My Beatles Quest: Best Sounding LP's

1982 you mean?

EDIT: remember the German "Die Beatles" -2 version is also available as an repress; look for PPMs (fab four looking down cover picture) with a white "Apple" box in the top R hand corner of the front cover instead of the reddish-black Parlophone box. German pressings. Sound identical, and this is after a compare with a 1st HorZu label Die Beatles.

 

I never was very good with numbers..

I'm also interested in anyone's opinion on how the 1982 -5 Mono of RS compares to the original Y/B -5 mono.

 

The Please Please Me Apple EMI Electrola (SHZE 117-A-2 & -B-2) is not almost as good as "Die Beatles" -2 stamper, it is EXACTLY THE SAME as it.

 

What he said.

 

Thank you all so much for encouragement, and (most of all) specific information! This is truly a great website, and thank you Steve Hoffman!

Please continue to give opinions...

 

The MSFL UHQR Sgt. Pepper is an over equalized top end mess. My favorite Stereo copy is the blue label German HorZu.

 

I just checked my Blue Box. I appear to have a one-box -2 pressing (both sides) of PPM.

 

A related question: How does the Wally Traugott-cut PPM Mono (from digital tapes, I assume) compare to, say, a 1982 reissue Mono?

 

tommy, while I appreciate what you are doing in these threads ( I never get tired of hearing about all the different pressings over and over and sometimes learn about a new pressing also)the key to the whole thing in many ways is understanding the matrix numbers.

It's not really that hard understanding these numbers whether it be mono or stereo. However, then what you have to realize is that do you prefer the solid state sounding cuts or the tube cuts and do you prefer mono or stereo? Naturally , most prefer the "warmer( for lack of better words)" and perhaps more "breath of life" tube cuts. Thats when you run into the problem of originals just being very hard to come by in great shape that do not suffer from groove wear or to much surface noise.Many visit ebay for this but that is a very risky deal when collecting Beatles. UK sellers , I think most would agree, simply overgrade to what most of us here consider near mint.So the next option( and the better one most likely ) is to find later pressings ( which will have less wear ) that still have the correct matrix numbers for tube cuts.This is what Steve suggests.

So, what you have is a few decisions to make.While getting opinions on different pressings from different countries is great it still can confuse.Shall I give a little warmth up of the orginal lp tube cut for the cleaner sounding japanese AP? That german lp has great bass slam but I wonder what Revolver sounds like on the tube cut mono( I bet is slams also.... hmmm ) ?Damn I can afford the UK mono White album and that japanese mono is sooo quiet and good.. shall I forfeit this months Beatles cash for that one clean UK mono? Not many are going to buy every pressing mentioned here in these threads.It many times comes down to what "sound" you want. Take for instance, the japanese pro-use of Abbey Road. I use to think that was the bees knees. Until I finally heard the UK original. Now it sounds a bit analytical and stiff ( still very good) but no contest for the UK.

Then sometimes it comes down to the mix. Mono or stereo for PPM? well hands down the stereo is easy to decide - Die Beatles.. no contest. You know what though, I havent really listened to the mono of this lp. Maybe I would like that mix better.It is then a matter of taste. Some would say that mono is the only way the first few Beatles lps are meant to be heard.Ken Scott has.But again mono or stereo is a matter of what YOU like( although some mixes are panned in favor of others for specific reasons)It can be quiet a quest.Be careful you dont get caught up in trying to get so many opinions that you end up more confused than when you started. Make it fun and dont get crazy. And if you do.. have FUN being crazy ...

Here are a few cut and dries to clean things up for you that I cant imagine ( ) anyone disagreeing with :

Best sounding Stereo PPM : Die Beatles.

Best sounding Stereo MMT - German HorZu or Apple

Those two are fun to hunt down. Take your time if you go Ebay. You can find them for decent price.

Whatever you do though stay away drom those DMM japanese pressings that came out a few years back.

 

johnny: You're so right.. what can I say? It's easy to get crazy thinking about all of the different pressings. Not so much from a collector's point of view (*that* would be OCD nightmare for me!), but from a listening perspective.

I usually break it down like this:
1. clarity - is it murky?
2. harshness - too bright?
3. warmth - abrasive or liquid?
4. vinyl - is it noisy?

But, absolutely, it's difficult to find the perfect "one" for even myself. At different times, I want different things. "Help!" MFSL has a great brightness about it, but a sibilance also, I've noticed. So, then what? That's what the opinions do for me- broaden my horizons, expand my knowledge, give me more options!

Definitely a fine line between fun and crazy!

And thanks for the info, bro!

 

tommy, No problem. And I am in no way an expert.I am like you. Started out reading like crazy ( and still do) the Beatles threads here.It took me about 6 months to research and get to know what to look for.There are still things I am learning or being reminded of by the good folks here.

You will notice some real "keepers of the flame" here after some time at it and just how lucky we are to have some folks who care to share their knowledge about these things with us the unlearned .

