Beatles Mono Vinyl..why so expensive now?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Diorama, Dec 16, 2018.

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  1. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    I think the reason is that there is little domestic market in China for vinyl. Most of the dodgy CDs are actually sold in China were the genuine product is too expensive.
     
  2. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    And so do I.
     
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  3. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    We are at the top of their imports, I'm sure. Maybe #1
     
  4. stereoguy

    stereoguy Its Gotta Be True Stereo!

    Location:
    NYC
     
  5. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Depends on how long you've been around here, and where you've been. Steve always talks about how people should get the 87 cd's because they were direct transfers/no futzing/yadda yadda yadda. I wasn't including myself in that statement.
     
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  6. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Edited - wasn't nice.
     
  7. 12" 45rpm

    12" 45rpm Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    I was not too impressed with this box set. Most sounded rather dull to my ears. Maybe it was the EQ choice or degradation of the master tapes.. Since I bought them I've also acquired the Beatles MFSL and BC-13 blue box set.. I like the BC-13 the best. If you really want the mono experience, one could buy a stereo/mono switch for your amplifier..
     
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  8. Derek Slazenger

    Derek Slazenger Specs, rugs & rock n roll

    :-popcorn:
     
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  9. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    baHAHAHAHAHA :blah::biglaugh::crazy:

    ...No
     
  10. lawz

    lawz Well-Known Member

    Location:
    la, ca
    or maybe youre just not a big fan of the original mono mixes?

    :doh:

    have you listened to any of the other pressings (eg. the British originals or maybe the 2009 CDs)?
     
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  11. 12" 45rpm

    12" 45rpm Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    No. Most of my other pressings are US capitol ones..
     
  12. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Yeah - I was just kidding man. Hope we didn't scare you off. Maybe you would like the Japanese, a little more lively. Try it on a great set of speakers, they are downright holographic sometimes.
     
  13. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Most? I doubt that. The vast majority of mono Beatles boxes on the US market are counterfeits, including almost all of the boxes on eBay.

    The same is true for a lot of counterfeited boxes--and many/most expensive boxes by mainstream artists that are easily copied are counterfeited.
     
  14. Octavian

    Octavian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisiana
    I’ve seen people saying this about the -1/-1 Revolver, mine is a one-box EMI in stone-mint condition, and it is one of my best-sounding and treasured records in my entire collection.

    (It even has the original price-tag on it)
     
  15. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Why? Because of the sound quality or collector value? Its - eh not all that great.
     
  16. Octavian

    Octavian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisiana
    Definitely sound quality. Collectability means nothing to me. The sound jumps through my speakers with this record, I was as shocked to hear it as when I got my Beatles For Sale tube cut.

    Trust me, I’m not a tube-cut nut. I generally prefer the solid state cuts, but this record sounds extraordinary. Maybe it’s my system, but it sounds fantastic through my headphones too.
     
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  17. inperson

    inperson Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    Most of the genuine product was most likely forbidden officially, but they turned their heads when the guys with the CD making machines put it out because those guys either had tight connections with some gov't big wigs in their area or, other story I heard, is the guys making the knockoff CD and DVDs were the state's secret police. They used pirating as a way to make some extra income. The gov't doesn't like to try and push the secret police around. I use the past tense because 90% of this stuff came to a screeching halt when the Olympics came to Beijing. Even the secret police are patriotic (don't wanna make China look bad) It's still done but in a much smaller scale than 12 years ago. Back then there was a dvd shop on just about every main street in BJ but now I only know of one or two and they are in areas that lots of foreigners visit. For good vinyl, I think it is just too hard for them to make such a product. Anyway, after the Olympics free downloading became the popular way to get music, basically not illegal there. My Chinese friend has some type of satellite/internet hookup where it just steals content from satellites from orbit. Don't ask me how, I don't understand this stuff :shrug:
     
  18. Macman007

    Macman007 Sitting mId-way between 2 very large speakers

    I'm sure the prices in the WEST for the vinyl box sets are driven higby people trying to make a fast buck on their initial investment of 325$-350$, cashing in on those of us who do actually want a set to listen to and enjoy. Personally I'm not interested in the CD Mono Box, whats the point of sourcing the original analog tapes to have them reproduced on a digital front end. I'm sure they sound great and all, but my heart is set on hearing them on vinyl.

    That said, I would happily pay anyone who isn't satisfied with the sound quality of their vinyl box, the full MSRP plus a fair markup for an open box set in Mint Minus condition. I'd be willing to bet the folks who don't care for the sound of their Mono Beatles box won't sell them to get their money back to perhaps buy the albums or set they do think sounds good.

    Why are the prices now so high? Greed thats why. People think they should be able to double triple or quadruple a 350$ investment. There are folks who bought the box sets for the express reason of selling them at a profit, period. Sadly many of these were not bought to be listened to, but to be put on a shelf and not opened simply for bragging rights. Between the greed mongers and the collectors who will never play them, it left not that many box sets for those of us including myself who would actually want to listen to them. I've heard about people buying 2 and 3 sets at a time, sitting on them waiting for the prices to go up.

