Not too shabby. They are definitely an improvement over the 87 Cds and even better than the Ebbetts bootlegs which were considered the best way to listen until now. There are still a lot of albums that sound infinitely better in mono because they didn't screw with the extreme panning... in fact in some cases especially on Sgt. Peppers it seems even more extreme. I was kind of hoping that these remasters would make the stereo version of Sgt. Peppers, Revolver and Rubber Soul the definitive versions, but that's ok, the monos are still excellent and better than ever now. Please Please Me in stereo is a marked improvement over the 87 release but I think I still prefer mono, With the Beatles and Hard Days Night still sound way better in mono. Help and Beatles For Sale do sound better in stereo, the mono mix for Beatles For Sale was always inferior and they did a great job with Help. Magical Mystery Tour I could go either way on and White Album sounds a ton better in stereo.

You can't fault the stereo mastering on the middle albums. Stereo was a new technology and they were still working with 4 tracks, it would be really hard to remaster without the extreme separation.

Any thoughts for others who have heard these?

I love the Fab Four and all but I did kinda stop listening to them after high school (that means about 5 years without putting on a Beatles album) because of 1) the dated sound, 2) getting into all the lesser known music out there, experimental and underground, consequently shunning "popular" things, and 3) the simple fact that listening to them so much during my first 18 years made 'em, well, stale. Anyway, the remasters sound so freakin' fresh, it's like becoming a Beatlemaniac all over again. Very well done, EMI!

Rubber Soul finally sounds like the masterpiece it's regarded as, the opening chord of A Hard Day's Night explodes out of the speakers cleanly, and Dear Prudence is finally as funky as it should be.

I'm sorry,could someone just explain what the real difference is between mono and stereo? I've heard both versions of some albums and haven't really been able to tell the difference.

Really? There is a pretty large, fundamental difference between mono sound and stereo sound. It surprises me that you couldn't tell a difference with the Beatles remasters. Could it mean the mono sound has been THAT much improved? (I've only heard the stereo remasters.)

They should have put the Past Masters tracks and the Anthology tracks that have some kind of quality as extra tracks to the albums. And maybe even split up "Yellow Submarine" and skip the George Martin tracks. Order in the discography. Order.

Sorry boys but I can’t agree with you. I don’t like listening to music with walkman. I hate that things in my ears (and moreover I want to preserve my hearing) or simply I just prefer to listen it “through the air”. I can understand that this “radical” stereo mix typical of the 60s is quite unpleasant when you’re listening through walkman. But I like a lot to be able of discerning the different instruments played and moving the balance completely to the left or to the right I can listen it with detail these 60s albums (yes, I know, I’m a freak but at least not as much as those ones that listened the tapes backwards trying to find hidden messages). An example not from the Beatles: if you listen to “Forever Changes” turning the balance to the right you’ll obtain a folk album (Nick Drake style), only with vocal, acoustic guitar and strings. But if you turn the balance to the right you’ll obtain a pop-rock album (Kinks-style) with bass, drums, electric guitar and brass.
And, returning to The Beatles, let’s go with my favourite song of them, “Strawberry Fields Forever”. With, of course, the stereo version:
Note: lead vocal appears in both channels.
0:00 to 0:10: right channel silence; left channel that wonderful mellotron part (sounding like flutes) played by Paul.
0:10 to 0:34 (the legendary take 7!!): right channel an electric finger-picked guitar played by John (“dryly” mixed) and a rhythmic arrangement in quavers (I’m not sure if it’s a bass guitar, a rhythm guitar or a keyboard); left channel more mellotron, an awesome drum part (superb use of toms!) played by Ringo, some maracas (played by Ringo or George?), bass guitar played by Paul and the same guitar of the right channel but with lots of reverb (like sounding in the distance). It seems that George recorded a slide guitar part accompanying the slide effect of the voice in the “going to” part but is barely audible.
0:34 to 0:59: the same as the previous part but now this mysterious sound on left channel sound to me more clearly as a second bass part (or not?).
0:59 to 1:17: (the no less legendary take 25!!): right channel seven studio musicians (four trumpets and three cellos) playing a part brilliantly orchestrated by George Martin, moreover the slide part at the beginning is more audible now and there’s also a snare drum; left channel a frantic drum part played mainly by Ringo with help from George and Mal Evans (one can listen kettledrums, snare drum, toms, tambourine, and maybe more).
1:17 to 1:22: the swordmandel (Hindu instrument) played by George going from right channel to left channel.
1:22 to 1:43: right channel the trumpets and cellos in a more solemn and bright mood; left channel a groundbreaking avant-garde touch, a cymbal played backwards as only rhythm section.
1:43 to 2:28: right channel the cellos and trumpets arrangement is getting more complex with a alternating parts in crotchets and in quavers; left channel repeats the three parts before, the drum track, the swordmandel and the cymbal backwards.
2:28 to 2:56: right channel the orchestral part is getting more rhythmic and achieving a quite ominous feeling; left channel the drum track is back again observing the pauses of the vocal melody.
2:56 to 3:33: right channel an overdrive electric guitar (played possibly by George) shows up at 2:56 and 3:09 being answered by the cellos, a snare drum and the swordmandel shows at the end of this part; left channel with the drum track but showing up some piano at 3:00 and the same swordmandel line of the other channel at 3:15; ending with a fade out.
3:33 to end: after a fade in you can hear on the right channel a tape loop of flutes, an electric guitar at 3:42 going to the left channel and some piano notes at the end; the left channel features the drum track with some touches of piano, electric guitar coming from left channel and, of course “I buried Paul” (sorry, sorry, “cranberry sauce”).

I uploaded myself these You Tube videos to show you this: