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3.48pm
8 December 2015
Offline
Last night I was listening to A Hard Day’s Night in bed with decent headphones (Phillips Fidelio X2). This is a two-edged sword kind of thing. On one hand, you hear the studio ambience of these practically live-in-studio tracks and the band is rocking, on the other hand you hear the faults much more clearly.
AHDN is one of my favorite Beatles albums but to my ears it suffers more than any others from some production issues. There is this high frequency “sheen” and it sounds like the tape is at the edge of over saturation in a lot of songs – I hear this in cymbals especially.
Then I happened to unplug my headphones and the sound came from my crappy laptop speakers. It was instantly engaging and really drew me into the songs! I was transported back to when I first heard it on mid-70’s portable mono tape/radio. *This* is what this era releases were targeted for – low-fi that was accessible to teenagers at the time – not people with $8000 turntable hifi chain.
Now don’t get me wrong – I love my reasonably good stereo. But go ahead and give low-fi a try! Now I’m tempted to go out and find a 60’s or 70’s turntable and some Beatles 45s…
The following people thank Rex Marigold for this post:
Beatlebug, Expert Textpert...and in the end, the love you make is equal to the love you take.
7.42pm
18 April 2013
Offline I don’t have anything to add, but I enjoyed reading that.
"This Beatles talk bores me to death.” —John Lennon
7.47pm
1 November 2013
Offline
That’s how I always get my Beatles.
8.25pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline I’m inclined to agree. While I love listening to anything over headphones and/or big speakers, I must admit the Fabs don’t ever sound as fab as I wish they would. The vocals sound tinny and even the bass is thin. After a couple of attempts at blasting Rubber Soul over the stereo, I’ve shrugged, sighed ‘1960s recording’, and gone back to my little portable CD player which does a decent but not great job of making big noises, and perfectly conveys Beatleness. 
Now, All Things Must Pass or Pink Floyd, on the other hand… 
It verges from the sublime to the ridiculote
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5.15am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Beatles sound good to me on most devices except crappy cheap headphones where it’s all blurred together into mush.
The following people thank meanmistermustard for this post:
trcanberra, Beatlebug"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.37am
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline Neil Young, for all his “sound matters” pronouncements, likes music over his car radio the best.
Me, my pretty good stereo system for any music.
==> trcanberra and hongkonglady - Together even when not (married for those not in the know!) <==
6.35pm
10 November 2010
Offline trcanberra said
Neil Young, for all his “sound matters” pronouncements, likes music over his car radio the best.
Neil Young is pretty much full of crap in that respect, though, so…
The following people thank Necko for this post:
trcanberraI'm Necko. I'm like Ringo except I wear necklaces.
I'm also ewe2 on weekends.
Most likely to post things that make you go hmm... 2015, 2016, 2017. 
