"New" Beatles Mono Catalog Release on 180gr Vinyl

I gotta get me a mono cartridge. I have a fair number of original-pressing 60's mono LP's (Beach Boys, Kinks, Manfred Mann---a great Group) that I've always listened to with my Mode control (ARC LS-1) doing the mono-ing. With Decca and London cartridges you can easily turn a stereo one into mono---just disconnect the vertical coil!

I'm enjoying mono very much recently. On releases that were originally recorded in mono, this is the way I prefer to listen. I'm expanding my mono collection when/where I can. I've also listened to a few stereo lps with my mono cart and thoroughly enjoyed them. To each his own.

Obviously, my posting above concerns the Beatles mono reissues. I used a stereo cartridge which may be to blame. However, I just wasn't impressed.

IMO, if you have one mono box set, you (might as well) have them all. I took the bait and bought a few mono reissues to see what all the fuss was about. Sorry, but I wasn't impressed. I sold them for what I paid for them, and I'm content to listen to my early UK stereo pressings. Someday, I'll learn that hype is just that, but thanks for the exercise. Save your criticism, I'm entitled to my opinion.

I realize that I should have said, A Ringo "covered song" instead of "penned song". Thanks for the heads up!

geoffkit:, Yes it was...as was "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby"

Honey, Don't, say wasn't that a Carl Perkins song? 

On "Honey Don't"... for some reason, this Ringo penned song, sounds very good! I also found on the other lps that those Ringo penned songs to be slightly superior. Go figure?

So, for clarity, (In my objective listening), I find Revolver & For Sale to be disappointing in relation to the other lps in this box.

I've re-listened to all lps. I have a VPI Classic 3 Sig. SE now (much better than my older rig), and a Ortofon Cadenza Mono.

I'm happy to report that my previous findings are still correct in what I'm now hearing.

"Revolver" is still more closed in regarding the soundstage and "For Sale" is still somewhat compressed in relation to the other lps.

tonykay: As you just read, I have a dedicated mono cart and my findings are the same.

johnnyb53: "Revolver"... I really wasn't overly concerned about the width of the soundstage on this title as an overriding factor. It was in the comparison to the other lps in this box set, that I found "Revolver" to have a more closed in soundstage. My review was in the context of my experiences with my previous Beatles lps vs. all of the lps in the Mono box.

Having said this, I enjoy the other lps more because of their lack of those deficiencies.

OK, I put myself out there in a big way by reviewing this set. It seems that a few others disagree on "Revolver". I've made my points. I'd appreciate the opinions of those who still think "Revolver" is one of the better sounding lps in this set. (You're not alone, MF liked it).

I got this for Christmas, and I think it's truly amazing. I've had some of the older Parlophone mono pressing (not in perfect shape to be clear), and have heard the Japanese boxes pretty extensively, and I love my MOFI box, but these are exceptional.

First of all the pressings are ridiculously good, so quiet. I have one side out of all the records that has some noise on it, but the rest are completely silent.

Secondly, many of the albums have a much different sound. Sgt Peppers, Please Please Me, and Revolver are just sublime. Much more pronounced bass line, and kick drum. Also, the vocals on some are obviously different tracks then those on the stereo versions.

Overall just a great job by all involved. I don't usually keep multiple copies of any records, so I would probably sell my sublime MOFI box and keep this, except I would have to give up my MOFI copies of Abbey Road (my personal favorite Beatles album) and Let It Be.

Great job by Apple Records on this.

Mofimadness: I gave it one more shot. The cartridge I was using did have a lot of hours on it so I put my Dyna D3 on for another listen. The overall sound is much better, more open than previously noted, (I still don't think it's in the same league as Sgt. Pepper's regarding the following note): Here's what is different from the other lps in this box, the soundstage is more centrally located, very limited width. This can give the impression of being somewhat veiled as well IMO. Song to song consistency is not as consistent, even compared to "Rubber Soul" IMO.

I personally haven't tried this, but for those hoping to find a reasonably-priced mono cartridge, Grado makes two, the MC+ with conical stylus for $90 and the ME+ with elliptical stylus for $150. Both have replaceable stylii as well.

