The Beatles Box Set ( should I get Mono or Stereo? )

I've become quite The Beatles fan and was looking at possibly getting their box set that released a couple of years ago. I have a question about the mono mixes of The Beatles music. I know the history behind the Beatles and how their first music was made in mono mixes, but as a casual fan of music, I am not sure if this means that I would have to have special speakers to hear it in it's true form. All my music is listened to through stereo speakers. If I am listening to music that was mixed in mono, does this mean that it wouldn't sound as good through stereo?

You would just hear the same sound coming from both speakers as opposed to stereo mixes where for example, the singing would come from the left speaker while the drum solo would come from the right.

Mono is the way they were originally recorded, I would suggest that.

The original run of the mono mix was supposed to be really rare.

You want the stereo set. It's been properly remastered, they're quality work. You're used to stereo, so continue to use what you're used to.

@MrPilkington said:

I've become quite The Beatles fan and was looking at possibly getting their box set that released a couple of years ago. I have a question about the mono mixes of The Beatles music. I know the history behind the Beatles and how their first music was made in mono mixes, but as a casual fan of music, I am not sure if this means that I would have to have special speakers to hear it in it's true form. All my music is listened to through stereo speakers. If I am listening to music that was mixed in mono, does this mean that it wouldn't sound as good through stereo?

Well if you are a casual fan of music, I recommend the stereo box set. Mono is for the die hard fans who wants what the Beatles wanted.

Mono all the way! If your spending real money for archival and collectors purposes, thats the way to go. Pirate the strereo, or get the 1980s stereo versions cheaply. Mono versions have a different feel, more timeless, seemingly faster tempo, the bass sounds more modern and rock-music, and the trippy eastern inspired tracks will sound less like over-exaggerated "tech demos" for surround sound.

@boocreepyfootdoctor said:

Mono all the way! If your spending real money for archival and collectors purposes, thats the way to go. Pirate the strereo, or get the 1980s stereo versions cheaply. Mono versions have a different feel, more timeless, seemingly faster tempo, the bass sounds more modern and rock-music, and the trippy eastern inspired tracks will sound less like over-exaggerated "tech demos" for surround sound.

This.

100x this.

The mono mixes of their early albums (their last three were properly mixed in stereo, so no matter there) were the ones done by George Martin, and are what you should have. It seems counter intuitive, but the stereo mixes sound worse - they were done very quickly in the mastering process, and not by Martin. There is little to no spread in the mix, and things seems to be either center, hard left or hard right.

It's a bummer they didn't release the mono albums separately so you could try one out for size. Sgt. Peppers in particular sounds amazingly better in mono.

At least they didn't compress and limit the shit out of them, I suppose....

I would suggest the mono box, but really it depends on the album, and your preference. The mono mix was the one that the band themselves spent more hands-on time with. The first four albums are essential in mono. The stereo separation in those is difficult to listen to, especially on headphones. For Help!, I would go with stereo. The mono mix is pretty bad, and it sounds real muddy. For Rubber Soul through Magical Mystery Tour, I would definitely go with mono. The stereo sounds good on all of them, but the mono mix, especially on Sgt. Pepper really gives a full, awesome sound. The White Album is a toss up. Honestly, I would just get both.

I'd say if the band itself joined in on the remastering, it's good to go with the stereo version. However, I would think that it would be best to go with mono since that's how it was intended to be heard back in the day. Depends.