I recently purchased the separate cd's rather than backordering the box set. I bought the stereo version because that's the way I remember them sounding when they were originally released. We only had mono radios back then but my parents had one of the first stereo record players when they came out. So when the fake stereo versions came out we bought them and they sounded pretty good. Much better than the mono versions. The new cd's sound sweet.I listen in stereo mode not surround sound. They still retain the channel separation between instruments and vocals and which artist is singing. I actually turn my head on some passages and this to me is nice. If your interested, the cd version of Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall is great. It was taped in 1958 I believe using mics. set up on the stage. The opening intro with the audience clapping had my father quickly turning off the sound because we had never heard applause coming from around us and he thought the sound was some kind of feed back. Anyhow, The Beatles sound good in stereo. If you want you can play them in mono on your sys.