Beatles Mono LPs?

Ian,
Thanks for your description. I use a triton and had wondered about the impact of a typhon.
Back to the topic, picked up the mono set :)
Like that they tried to mimic the way the original jackets were produced, with the exception of the white album. Wish that they had left it a "regular" gatefold rather than with top slits for the inner sleeves. Book is fun! Listening this weekend.
 
The original white album is a "top loader" - not a regular gatefold. So the records slide in from the top. Five or so years ago I found one (stereo not mono) on my annual sojourn to London. It was 100GBP (about US$160), but with fairly large mark on one of the records. They wouldn't play it for me or let me use my Mister Disc (portable player), so I passed on it. Now a nice reissue of the entire mono albums is only about double that price, with all the extra goodies.

Larry

tunes said:
Ian,
Thanks for your description. I use a triton and had wondered about the impact of a typhon.
Back to the topic, picked up the mono set :)
Like that they tried to mimic the way the original jackets were produced, with the exception of the white album. Wish that they had left it a "regular" gatefold rather than with top slits for the inner sleeves. Book is fun! Listening this weekend.
Click to expand...
 
Mark Jones said:
Y'ed or summed will make no difference. The reason a Mono cartridge is better is because it eliminates the problems caused by antiskate distortions, Crosstalk and channel imbalances that can create an unstable image and increased distortion.
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Really, Y cable makes no difference. personally I will trust my ears or listen to Steve Hoffman.

SH Spotlight - If you have a turntable you need to play your mono records in true MONO. How to do it cheaply.. | Steve Hoffman Music Forums


The question was why was Floyds Beatles mono lp's sounding a bit bright, of which a Y cable will make a difference in his system - positive or negative will be up to his ears. Several of my buddies without a mono button or mono cartridge have been impressed with the improvement a simple Y cable makes. YOu don't need a mono cartridge to enjoy mono lp's. YMMV

Q was not whether a dedicated mono cartridge was better. I believe it most definately is , but not for the reasons you have mentioned, antiskating distortions?. Have a read of Orofon who explain it better

cheers


Why should you use a dedicated mono cartridge for playing vinyl mono records?

MONO_02.png
On a mono record the signal is cut only in the lateral dimension whereas a stereo record is cut at +/- 45 degrees into the opposing groove-walls, see figure to the right. A stereo cartridge will be able to replay stereo and mono records, because mono is a special version of stereo where the right and left channels are identical. While a stereo cartridge can play mono records it can’t achieve the same signal precision between the two channels. A mono cartridge produces but one signal that is directed to both channels in the system. A mono cartridge playing a mono record produces a more forceful and stable image with a fuller, more impactful sound. Another big advantage in using a mono cartridge to play mono records is the absence of response to vertical movement. This means that a mono cartridge is basically immune to the pinching effect which comes into action when the stylus is pushed vertically upward in very narrow grooves. Also the response to dust, dirt and wear is reduced substantially. The final result will be a clean and noiseless reproduction of the mono record.
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XV-1 said:
Really, Y cable makes no difference. personally I will trust my ears or listen to Steve Hoffman.

SH Spotlight - If you have a turntable you need to play your mono records in true MONO. How to do it cheaply.. | Steve Hoffman Music Forums


The question was why was Floyds Beatles mono lp's sounding a bit bright, of which a Y cable will make a difference in his system - positive or negative will be up to his ears. Several of my buddies without a mono button or mono cartridge have been impressed with the improvement a simple Y cable makes. YOu don't need a mono cartridge to enjoy mono lp's. YMMV

Q was not whether a dedicated mono cartridge was better. I believe it most definately is , but not for the reasons you have mentioned, antiskating distortions?. Have a read of Orofon who explain it better

cheers
Click to expand...

Maybe I should have said makes little difference rather than none. A Y cable does not solve what is wrong with playing mono records with a stereo cartridge. I did not say you can't enjoy mono records with a stereo cartridge, it can still sound very good. But a Y is not the answer.
 
Myles-Your link took me to comments about the article and not the actual article.
 
I read it and it sounds like he does like the way the new mono LPs sound and warns people that they better have some good gear or don't even bother buying them. At the end of his article, it did sound like he was just tired of listening to the Beatles. I'm looking forward to listening to my set that my wife has taken control of and won't give me until Christmas.
 
mep said:
I read it and it sounds like he does like the way the new mono LPs sound and warns people that they better have some good gear or don't even bother buying them. At the end of his article, it did sound like he was just tired of listening to the Beatles. I'm looking forward to listening to my set that my wife has taken control of and won't give me until Christmas.
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I think he's Hans Fantel's son.
 
it arrived today.

I just spent about an hour doing a quick sample taste of my 2 favorite mono mastered Beatles albums; Rubber Soul and Revolver.

I compared one cut on Revolver, 'Tax Man'; and two cuts on Rubber Soul, 'Drive My Car' and 'Norwegian Wood'.