For those of you with removeable headshells, this would be a smart buy and it would only take a minute or two to swap in the mono cartridge when you want to play Beatles mono pressings or other mono for that matter. In addition to 7 of the 2014 Beatles mono pressings, I also have several '50s-'60s mono classical albums such as orthophonic RCA shaded dogs; it might be worth it for me to get one of these myself.

Mofimadness: I just had a thought... Is "Revolver" the only lp you had a disagreement with my reviews here? Just listened again. In my system, not as open by a margin that anyone would notice in my system. Veiled and dynamically suppressed. Again, in my system.

Slaw...I have a stereo cartridge, (but with a mono switch on my preamp) and a complete mono turntable setup. I have listened to these on both rigs.

IMHO, "Revolver" is, if not the best, surely one of the best of the mono reissues.

I'm not sure what you are or aren't hearing, but it is a spectacular recording.

I've listened to all the albums at least 5 times through now and truly think they are excellent.

Thaluza: I don't know your system but by your willingness to even post here says a lot! The German MMT was by my research the best sounding MMT out there also. Based on this, I'm even more glad I waited (so) long to get this, the best lps out there for the Beatles.

Based on my listening through my stereo set-up, the MMT.. even though it was lacking in (my) comparison to Sgt. Peppers, I feel that I am pretty much on the money regarding my initial review. I'm feeling good! So far....

Regarding the MF review of these lps... by my memory, he gives "Revolver" a higher mark than "Sgt. Peppers". Totally opposite from my findings???

Tonykay: No I didn't. I made an effort to let others no from the beginning that my review was from my limited experience with Beatles lps and I was using my stereo cartridge.

I've listened to "Revolver" again and (in my set-up) I'm disappointed.

In the October issue of TAS, Sean Magee, engineer for this project, said that while
they're all excellent, The Beatles (white album) stands out by delivering more of
what's going on in that album than any previous release of it.

I got 7 of the new albums; I may have to go back for this one, and maybe all
three (Help!, MMT, White Album).

I just bought the mono version of MMT. IMO, it is the best Beatles pressing that I own of any of their albums. I also have the German stereo pressing of MMT. I have all of the Odeon red vinyl mono releases, which I think are quite good, but if MMT is any indication, the new mono releases are all going to be better than the Odeon versions. I don't have any first Parlophone releases; I am curious how they compare.

10-09-14: Gpgr4blu
The new Beatles mono set is, in a word, fabulous. ... The pressing quality is as
good it gets. An absolute must for any Beatle fan with a turntable.

I'll go one better and say that this Beatles release is the best
reason to go out and *buy* a turntable if you don't have one.

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon is only a few bucks more than the box set itself, and
is plenty good to bring these pressings to life.

I cleaned and played the first record in the box last night, dead quiet surfaces, sounded great. I'm not set up for mono but it was still a great listen. I've seen a few people selling off the Japanese red '82 pressings since this release. I have only one of those- a Rubber Soul. FWIW, I'll play both when i get to that album. I plan on listening to these in sequence, but not in one sitting.

The new Beatles mono set is, in a word, fabulous. I will say that I prefer a majority of the Beatles career output in stereo. But when the mono is superior, it is bone chilling. And it is not infrequent. The pressing quality is as good it gets. An absolute must for any Beatle fan with a turntable. Better than the Japanese monos by a country mile.

Great Stereo recording vs. Great Mono recording... I know which I would prefer to listen to--and it isn't the Mono.However, I'm not saying the Mono is bad... All IMHO.

Mono has no deficiencies. It's just a different sonic envelope, but one that is very coherent, and due to spacial events in the frequency domain, utilizes the room acoustic to provide spacial cues. I find it to be every bit as engaging as stereo, in some instances even more so.

My enthusiasm over the Beatles mono masters does not mean that I consider mono to be superior to stereo, per se. I like these Beatles masters because:

1) Against all conventional wisdom, EMI listened to the audiophile contingent (Thanks, Michael Fremer), bucked the digitizing trend, and maintained an all-analog signal chain to remaster and release these recordings.

2) In the original sessions George Martin, Geoff Emerick, and the rest recorded, mixed, and mastered these recordings to be mono, and did the stereo mixes more as an afterthought purely for commercial purposes.

So although I prefer good stereo to mono, when mono has the superior mix and tonal balance, I'll take the mono. When the choice is 44.1 Khz digitized stereo or all-analog mono, again I'll take mono.

