With Apple finally landing the Beatles for the iTunes Music store, I wondered if the competition was going to do anything in response. For example, at the iTunes Music store, the full Beatles Boxed set — obviously misnamed, as it is 1. digital and b) minus the physical materials (which are terrific) — is priced at $149.
What is the price of this elsewhere? Its $189.10 at Best Buy, its $169.99 at Walmart and Barnes & Noble $199.99.
Jeff Bezos has fired a shot across Steve Jobs’ bow: Amazon slashed the price of the Beatles Box set — 14 CDs plus a DVD containing a short “making of” each album — from a list price of $259.98 to a sale price of $129.99. The mono version is same price. And, it ships for free.
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Here is what I wrote about the Beatles Box Set in our 2009 Best of Music:
“The sound quality is revelatory. A team of engineers from Abbey Road Studios spent four years using both state of the art technology plus renovated vintage studio equipment to maintain the authenticity and integrity of the original analog recordings. And it shows. The vocals sound like Paul and John are singing from the middle of your living room. The guitar three-dimensional, with resonance of buzz and acoustics of a real guitar. The songs come alive, full of small details not heard before. It sent me off to buy a new pair of front speakers.”
As sound quality gets worse as files get compressed ever more small in the age of the iPod, this is a delightful throwback. A memorable sonic experience.”>
I have no idea how long Amazon will be running this special. If you are even thining aobut getting this for yourself, snap it up now. If you are close to any Beatles fans who don’t own the set, now you know what you are getting them for the holidays . . .
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Previously:
Amazon’s Price War
A Different Kind of Top 10 Music List for 2009
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