I played the first 30 seconds of each cut on my mono cart/arm/phono and then on my stereo cart/arm/phono.......and went back and forth 3 times.

the mono rig is the Miyajima Premium Be Mono cartridge, Durand 'stock' Telos, and the lesser of the two phono stages in my dart preamp.

the stereo rig is the Ortofon MC Anna cartridge, Durand Telos Sapphire, and the better of the two phono stages in my dart preamp.

the differences were consistent across all three cuts. the stereo rig sounded very good by itself, but the mono rig made the stereo playback sound muted in direct comparison. the mono rig had quieter backgrounds, better decay and bloom, and had more sparkle and energy. voices were more delineated. there was more space and front to back depth.

some might view these differences as minor, even marginal. and I cannot say that every system would equally reveal the same differences or that every listener would agree.

when I was listening to Norwegian Wood I also pulled out my early Parlophone Mono pressing and my MoFi Stereo pressing to compare to the new mono pressing just to get a feel for that comparison.

the early Parlophone was a bit warmer than the new mono pressing, but it gave up quite a bit of energy and focus.....and it was much nosier....no surprise for a 50 year old pressing. I preferred the new mono overall....maybe some systems/listeners might prefer the warmth of the early Parlophone.

the MoFi stereo was a wet noodle in direct comparison......kinda lifeless.....mono is where it's at for these early Beatles albums.

one more note; with my stereo rig there was no difference with the mono button engaged or not engaged. I could hear zero difference.

anyway....it's just a first taste.....there is lots more ground to cover. and I reserve the right to adjust my perspective as I spend more time.

*****

as I sit here a bit later I've listened all the way thru Revolver and Rubber Soul......and am half way thru Sgt. Peppers. this is the best I've ever heard these mono mastered albums sound. for now I'm only listening to the mono rig. but I'd guess it would also be a new reference with the stereo rig too.

'A Day In The Life' is epic.
smile.png


just a little larger viewpoint
 
Mike did you ever hear that copy of A Day in the Life that Rich found on tape? That was in stereo and mind boggling. You should get him to bring it over if you don't have it for comparison. :)

Thanks for the update. Interesting.
 
Myles B. Astor said:
Mike did you ever hear that copy of A Day in the Life that Rich found on tape? That was in stereo and mind boggling. You should get him to bring it over if you don't have it for comparison. :)

Thanks for the update. Interesting.
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no; Rich never played that for me....i'll ask him about it next time he comes around. I do have a 1/4" dub of Revolver I should pull out and play to see where that stands.
 
in the hardcover 'coffee table' book that comes with the box set they get into some reasons why the new pressings sound different than the early pressings. they specifically, on these mono pressings, say that while the early pressings had to be somewhat muted so needles, arms and tt's back in the early 60's could predicably play them......these new mono pressings are more dynamically free. they talked about certain pressings causing early 60's needles to jump out of the grooves.....and so they had to re-cut some early pressings.

so in many places the bass is more accurate to the masters than the early pressings. also the top end balance is more open since gear these days can tame more top end energy. of course; while doing all that they had to honor the character of the music.

which accounts for some of the differences I hear between my early Parlophone mono pressings and these new monos.

I have the 2009 remastered digital stereo and mono boxes and the 24bit files. I do think they are quite good. I have the 2012 stereo digitally mastered pressings, but have not opened it yet. what I'd like to see now would be an all-analog re-mastering of the stereo titles with new pressings before more time goes by. those tapes do not improve with age.
 
Fremer was asked on his blog if this box set surpassed the Odeon red monos form the early '80s, his answer was "yes." there was no elaboration or detailed comparisons. I guess we'll wait for rockitman's assessment.
 
Mike Lavigne said:
no; Rich never played that for me....i'll ask him about it next time he comes around. I do have a 1/4" dub of Revolver I should pull out and play to see where that stands.
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Do! :)

Rich played it two years ago at RMAF in the Doshi/Wilson room and people cried. The Beatles never sounded so good!
 
Mike Lavigne said:
no; Rich never played that for me....i'll ask him about it next time he comes around. I do have a 1/4" dub of Revolver I should pull out and play to see where that stands.
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If it came from the Capitol dub, it won't stand very tall.
 
mep said:
If it came from the Capitol dub, it won't stand very tall.
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Oh it wasn't believe me! He got it from some person in Europe. If all the Beatles albums sounded like this tape, they'd be audiophile reference discs. No muddiness, veiling, brightness, etc.
(we've all heard - however true - that Capitol cut the LPs using the wrong EQ.
 
Myles B. Astor said:
Oh it wasn't believe me! He got it from some person in Europe. If all the Beatles albums sounded like this tape, they'd be audiophile reference discs. No muddiness, veiling, brightness, etc.
(we've all heard - however true - that Capitol cut the LPs using the wrong EQ.
Click to expand...

I was talking about mike's dub.
 
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