Beatles mono vinyl aaa box set

Opened replacement box set, White Album disc 2 warped worse than the previous one! Beatles For Sale ok, Rubber Soul warped and seems to be pressed thinner than the others ie not 180g. haven't bothered checking the others , going to get a refund and hope I can get a set from elsewhere. I am quite perplexed as the general consensus seems to be that these are perfect pressings, certainly not in my experience, I am wondering if I am just unlucky or whether there are quality control issues. could that be why Amazon have placed the item under review?

At least returns are easy with Amazon Richard. It's likely you could have the same problems if you buy from another supplier. Do you have the first box set? If so, you could try and get the best from each. That doesn't help with the White Album though.

Just received a replacement White Album.Not dead flat but no worse than the rest in the box set. Matrix numbers are the same as the boxset,cover number 9059973.

Richard I don't think anybodys had completely flat set.Most good turntables cope with a slight warp.

What set up have you got, there's nothing in your profile.  

LP12, EKOS, Dynavector D3, Prefix HiCap, Lingo 2
With the exception of White Album I can live with the slight warp of the others and yes they do play ok. Perhaps I am overly picking flies but I would prefer flat pressings if there out there.

The replacement LP2 in the new box set is fine. I also changed a couple of others and now have a decent set. No warps. The 3rd LP of Masters is pressed slightly off centre but doesn't affect SQ.

Thanks Steve, it does seem then that there are some quality control issues with regard to some warping. None of the records are "perfectly flat" as I have variously seen described. Have spoke to my record shop and they have agreed to replace those that I feel are beyond acceptable from the stock that is sold individually. White Album, Rubber Soul and now in this second box A Hard Days Night.
Its a shame that I have been driven to distraction over this issue because as everyone who has bought a copy knows, they sound great.
I am not familiar with the name Optimal Media who pressed these records, does anyone have any experience of other records pressed by them?

Yep, my Masters was warped enough to jump on Revolution.

Can't remember the last time I had a new vinyl actually jump. My Arm and cartridge will normally track anything.

I'm curious how folks are finding the mono LPs after having a month to settle in with them?

I passed on ordering the set. Did I miss anything?

I've finally had a chance to open my Mono Masters 3LP set. Fortunately each was in perfect condition and flat. I chose side three to play and have to say it exceeded my expectations. Very clean and vibrant sounding. It brought a smile to my face. I'll have to find some quality listening time to enjoy the remaining album sides. I never bought the digital to vinyl set, but this mono offering seems quite appealing so far. I wonder if the Mono Masters provide a good reference for the sound of the rest of the set?

Thanks for the feedback osprey.

I have a lot of things Beatles, too many probably, and so don't buy into the hype. The remaster stereo and mono CDs were very well done and I like the monos for their different mix, but frankly I listen mostly to my stereo vinyl catalog. Upon hearing side three of the Mono Masters I was immediately struck by the energy of the recordings. Night and day, no, but there is definitely something a bit more real there. The quality of the cymbals may have decayed over time, but the performances captivated me. With each new Beatles release I typically find myself evaluating what I'm hearing in terms of the hi fi. In the case of the Mono Master, I was simply absorbing the music. And that's what it's all about. I enjoyed the mono presentation here on vinyl more so than on the CDs. Now, I'm giving serious consideration to buying the whole set. Another Beatles box in the listening room . Will it ever end?

As those who have read my previous posts will know, I have had a lot of quality issues with warped and dished pressings in the box set. I thought I would just post an update that thanks to the patience of Resident records in Brighton, I now have a set that I am happy with. The offending copies were in the end replaced from those available individually rather than from the box set. Makes me wonder why there appears to have been some quality control issues with the box but not the titles sold individually. Anyway they sound great and worth the protracted hassle.

The first set I received from Amazon had a dented case due to inadequate packing so I got them to send me another.  For a brief time I had both here at home.  After reading reports of faulty pressings I decided to go through both sets and switch out any faulty ones.  As it turned out, all of the discs in both sets were perfect!

I think you should spring for the whole set Joe.  Like you, I have quite a few Beatles LPs including many of the original British, German and Japanese pressings both mono and stereo and these new pressings are among the best I have heard.  On top of that, as John Lennon himself said, the monos mixes are, with the possible exception of the White Album, far superior to the stereo versions which for the most part were hastily cobbled together after the Beatles and George Martin had left the studio.  It wasn't until the White Album that the lads took stereo seriously.  I think if you buy the set and spend some serious time with them you'll come to agree.

Thanks for your thoughts digger. I still need to play LPs 1 and 2 from the Mono Masters. Other thing I'd like to do is compare the new mono to some old. I have a few EMI mono singles that I've almost never played. I think they'd be a good comparison, albeit at 45 rpm. I'm excited and having fun so far, and that's what music should do I guess. I sometimes get irked at all the repackaging of the Beatles catalog, but the mono tapes direct to vinyl seems like a credible release for aficionados, unlike the digital on vinyl stereo; however, I think it was important for archival purposes to get a modern digital reference from the original stereo tapes. That said, I'm finding the quality of the mono source tapes better than I expected!

Since you have already bought the Mono Masters you might want to know that, unlike the other LPs in the set which are in resealable sleeves, the Mono Masters comes sealed in traditional shrinkwrap.  So if you buy the box set you can sell the sealed one and come out even.

I agree that it was important for archival purposes to do a modern digital transfer from the original master tapes....but why put it on vinyl?

I wonder how folks feel about the Beatles mono vinyl these days after having some time to play and digest them, and perhaps form an opinion on the set as a whole. I know there have been quality issues with both the pressings and the shipping.

US Amazon has suspended sales of the set with this explanation;

The Beatles in Mono Vinyl Box Set (Limited Edition) Item Under Review

Hi joerand,

Still very much enjoying my set and its still sitting next to my record player to dip into.
I had a lot of problems with warping and/or dishing across different titles but persevered and, with the patience of my local record shop, finally ended up with a faultless set. I initially replaced the faulty copies with those from another box set twice with the same faults. So then replaced from the titles that are being sold individually and all of these were fine. I cant explain why this should be but obviously some quality control issues with the box set vs individuals.
For a time amazon uk also displayed the suspension notice, perhaps they were getting a lot of faulty returns.
Also the AAA rating isn't 100% accurate as Please Please Me was first transferred to digital due to issues with the master tape, but it still sounds great.
Richard

Very happy with my box Joe. I haven't had the warping issues described by others. They sound marvelous. Bought my copy at Soundstage Direct. In the past vinyl I have ordered from Amazon have come in a variety of somewhat bizarre packaging.

Matt

I only bought a few individuals, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper, and Mono Masters. Great condition, HOWEVER I thought late night something was wrong. Mono Masters has 2 LPs of the 5&6.  The shop is 1.5 hours north and I didn't play them for a month due to a house project.  I think it's funny, who was smoking what on break?

Hi mudwolf,

I've only bought Mono Masters (so far) and it has three LPs. Are you saying the last LP was missing from yours?