A couple months ago I picked up a few Japanese CD's. The remastered Stereo version of Rubber Soul which comes packaged as a mini lp and enchanced cd video content. The packaging was really awesome just like the original Lp slightly bigger than the standard size CD packaging. Played the CD and the sound was really nice and clean I was impressed. They did a great job remastering and I highly recommend it for Beatles fans.

Fast forward last weekend I see the US remastered versions at Bestbuy so I grabbed Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper since they were on sale. Got home first off the the mini lp packaging is standard cd size and the quality is no where near as nice as the japanese cd but I can live with that but I was surprised when I listenesd to Abbey Road the sound was muddy and didn't sound anywhere as good as my Rubber Soul japanese cd. What gives they are both remastered by Apple but how could one sound so good and they other so bad ? I pulled out my White Album CD not remastered which is 20 years old and listended to it and it sounds the same the Abbey Road..WTF...These are all the Stereo versions not the mono version which is also availble. How can the Japanese pressing sound so much better ? They are remastered by Apple so its the same master tapes. I have read that the Japanese equipment is better and the CD quality is better than the US versions and I can tell you in this case its not even close the japanese version is 100% better.
Anyone else out there have the remastered Beatles Cd's Japanese, US, UK versions please chime in. I would like to see what anyone else thinks. I know I will not buy the US pressings and only buy the Japanese pressings for the Beatles catalog.


DON