My all-time favorites are the 3-mic stereo labors of love from RCA Living Stereo, Mercury Living Presence, and the early Columbias (Miles Davis, Bruno Walter & CBS Symph Orch) before they got into close-mic'd multi-track recording.

I listened to Revolver again last night. It really is a superb LP. However, I think it is important to note that since it is mono, it has all of the "deficiencies" of mono. If you reference a great stereo LP against a great mono LP ( like this Beatles reissue), the constriction of the soundstage and the placement of the musicians on the stage is obviously lacking in the mono issue.
On my system, the musicians and all of the 'action' takes place only between the speakers. No left or right stage delineation. ( I am only using a stereo cart, so that may be a factor, although I doubt it).
I hate to say this, BUT IMHO there is a VALID reason why stereo caught on and is generally preferred to this day. Doesn't take anything away from this magnificent set, but just needs to be contemplated.

10-05-14: Tonykay
Slaw,
"Revolver" may be my favorite Beatles title. Your comment that the soundstage is "closed in" worries me a little. Did you use a dedicated mono cartridge or stereo?

I have no no modern-day experience with a mono cartridge, and I love the involving effect of great soundstage and imaging. However, when it comes to multi-miked, multi-tracked studio albums, imaging and soundstage can be a crapshoot. When it comes to mono, you know the image is going to center between the speakers. Even so, mono usually has very nice sense of depth and ambienc, which these LPs have.

The most important trait (to me is tonal balance. And in this parameter, these new Mono analog LPs trump the thin, brittle-sounding Capitol stereo versions handily. They have a completely different gestalt. Before I heard EMI/Parlophone LPs, I had thought that Beatles albums had a thin and brittle-sounding tonal balance.

Not so for the mono versions, which are warm, rich, and full-sounding. EMI mixed these albums with mono in mind, and I love them. They re-define what I thought Beatles albums sounded like. Sgt. Peppers reflects the balance I hear on my 1st-run Capitol mono pressing. The engineering team spent about 4 days mixing down Sgt. Peppers to mono and about 4 hours to do the stereo version. It shows. The tonal balance is so much better, I really don't care how wide the soundstage is. I'll take these mono versions over the fake stereo versions any day, where the voices were hard left and instruments hard right.

Slaw,
"Revolver" may be my favorite Beatles title. Your comment that the soundstage is "closed in" worries me a little. Did you use a dedicated mono cartridge or stereo?

I am re-listening to "Revovler". It is the most "closed" in regarding soundstage.

I really don't get it. In my set-up, the difference between this lp and any of the others is very easy to hear!

Have listened to a few and like them very much. I feel they are a mix of Japanese clarity with the range of the UK originals.

I always felt that the original UK releases were best all around. I could hear more information with the Japanese but they are bass shy.

I played them with both cartridges and do like listening with my mono much better than my stereo cartridge.

Too bad they didn't do the stereo box like this one. Maybe they can redo it? Haha, wishful thinking on my part.

I just received my Mono box set. I think it is truly superb on all counts. The quality of the box and the records is first rate. The vinyl is all pristine and flat. The LP's are quiet and clean.
Listening to the 'Help' LP on my system, I was reminded why sometimes the older the recording, the better. Although the presentation, due to it being mono, is primarily between the speakers and with no real left/right stage delineation, I have NEVER heard the Beatles sound better.
I think this set is destined to be a classic, so much so that I am tempted to buy another set.A+++ all round.

Afterthoughts: For me, I can't hold it in. I've been listening to the Mono Masters. I just wasn't aware.

I wasn't aware that the Beatles had to release music specifically for individual markets. (UK v. US)

With all of the pressure that the record companies put on them and with the realization of their specific market needs... How in the hell did they do it? Not only did they do it, they knocked it all, "out of the park".

Wow!

Sgt. Peppers: This is the first lp to be warped in addition to dished. Couldn't clamp it all the way out. Again, this one is pressed off center. The sound is big @ bold. As Stevecham mentioned above, "fresh and present" is how I'd also describe all of these lps so far. The other thing that is pleasantly surprising overall to me is how dimensional these mono lps sound even with a stereo cartridge. "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!": the vocals, especially, are slightly muffled compared to the other songs on side one. This may be due to the nature/theme/artist's intent of this particular song. I'll leave that up to those of you more experienced with Beatles than I. "A Day In The Life": is probably my personal favorite song here. From start until around 2/3rds through it may be, for me, the best sounding song, then the structure of the song changes and the vocals become slightly different. Overall, this is the superior sounding lp so far in my set-up. Much more enjoyable compared to my stereo MOFI.