As a matter of fact they are pleased to share. Why? Because a person who has heard what great sounding Beatles lps sound like cannot help but want to share with others. Its part of the joy of the musical experience.

My advice ultimately?Keep reading old threads.You will find so many of the questions are answered there.Stay in the library.. as Steve has said to me.. " time for big boy school"

Look forward to you adding information and questions as you journey . I think the threads are a good idea. Could become the ultimate reference points for the forum if persued with time and effort.

Oh, and the only thing I "collect" is dust and money .

What is special about this forum is the quest it has for "real" sound.. the " breath of life". The closest thing that is possible to being "there" with the Beatles.

 

Great advice from Johnny!

 

Thanks Randy, you guys really are the best here

tommy, I am going to go out on a limb here and give another "universal" nod to the "Beatles For Sale" stereo UK lp.Tube cut of course for me and most I would think.The stereo mix tube cut has the "breath of life". Steve is a big fan of this version of the lp. And I doubt even a few would disagree.

So there is another one that you can narrow down and not worry about.

Have fun

 

Thanks Randy, you guys really are the best here

tommy, I am going to go out on a limb here and give another "universal" nod to the "Beatles For Sale" stereo UK lp.Tube cut of course for me and most I would think.The stereo mix tube cut has the "breath of life". Steve is a big fan of this version of the lp. And I doubt even a few would disagree.Search the archives on the reasons the stereo mix is prefered.

So there is another one that you can narrow down and not worry about.



Have fun

 

tube cuts of BFS include -1 to -What?

today, I found a stereo 2 box -3/-2. Tube cut?

thanks

 

No - thats solid state. The only tube cut/stereo pressing is -1/-1.

 

Although tommyzax hasn't been around since early March, I'd love to know how much he paid for all these best versions? Anyone know his total cost?

 

Personally I would think that unless you're extremely lucky, it's gonna be some serious coin. I think about how much I went through already, just finding clean UK mixed solid-state/tube LP's, my MFSL's, and red Odeon Mono presses.

When I think about it, I could probably get all 1st UK tube cuts, with the cash I could make if I got rid of all the MFSL's of the Beatles I have.

 

You should definitely do it! Those go for a lot of dough on eBay, a lot more than they are worth, IMHO. I don't like the MFSL Beatles very much--too much EQ tinkering--Abbey Road especially, with its noticeable bass boost.

 

That's what I'd do.

 

Hmm...Sounds like a plan...You guys are evil.


Is there a particular going rate on UK yellow/black Parlophones in both stereo and mono? I also heard the Australian LP's were from the same 1/1 stampers as the UK's, even on the later pressings, I'm wondering how true that actually is.

Actually, there's only four or five I'd want the mono presses for... Help, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper, and The White Album.

I already have Die Beatles and the German PPM in Stereo, so I'm set on that one.

 

This may be the best overall advice, and one of the cheapest solutions, too. If nothing else, it a great place to start. After that, it mainly depends on how ~nal retentive you want to get and how deep your wallet is.

 

It's been a couple of years since I was following prices, but I would say for true NM copies of original Y/B Monos: $150-250 for Help, Rubber Soul, and Revolver; $250-450 for Sgt. Pepper; $600-1200 for The White Album. Stereos are about the same price, except for The White Album. Prices will depend on the particular seller and how many people are interested. Better to pay more for a play graded copy from a reputable dealer, than having to buy four copies to find one good one!

 

The Beatles: Best Sounding LP's

For me, the 1st pressing UK Parlophone B&Y label LPs are the best. It's taken 3 years, but I now have multiple EX+ to NM copies of the 13 official releases as well as Past Masters. To my ears, the sound quality is wonderful.
Although I own all of them in both mono and stereo, overall, I am partial to the mono sound. The Beatles' mono mixes were the standard of the day, and IMHO, offer more punch and overall impact.

It's also difficult to understand the excessive audio assessments of the Beatles' stereo pressings. In particular, the PPM and WTB stereo pressings are essentially the two individual recorded tracks - vocal and instrumental -before the final mixdown to the master mono. As I'm sure you're all aware, this is not stereo in the real sense of the word. I don't understand this attempt to apply unrealistic audiophile expectations to these 2 - and even the later 4 - track recordings from the early to mid '60s and waste your time sourcing other various pressings in order to find one that might be subtly different at best, while even then, prone to the subjectivity of each individual's listening assessment, which generally results in more disagreement with others.

With respect to the other point in this thread...finding quality copies of the 1st pressing UK Parlophone B&Y labels, especially when using ebay as your source of purchase. As a rule, it's best to use those 'upscale' sellers of integrity and accept that you'll probably pay more dealing with them - those collector's who are in the know and also interested in assured quality are always bidding against you. However, at the end of the day, it's a good chance you won't need to purchase 10 copies in the hope of finding 1 that meets your expectations.