Finally had a chance to give the Beatles USB a "spin" (so to speak)!
First off, it was a breeze to copy all the FLAC albums directly to my ReadyNAS NV+ server. Took only about 20 mins to transfer all of them, which was a LOT easier than ripping and tagging them individually from the CD versions. That alone probably made the "premium" paid for the USB version worth it. My only complaint is that the album cover art is NOT included in each album folder, so I'll have to add it later.
Next up, I previewed a couple of the movies on my laptop. Lots of great footage from days gone by, and a nice addition to the set. At some point I'll see if I can play them on my large screen TV via my Oppo BDP-83 USB port.
As for the MUSIC... INCREDIBLE! I've never heard such musical detail and soundstaging with these albums. Just randomly browsing albums and tracks, Paul and John's vocals often floated magically before us, with guitar and drum riffs cleanly delivered. My wife even started dancing around and singing like she was a teenage girl in the late 60's (which, by the way, she was). We strolled down memory lane for about 2 hrs, and can't wait to do it again.
I haven't had a chance to really compare the 24bit/44.1kHz FLAC files vs. the 16bit/44.1kHz CD versions, but at first blush, the slightly higher resolution of the FLAC files sounds a tad quieter, with slightly cleaner bass reproduction.
One caveat, however, for anybody who buys the remastered Stereo set, whether CD or USB. These albums were recorded in the 60's and 70's, and in many cases, the limitations of the recording/mastering technology are clearly evident. The early "stereo" albums often have vocals on one channel, with guitars on the other, so don't expect this to be a "miracle" transformation. It's not.
The only downside to the USB stick (which, BTW, also comes preloaded with MP3 files as well, for easy d/l to your iPod), is that I can't sit down and physically leaf through the individual albums and art. However, as mentioned above, I think I'll be able to view it on my TV while listening.
Anybody else have the USB version yet?
Lastly, have you all heard that Apple/EMI has confirmed that the remastered set will eventually be released on vinyl! They say they are just starting to work on that, so it will be some time before it's done.