    I can't do anything about it, all I can do is what anyone else who wants a vinyl Mono box now that they are sold out,..cross your fingers and hope to come across someone with a nice set for sale who doesn't want to double their money...

    Here's Hoping,..
     
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  19. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    because the hype is strong these days...LOL
     
  20. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    This is why I'd love a high quantity reissue, to annoy the hoarders and ensure everyone who wants this to listen to has another chance to get it at cost price. The Queen box is on it's third repress now, so it can't be ruled out.
     
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  21. Macman007

    Macman007 Sitting mId-way between 2 very large speakers

    Here's the thing. I've got all those CD's the entire set. I bought them new when they were originally released. I had secretly wondered for several years at the time if the surviving Beatles were going to skip the CD releases, and was happy they didn't. Looking back and listening today on any of my 4 current McIntosh optical players, I'm super happy with the sound quality of all the CD's, and overall mastering/transfer choices, which were conservative at best. In many ways, TBQH, IMO, those '87 CD's trump my 2009 Stereo CD box set. I bought a few of th '09 Stereo CD's separately and played them, not overly impressed maybe a little disappointed for all the hype surrounding them. Meanwhile my wife, (God I do love here, I'm very lucky to have a partner who listens to the music and the gear as much as I do) bought me the stereo CD box for Christmas that year, paying pretty penny for it, I'm sure. There is 1 CD in that set that has been opened, and played SGT. Peppers's, everything else remains still sealed. I bought the 2009 vinyl box new on sale for in 201 for 8 299$ sealed which was I feel was a fair price. Those albums I play, but I'm not as over the moon regarding their mastering choices, as my German Apples, but the vinyl and pressing quality is over the top, so it's a wash. I prefer the original German Apple LP's,.. I bought the entire catalog between 1980 and 1981, all of which are sonically superior to any US and most of the UK releases, to my ears anyway. These were 20$ a pop back then, and even higher after John was killed.

    The '87 cd's are good trade off between the '09 remasters and the better 2009 vinyl. For not a lot of money, you get to hear really good transfers of really great music. Some of those '87 CD's drift into Goodwill and the other thrifts, going for a couple dollars..even in the used shops, you can USUALLY pick them up for just a tad over 7$.. which is a killer deal for what you are getting in sound quality.


    I agree. I would be willing to buy them separately, I don't need a book or a box (but want them and the box set if it is at all possible) I get doing the box on a limited release basis. However to limit the mono releases of the individual LPs so you can collect the box A La Cart, choosing what albums you want, or buying them all borders on criminal. It seems they don't mind pushing the crappy Stereo vinyl and CD released in perpetuity, flooding the market with those which can be bought even in Wal-Mart and Target or anywhere online, but the Mono albums, from the analog tapes, the really good sounding albums serious listeners want to hear, those are limited. The whole limited edition thing, bothers me anyway, it only encourages greed and hoarding for profit. I'm not jealous, it's not that at all, what it comes down to is 2 things. I play my albums and enjoy doing it. I wasn't in a financial position between 2014 and 2018 to be able to afford any new vinyl, or even any gear. We we're holding on financially after 2008 to 2018 by our fingertips. things have changed now, but those box sets are gone, and though my situation has improved drastically, I don't have 600$-1,200$ to spend on anything else, let alone a vinyl box set of anything over 400$. After 10 years of getting by, I treated myself to a new turntable this year, the last I'll ever buy, VPI's Prime Signature with all the fixins. When it's paid off, I'll have a little more cash for vinyl purchases, but even then, anything 600$ is going to be out of reach, unless I save for a really long time. At the rate the Mono boxes are increasing in price, I'll never catch up to the asking prices now 1000$ and quickly increasing.

    It took forever to get my system together, my lifetime as an adult, over 25 years. It's a shame much of the music to play on it has become less affordable than the system itself, which is insane when you think about it.
     
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  22. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    That's exactly it, there's no jealousy from me either. I have the mono vinyl box and think that these records should be available to buy for people who care. It's a shame that versions that are considered by many, though not all, be the best are out of print.

    I like a lot of the 1987 CDs too. Beatles For Sale is the only one I find poor. The first two aren't great but at least they're mono. I like the clarity of the stereo versions, but separating the vocals and instrument like that makes then thinner and less powerful sounding to me.
     
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  23. MHP

    MHP Lover of Rock ‘n Roll

    Location:
    DK
    I always get a good laugh when the 1987 cd’s gets praised over and over these days.
    Before the remasters in 2009, they were constantly trashed on this board for being thin sounding and dated artifacts from the childhood of cd’s. Then remasters arrived and the hipsters quickly turned over, claiming how ‘honest’ and ‘true’ those original cd’s were. I had a good laugh. I still have one.
     
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  24. Yeah but the Queen box LPs are not at the same quality level or analogue cut records. Much easier and cheaper to churn this out
     
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  25. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    The only thing I ever disliked about them is the packaging, which did make them look like dated artifacts, Pepper's excepted. MMT, Revolver, Pepper's, Rubber Soul, The White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be always sounded good to me on those CDs, but I've always much preferred The Beatles on vinyl anyway.
     
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