Beatles mono VINYL box set (Part #15)

Most of the sleeves are unique. The ones in the vinyl blue box set from '81 look like poor repros, though. Originals are so much better.

 

In my case it was not a cleaning/washing issue, IMHO. Cos it had the same "clicks" at the same places running for a long while. And it had gone in a few weeks. A dust would be gone after the first play, and it would not sound the same every each time playing. Must had been some extra inclusions of material generated in the grooves surface during the pressing process, I think. Not sure if washing could do it. Never happened with any of my new LPs again.

 

Agree. The blue box (1978-1987) sleeves suck, big time!

 

I meant the '81 E.P. box.

 

Maybe it's not a cleaning issue. Or maybe it is. Call me crazy, but I personally err on the side of...clean vinyl is better for the vinyl and the stylus than uncleaned vinyl.

 

Do you wash every each newly bought record, even if it looks perfect after a dry hand cleaning?
To me it's kinda risky, unless I am sure it is dirty.

 

Absolutely. Plus when I clean it, the solution gets rid of much of the static.

What's risky about it?

 

You might be right. That's just me.
BTW, I heard that the washing & drying is a final step before packing LPs into sleeves in Germany record plants. True or false?

 

I don't clean new records unless they are obviously dirty with fingerprints or similar. I do have an industrial ionizer that removes static instantly, and allows dust to be wiped off of static-prone vinyl, like the albums in this set. I contend that the benefit people get from cleaning new records is the liquid neutralizing static (and removing dust that is otherwise difficult to get off). I think you mentioned that possibility. That said, there wasn't a speck of anything on my stylus after playing any of the records, as there would be if the records were actually dirty.

 

You can see specks of things on your stylus with the naked eye?

 

As for myself, in case my stylus gets dirty on a new record, I can HEAR something wrong in sound right away (using Shibata). If the record is visually clean, but the sound gets wrong, I just clean up the stylus. It's much easier, cheaper, and shorter than cleaning up the whole record, isn't it?

 

No I have a magnifying glass.

 

AMEN!

 

I clean all of my newly bought vinyl (open and sealed) and after a play there is still dust that accumulates onto to the stylus from airborne particles. I carefully brush it off and I use a Zerodust after about 5 LPs.

 

UPDATE: Universal has agreed to send a replacement. Very excited to receive it. Even more excited to play it. Guess I was a little too harsh.

BTW, for anyone who cares about such things. I did an A/B comparison with the Sgt Pepper LP and the mono CD. I couldn't believe the substantial improvement in dynamics, clarity, overall sound ... it's truly amazing. That's all I can say. I have thousands of LPs in my collection, but this one may be one of the best-sounding.

A friend of mine visited, and I played the (mispressed) LP for him. A life-long Beatles fan, all he could say was "... What!?" (All I could reply was "I KNOW!") I mean, this is what people with turntables LIVE for. It is so beautiful that FINALLY this amazing sound and pressing quality is available to the general public on LP, instead of off-base CD-sourced pieces of garbage (well, I know that isn't always the case, but regardless)! Aside from a little inner groove distortion (probably inherent in imperfect equipment or the format itself, not the records), I have trouble believing that you could listen to these albums in a better way. They're THAT good.

Any substantial differences in artwork I've noticed (a slight typing error, slightly smaller font, slightly different color, etc) do not detract IMO in the slightest from the sleeves. When I'm holding one of these LPs in my hand, I just start shaking. They're just that good. Flat. SILENT VINYL. Thick. Gives you something to brag about. Go out right now and buy this thing. Somehow we've got to let record companies know that this is the ONLY correct way to do re-pressings.

Rant end.

 

Easier? Yes. Cheaper? Yes. Shorter? Yes.

But effective? I know what the answer is for me...

 

Another proof on how the digitization really kills music. Especially when it's done in a low rate of depth and frequency, like it was with all those ****ty-trash 2009/12 box sets!

 

Wow, you guys are really down on the 2009 CD's. I thought everyone loved them back then... Personally I'm not surprised these records have changed some minds.

 

I am down on the 2012 box set, as well. Sold that (EU made) set out, except for 2 remixes of 1986 and Past Masters which left for reference only (prefer listening to Mono Masters instead).

 

The only one I've got is the 2009 Mono White Album CD, haven't A/B-ed the two yet but recall being underwhelmed by the CD. However, my LP player is better than my CD player, so I'm not surprised. I am curious what someone who isn't in one camp or another, who has equally good CD and LP playback gear, would think. Because I know most people have already decided what format they prefer and have invested in their playback gear accordingly. The 2009 stereo CDs went in and out of my collection pretty fast, the Mono LPs are for keeps.

 

Really?!... Get out!...

 

I KNOW, right?! LOL! Anyway, in sort of keeping to the subject of Mono Beatles vinyl reissues, who amongst us plans to pick up the reissue of the "Long Tall Sally" 7" EP for Record Store Day Black Friday this year (depending on if our respective local shops can get ahold of any copies, since they no longer allow individual pre-orders per customer for RSD proper and RSD Black Friday)? I'm curious to see how it might so much as remotely differ sonically from the same 4 cuts on 'Mono Masters', perhaps on account of wider grooves and a faster speed (45 rpm). I would not normally buy even relative duplicates of the same tracks between releases, but THIS will be an exception in my case. In other words, YES...I DO plan on snagging one if I see it there for RSDBF! Enough said!

 

Not me I've got 2 NM originals

I'm assuming it will be the 4 remastered tracks

Great EP though - before MM was essential for those 4 tracks

 

I'd like to hear what needle drops of the l.p's sound like.....it may, in part, very well be that we prefer the mono lp mastering over the 2009 mono cd mastering. I read here that someone did that already and was quite impressed how good and close their drops sounded when compared to the new pressings.....at least it may level the playing field a bit (no pun intended). I love my vinyl and my digital!

 

The records in my box set looked spotless but I clean all new records on my Okki Nokki. I always empty the contents of the vacuum reservoir into a white bowl to see what came off the records after a cleaning session and the gunk in the bowl after cleaning the Beatles records was really surprising. The way I see it is, a record might look clean but that doesn't mean that it is.