Magical Mystery Tour: Slightly dished & off center. I'm really splitting hairs here but the vocals don't quite jump out at me as they did on Sgt. Pepper's. Still, this is just a comparison between the two, not a statement regarding sonics or the ability to enjoy. "I Am The Walrus": My personal favorite song here. I'm still in awe on how artist/s conceptualize an idea with so many different elements and put a song together such as this! Pepper's is more dynamically expressive than MMT in my set-up. The sound by comparison is somewhat "rounded over" IMO. "Baby You're A Rich Man": Now I eat my previous words. This cut is dynamically expressive. It compares favorably to the same cut off of my 1999 stereo re-master of "Yellow Submarine". I do believe this mono version is more bold. The same goes for "All You Need Is Love". This lp beats out my gold-embossed promo US pressing.

"White": First lp, pressing is slightly dished, very slightly off center. "Back In The U.S.S.R.": I get the same sense I did on most of (MMT), the dynamics are somewhat "rounded over". I'll leave open the possibility of this not happening with a mono cartridge. "Dear Prudence": The dynamics are more open than the previous cut. The resonance of the guitar strings are prevalent and enjoyed. All of this makes listening a pleasure. On "Wild Honey Pie", the timing changes are easy to hear. "The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill", the drums really come through nicely, full, punchy, natural. "Blackbird", I realize how much more open this lp is, especially when you hear the bird sounds. "Rocky Raccoon", again, this cut sounds better than I've ever heard it before. "Don't Pass Me By", the fiddle is so much more prominent and natural sounding than my stereo MOFI. The next three songs are distinctly more revealing and the transient response is greater than I've previously heard. On "Julia", I assume there is an acoustic guitar in this mix. I'm hearing the resonance of a similar instrument (what sounds like a guitar body), that has completely escaped me before and it is so welcome and enjoyable. This is the kind of stuff that moves me as a listener. Nice, very nice!

Side two: Dished, pressed off-center, (more on side 4). At the very end of "Yer Blues" on through some of "Mother Nature's Son", there is noticeable ticking from the vinyl. (I'll try an additional cleaning later) On (MNS) the resonant behavior/sustain of the guitar strings shine. "Helter Skelter", I've never enjoyed listening to this song until now. I found myself doing the "head-bop". "Long, Long, Long", again, the resonance of the guitar strings shine. The rest of this lp.... I was impressed still. Trounces my stereo MFSL. The first cut on side one was the only cut I found to be somewhat inferior.

The best way, and IMO, the only way to evaluate this set is to listen to it in chronological order from beginning to end. It's fun and informative to hear The Beatles grow and evolve in this way. I have a new found respect for mono done right even on my stereo set-up. It is in several ways superior. I'm just going to listen to Mono Masters specifically to enjoy without reporting on it. Highly recommended! I can forsee a Christmas present to myself of a mono cartridge.

Listened to Please Please Me last night with Grado mono cartridge on Technics 1200 mkII. Dynamics and clarity are all there. Surface is very quiet. Vocals have never been clearer on any pressing of this album I have, including Dutch 1978 blue box set, which was my previous reference. The band sounds fresh and present. Twist and Shout is over the top. Do You Want To Know A Secret may be the first prog rock song, now that I can fully hear and comprehend the time changes and small inflections in the arrangement. Listening to Paul and Ringo confirms that these guys were locked in time and were more punchy together than any other pop band at that time. No wonder Beatles went straight to the top of the poppermost.

A teaser....I couldn't help but listen to some of "Sgt. Pepper's" & "MMT" after I signed off on Sat. The sound is big & bold and impressive!

Whart: I just remembered, I have heard some of the "blue box", but on a different system/room. I thought that it sounded very good.

Whart: I appreciate the info. I'll be interested in your take compared to mine in your stereo set-up.

