Beatles Remastered Vinyl

I purchased the US box set prior to reading the Hoffman and Fremmer reviews. Did not even open the box when it arrived. I should be receiving my EU Box shortly. I was at the MusicDirect warehouse yesterday and spoke with a freind who works there regarding the US Box. Apparently they have shipped hundreds with very few, if any, returned to date. Just goes to show just how small our community of critical listeners really is in the big picture. Given that, the record companies really have little to lose by cutting corners and sending out questionable pressings of even  monumental,imho, works like the Beatles box set. Buyer beware and thank God for forums such as this that can help weed out the highly marketed, disappointing pressings . Happy Thankgiving!

Lucky man Musiclover. Enjoy.

I couldn´t believe my eyes...just in the next big city´s record shop...for 28€ and it really is NM/M-...and it sounds really fantastic...

I wish someone with a US box set would keep it until they received a EU box and then compare and confirm that the differences aren't just a matter of the Emperor's clothing or something.  Everyone is saying the EU box is better but who has actually compared both together?  

I have a US box sitting here which is indeed problematic but the dilemma is that the EU box will probably cost $150 dollars more.  It better be perfect for that additional outlay but I do not have any guarantee that it will be.  That additional outlay would also go a long way in covering the future mono release?

Not sure what to do as returning an EU box may be more difficult?  Varyat, did you order from Amazon in the UK?

Florestan,

Yes, ordered from Amazon.UK. If you have a clean set from the US box then I'm not sure you will benefit from the EU pressing. They should, in theory, sound very similar?. I just did not want the warped,scratched, etc  pressings that have plagued the US Box.  The EU box , pressed in Germany?, has had few negative comments regarding the vinyl quality. Now sound quality compared to original UK pressings is an entirely different discussion. I just want clean pressings.

I've been keeping my eye on Amazon UK just out of curiosity really to see if they did anything silly with the price during their Black Friday week of deals, alas they didn't but they have stopped selling it at the moment due to someone complaining that what they received was not as described, I wonder what they were unhappy with?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/pro...7&pf_rd_i=468294

Don't know what the problem was,

but Amazon have it back on for sale again at £299.99

Oh MY GOD!!!

Today I found a very NearMintish UK-1st-pressing of Abbey Road...

I have never heard anything like that...absolutely STUNNING!!!!!!!!

Lucky B Musiclover.

Enjoy.

Compare it to the new remasters and you'll know what I mean (see above). 

Steve

I did...WHAT a friggin difference!!!!!

Best:

1) UK 1st

2) Japanese EMS

3) German 

.....

4) Re-master

The remasters are a disappointment compared to 1st (and even '70s represses) but to find and buy 1st presses in ex/mint condition would be difficult and very costly. Enjoy your Abbey Road ML.

ATB

Steve

I know...

I'm holding off on the full box set, but still wanted to try it.

US Sgt Peppers is good, not great. 

Its loads better than the 1990s CD version I have, but still think that it could have been so much better. The record is noisy (tape hiss or pressing?) and totally off center. No scratches. For $20 I'm happy, but the speculation of what they could have done makes me not quite satisfied.

Does the box set come with the paper dolls? They included the original inner sleeve, but not that....

You know what - you're right. My expectations are pretty low for vinyl re-issues, with some rare exceptions from Music Matters Jazz and Analogue Productions. And, those guys also set my expectations of pay > $20 for a high quality reissue. 

Totally agree on the new issues also, with the notable exception of Nonesuch - all of the new vinyl I've bought from them has been great.

I don;t think the market for the beatles vinyl is price sensitive at all, even more of a shame why they didn't go all out with the pressing.

Are you saying the centre hole is punch eccentrically or the label has been embossed off centre? The latter is a more common occurrence. I don't think I've encountered a record that has had its hole punched off centre. If it was noticeable it would be unplayable. I had to send a record back recently because the label was so off centre it encroached on the run off groove and could have damaged my needle.

Steve

So Fremer calls the 2012 remastered White Album a 'Dead Pillow' and this is the wrost of the lot.

All you box sets owners do you agree with this assessment? ( I thought my UK digital reissue from the 90s is the worst )

Phillip,

What your describing at the end has to be an off centred label. You can't physically have an off centred hole on one side and not the other. Are you sure that's not the explanation for your other records?

Steve

That's certainly possible, if the tracks on one side only are pressed off-centre. 

After three or four listens of all the albums in the 2012 Beatles Vinyl Box Set. This IMO is the best sounding of all the albums. I would rate the whole reissue as a '7 out of 10' and taking the fantastic book,artwork, etc into consideration good value for money.

Graham.

Regards Graham.

Fair comment Graham, i'll go for 7/10 too,

although i bet the early analog pressings are better : )

I'm about half way though this 2012 box having played each side twice.

Like i said before, we knew all along before the release this was to be a digital remaster, so we shouldn't complain about it sounding digital, and imo it's a very classy remaster that allows you to enjoy the music.

There is the odd track here and there that sound strange, Revolver on the Past Masters album seems to be shrill and distorted, however all the tracks before it are marvellous.

I have not played the White Album yet [will do later]

So far i've had a lot of fab listening from this set. Very glad i bought it : )

Debs

Kuma, The 2012 remastered white album:

So far i've played the 1st LP twice, to me it sounds mono although it says ‘STEREO’ on the record label. But things are very stilted with the sound which has the unfortunate effect of distancing the listener from the music.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps was still fresh in my mind from my cheapo Best of George Harrison LP so i dug it out for a compare.

The 2012 remaster to my ears has compressed bass weight that can mush Macca's guitar in with the drum beat, higher frequencies sound oddly clipped, the album isn’t compressed going by the volume knob position but it does seem damped somehow, I was sat there wondering what is wrong with it from the get-go, and I don’t think it’s just mono gone boxy boring on a stereo pressing.

My Best of GH sounds spacious and alive with splendid bass drive wham and slam with far more clarity, the treble is clear and precise and altogether it sounds correctly balanced in anolog loveliness and quite frankly it piddles all over the 2012 remaster from a great height.

The mpf/EMI Best of George Harrison LP is a re-issue from 1982.

They can be bought for about £5

Debs