. I love the old Mono recordings and one of my favourite CDs that I own is the 1987 CD release of Sgt. Peppers in the "fake stereo". I'm leaning towards the Mono box and maybe picking up some of the others individually on stereo.

On the flipside, all the stuff that comes in the stereo box looks really nice... I don't know what to do!

Anyone bought any of these yet and what are your impressions?

K-Ren

I've always prefered stereo to be honest, though The Bealtes did work with mono all the way up to Abbey Road. There are some minor (but noticable for big Beatles fans) differences between the mono and stereo remasters- the flange effect on Lennon's voice in Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds being a good example. But, I think if I were getting a set, it'd be the stereo: Abbey Road and the Past Masters discs are kind of essential.

Of course, in an ideal world, we could have them all!

horslips

I went for the mono box because:

1. The mono discs cannot be bought individually (sad reason, I know!);
2. The mono mixes are how these were to be heard originally (legitimate reason); and
3. The stereo mixes of the early albums are almost impossible to listen to in headphones with the fake separation of vocals and instruments.

FWIW!

blastman

horslips wrote: »

I went for the mono box because:

1. The mono discs cannot be bought individually (sad reason, I know!);
2. The mono mixes are how these were to be heard originally (legitimate reason); and
3. The stereo mixes of the early albums are almost impossible to listen to in headphones with the fake separation of vocals and instruments.

FWIW!

Mono and buy the missing CDs in stereo individually after that.

Excellent if rather lengthy article here

grumpytrousers

Buy the mono set. It's a thing of beauty. Purely from an aesthetic point of view (mini sleeves etc) it's head and shoulders above the stereo box set. You can get the entire contents of the stereo box set (minus the DVD of mini documentaries) in a piecemeal basis. Get Mono and pick up Let it Be and Abbey Road in due course and you've got the discography as intended, and you also get the Mono Masters double CD in the box.

The irony is, of course, that remastering and all, i've ripped all mine to mp3. Admittedly at a high bitrate, but there you go!

dynamopiev

mono ftw!

97i9y3941

sorry for going bit off topic,but how much is the beatles anthology dvd in your area?,i was in local hmv today and the price was €97,and i bought the same one today from amazon uk *with the vat paided/delivery and all* for €48 :eek:

Third_Echelon

blastman wrote: »

Mono and buy the missing CDs in stereo individually after that.

Excellent if rather lengthy article here

very good read indeed...