Slaw: dunno if you are hip to the Horzu Die Beatles I mentioned, but it is a dry mix of Please, Please Me pressed in Germany in the mid-70's and urban lore has it that it was a mistake to send that tape. In any event, it has very little reverb and is very straight ahead sounding- stereo but sort of 'naked' Beatles with no studio gimmicks. It is a revelation if you never heard it and it isn't crazy money. You need to make sure you get the -2 pressing, since the -1 is simply a German pressing of the standard UK version of Please, Please Me.
I may start to clean and play the records in the mono box this coming week. I'm not really set up for mono either. That's another step I have to take.

Johnnyb53:

Me thinks like you thinks. Peace.

Couldn't sleep.....( I hope my writing on PPM came through).

"With The Beatles" & "A Hard Days Night" were both pressed off center. Not just a teeny bit either. I reamed out the spindle hole in order to get them to tracking properly. And yes, they are not perfectly flat either. They all can clamp flat. If you don't have a clamp, you'll be frustrated. On (AHDN), the last two songs on side one seem to be a notch lower in terms of sonics compared to the rest of the lp.

I'm still impressed. One thing I've noticed with all three so far is the sound is up front & present. (Also, the vocals are easily distinguishable when more the one person is singing.) Some may take this comment to mean bright and annoying. That is not what I mean. I'm really enjoying listening to the Beatles for, really, the first time on these three lps.

"For Sale" is a different animal. To my ears it seems slightly muffled by comparison to the first three. The bass guitar and drums take a back seat, the soundstage is a notch lower in height,(more on side one). On "Words Of Love" the lead guitar is a little to "hot" for my taste. My only other comparison for this lp is my US mono re-issue. This new one blows that one away. For me, the stand out track, sonically, is "Honey Don't". Somehow, I believe side two is sonically overall the best sounding of the two. "Everbody's Trying To Be My Baby" reminds me quite a lot of Paul's lp "Run Devil Run".

"Help" is another lp that is pressed "off-center". "You're Going To Lose That Girl" was noticeably inferior to all of the other tracks on side one. Side two, "Act Naturally" was an instant stand out track for me. "Yesterday" was really an ear-opener for also. I've never heard it this clear with each individual instrument so descernable. At one point there is a fade or something on Paul's voice that I've never noticed from my years of hearing this tune in the past. Overall, for me, this lp is a slight improvement in terms of sonic quality and consistence of such. Maybe it has to do with improved equipment, acoustics, recording technique, etc. Up until "Help", I'm still slightly more impressed with (PPM), being it was their first and the separation of vocals, dynamics, ambience, and sustain I heard.

"Rubber Soul", again, another off-center pressing. However not as much as the previous lps I've mentioned. The first song, "Drive My Car" really woke me up! If this is the sound I'll hear throughout this lp, I'm even more impressed. A notch above "Help". I just want to crank the volume forever on this cut. I'm hearing a more full expression of every individual instrument and vocal. It really stands out to me. On, "Norwegian Wood", we get perhaps the first glimpse of their later, more prominent middle eastern musical influences. My best reference to compare is my Japanese, stereo lp. Absolutely no comparison. This new mono lp, blows that one away! Side two: "What Goes On", (first track again), This song just makes you want to get up and boogie. Sounds fantastic! On "I'm Looking Through You", something has happened I never thought possible? An early Beatles lp with really enjoyable bass reproduction. This whole lp has it, this track just really stood out to me. This is probably their most "rockin'" lp so far. I could play this one all day and never want to change the record.

(As of now, I'm extremely pleased with the decision to purchase this set. Frankly, if it was offered at twice the price, it would be worth it,IMO. I'm now glad I never spent the big bucks to search out the "best pressings" of the Beatles).

(I feel I should note that of the lps in this box set, I own the following MFSL stereo lps):
"A Hard Days Night"
"Revolver"
"Sgt. Pepper's .."
"White"
"Yellow Submarine", EU, 1999 re-issue on yellow wax

"Revolver": "Taxman", it doesn't "jump" out at me like the first cut on (RS). Listening to this mono version, I'm struck as to how much, (what I refer to as SOUL), this lp has compared to the MFSL. So much more enjoyable, while not as open as (RS), still very, very good. "Here, There And Everywhere" is somewhat a standout, although the lead guitar is a little too hot. "Yellow Submarine" has some nice bass, however the rest of the frequency range is slightly behind (not as open), so the bass stands out more. (An interesting comparison may be made with my (YS) on yellow vinyl from around 10 years ago? Side two: Yes it is slightly off-center. This happens quite a lot. One side will track perfectly, while the opposite side is off. Somehow, we muddle through? "Good Day Sunshine", I get the feeling that this could really be a dynamic number, however it falls short. We get what is there. Again, the sonic comparison between "Revolver" & "Rubber Soul" could not be more stark! Night & day my friends.

