Finally, after a 22 year wait, the entire Beatles catalogue has been re-mastered and re-released. The remasters sound better than the original 1987 CD releases, which suffered from slightly harsh and tinny sound (due to the fact that they were transferred to CD in the early days of digital technology).The most improvement seems to be with The White Album and Abbey Road, but all of them sound great. The difference, however, is subtle, and unless you are an audiophile or a hardcore Beatles fan, you may not even notice it. The biggest differences are the much louder low-end/bass, the crisper and warmer-sounding instruments, and the vocals in particular, which are much clearer (it's easier to discern the separate voices, especially in the harmonies). But perhaps the nicest thing about the re-masters, for those who still appreciate buying physical albums, is the all-new packaging which contains historical notes, recording notes, and a ton of beautiful photos (all of which are sorely missing from the original 1987 CD releases).
Some might call it a cash grab by EMI or The Beatles, but for serious fans these re-masters are essential. As for my old CD's... anyone need some Beatles albums?