I think I'll stop here. I'm sure others will have expressed their opinions on the other lps by the time I do. I will finish, for my own sake.

Keep in mind, I'm evaluating on my stereo set-up, with limited Beatles lp experience. This has been a lot of fun so far. I look forward to finishing at some point.

Couldn't sleep.....( I hope my writing on PPM came through).

"With The Beatles" & "A Hard Days Night" were both pressed off center. Not just a teeny bit either. I reamed out the spindle hole in order to get them to tracking properly. And yes, they are not perfectly flat either. They all can clamp flat. If you don't have a clamp, you'll be frustrated. On (AHDN), the last two songs on side one seem to be a notch lower in terms of sonics compared to the rest of the lp.

I'm still impressed. One thing I've noticed with all three so far is the sound is up front & present. (Also, the vocals are easily distinguishable when more the one person is singing.) Some may take this comment to mean bright and annoying. That is not what I mean. I'm really enjoying listening to the Beatles for, really, the first time on these three lps.

"For Sale" is a different animal. To my ears it seems slightly muffled by comparison to the first three. The bass guitar and drums take a back seat, the soundstage is a notch lower in height,(more on side one). On "Words Of Love" the lead guitar is a little to "hot" for my taste. My only other comparison for this lp is my US mono re-issue. This new one blows that one away. For me, the stand out track, sonically, is "Honey Don't". Somehow, I believe side two is sonically overall the best sounding of the two. "Everbody's Trying To Be My Baby" reminds me quite a lot of Paul's lp "Run Devil Run".

"Help" is another lp that is pressed "off-center". "You're Going To Lose That Girl" was noticeably inferior to all of the other tracks on side one. Side two, "Act Naturally" was an instant stand out track for me. "Yesterday" was really an ear-opener for also. I've never heard it this clear with each individual instrument so descernable. At one point there is a fade or something on Paul's voice that I've never noticed from my years of hearing this tune in the past. Overall, for me, this lp is a slight improvement in terms of sonic quality and consistence of such. Maybe it has to do with improved equipment, acoustics, recording technique, etc. Up until "Help", I'm still slightly more impressed with (PPM), being it was their first and the separation of vocals, dynamics, ambience, and sustain I heard.

"Rubber Soul", again, another off-center pressing. However not as much as the previous lps I've mentioned. The first song, "Drive My Car" really woke me up! If this is the sound I'll hear throughout this lp, I'm even more impressed. A notch above "Help". I just want to crank the volume forever on this cut. I'm hearing a more full expression of every individual instrument and vocal. It really stands out to me. On, "Norwegian Wood", we get perhaps the first glimpse of their later, more prominent middle eastern musical influences. My best reference to compare is my Japanese, stereo lp. Absolutely no comparison. This new mono lp, blows that one away! Side two: "What Goes On", (first track again), This song just makes you want to get up and boogie. Sounds fantastic! On "I'm Looking Through You", something has happened I never thought possible? An early Beatles lp with really enjoyable bass reproduction. While whole lp has it, this track just really stood out to me. This is probably their most "rockin'" lp so far. I could play this one all day and never want to change the record.

(As of now, I'm extremely pleased with the decision to purchase this set. Frankly, if it was offered at twice the price, it would be worth it,IMO. I'm now glad I never spent the big bucks to search out the "best pressings" of the Beatles).

(I feel I should note that of the lps in this box set, I own the following MFSL stereo lps):
"A Hard Days Night"
"Revolver"
"Sgt. Pepper's .."
"White"
"Yellow Submarine", EU, 1999 re-issue on yellow wax

"Revolver": "Taxman", it doesn't "jump" out at me like the first cut on (RS). Listening to this mono version, I'm struck as to how much, (what I refer to as SOUL), this lp has compared to the MFSL. So much more enjoyable, while not as open as (RS), still very, very good. "Here, There And Everywhere" is somewhat a standout, although the lead guitar is a little too hot. "Yellow Submarine" has some nice bass, however the rest of the frequency range is slightly behind (not as open), so the bass stands out more. (An interesting comparison may be made with my (YS) on yellow vinyl from around 10 years ago? Side two: Yes it is slightly off-center. This happens quite a lot. One side will track perfectly, while the opposite side is off. Somehow, we muddle through? "Good Day Sunshine", I get the feeling that this could really be a dynamic number, however it falls short. We get what is there. Again, the sonic comparison between "Revolver" & "Rubber Soul" could not be more stark! Night & day my friends.

I think I'll stop here. I'm sure others will have expressed their opinions on the other lps by the time I do. I will finish, for my own sake.

Keep in mind, I'm evaluating on my stereo set-up, with limited Beatles lp experience. This has been a lot of fun so far. I look forward to finishing at some point.

I should have mentioned that on PPM, the dynamics are pretty amazing as far as my experience w/ Beatles & mono is concerned. The ambient information, and sustain on vocals & instruments are darn good.

I have cleaned and listened to "Please Please Me". From my limited experience with "good" Beatles lps, this is the best I've heard of this title. "I Saw Her Standing There", all of the vocalists are (each) easy to hear, the drums and bass guitar are very relevant.

Being a mono record in my stereo set-up, I'm very pleased. Some mono records in this set-up give me the impression of a false boundary between the speakers, like there is a definite cut-off point "a wall" (as far as soundstage width) that is present. I don't get that feeling here. While it isn't "stereo" wide, it just seems natural.

According to the enclosed book, the monos are from analog masters. There is a lot of information on the history of these recordings in the enclosed book.

The vinyl so far is quiet. This title, (PPM), is dished, and upon inspection I believe some others are also.

Sgt. Peppers has the band/title printed upside down on the spline. Don't know if this was the authentic way?

As good as PPM sounds, I can't wait to get a mono cartridge in the future.

I had a chance to compare side one of the new Rubber Soul mono
release with my Japanese stereo version cut from a digitally
remastered copy of the original tape, so it says. While it
was a relief to be rid of the distracting hard panning of the
stereo, the mono cuts were compressed to the point that I
could not discern the slightest level change. It seemed like a
pure AM radio mix from the old days. The only reason I can
see this being done with this audiophile release is that the
original masters were like that. I mean - really leveled. In
any case, I'm not unhappy with my $23 purchase. I've spent a
lot more on less. The mono release is more
enjoyable to listen to than my stereo version and it is
definitely not bright. While I've only heard this one record,
in all honesty, I don't see what the fuss is about, unless
you're a diehard Beatles fan that wants to know they have the
closest thing to the original master. Like a historical thing.
That's cool, I guess.

Two years ago, when it became apparent that the stereo reissue of these Beatles albums were mastered from 24/44.1Khz masters, I started snatching up what I could find among the used albums, coming away with "The Beatles Second Album," "Something New" in mono, a Parlophone stereo version of "Help!" and a Capitol mono pressing of "Sgt Peppers."

Today I took delivery of my order of the new EMI mono LPs from the analog masters. I didn't get the box set, but got everything individually except "Help," MMT, and the White Album. What I have is incredible and exceeded my expectations in every aspect. I'm really surprised how subterranean the noise floor is and how extended the bandwidth is. If I had it to do over I wish I'd just gotten the entire box set. As good as my "Help" (Parlophone), MMT, and white albums are, based on what I've heard, I suspect those new ones are better.

Here's a link to an interview with Mono mastering engineer Sean Magee:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/music/what-its-like-to-remaster-the-beatles-for-vinyl/

Great stuff guys. Keep em coming. I am really tempted to get a few, but have it on hold due to not having a mono cartridge. In reading the comparisons so far, it seems like they are not enjoyed to their potential without a mono cart.
On top of that, I found out my Shindo preamp could have been ordered with a mono input. I don't know the technical reason the mono input would be better, but I'm mildly curious . While I figure it all out, maybe I should scoop up Revolver, Rubber Soul, @ Sgt Peppers. Mmm- then maybe a sharp left on Abbey .

I'm not a Beatles collector, but I just bought Rubber Soul and I'm going to compare it with a Japanese copy I bought several years ago. The Japanese copy states it was direct metal mastered from a "digitally remastered original tape". Whatever that means. I'll let you know shortly.