Led Zeppelin – Mothership

Poor sound. That is sad because the packaging is awesome.

I don't even feel like putting disc 2 on

Great box set, exactly how it was described, would buy from this seller again

I got this brand new from a third party seller through Walmart, two years ago for $9 right after Christmas. Maybe the best deal ever.

What an amazing deal indeed. When first opening the box you are treated to one of the more elaborate packaging methods. To walk you through the experience I will retell mine. Surprisingly bubble wrap is used which looks a little cheap, a custom dampening material would have felt more exclusive if it had matched the slick aesthetic. I had to remind myself that I did indeed purchase a sealed copy. The booklet and sleeves are stacked on top like normal but empty, leaving the records at the bottom in separate plastic sleeves. A brilliant idea to minimize damage on the actual jacket sleeves which you of course may fill once opened. Preferably using your own plastic sleeves that build less static than the ones provided. A little ribbon running along the side is provided to aid the unpackaging process I imagine. Thankfully so because its a tight fit. The outer box back sheet is also included but becomes flimsy without the shrink wrap holding it. Its slightly too large to fit inside the box sadly so you will have to be careful with this tedious extra. Every part has meticulous decoration and care put in. The real question is if it sounds as good as it looks.
I compared with some older re issues from the 70s I have and it holds up extremely well. The pressing is mostly excellent and quiet. A perfect upgrade if you have crackly old copies. One thing I very much appreciate is the high end. It strikes brighter notes that really makes your set up going. But I noticed that the low end and especially bass were not as impressive. Going back to my older issues I feel they might strike a better balance there. If you want to make a wonderful high end the lower end should also have been worked on to compliment it. Perhaps that is mostly subjective however. For only using 4 records they made it count. Too bad you miss out on hits like Thank you and The rain song.
If you want a new collection of Led Zeppelin songs but are short on money to buy the more expensive 6 record box from the 90s or all the 2014 remaster albums then this is a perfect choice for you. It wont disappoint. Even I as an owner of many Zeppelin albums am happy to have it, although it can feel a bit redundant since I rather listen to the full albums most of the time.

Edit: After more careful listening and perhaps with a bit of prejudice I have to re evaluate some of my standpoints. The high end is still really clear and crisp but the the music really takes a downgrade when it gets busy, especially anywhere other than the high end. Even my dirty Italian copy has better sound on immigration song. It might be unfair because of inner groove distortion so I tried Good times bad times and Baby Im gonna leave you and I still prefer my 70s issues. On Baby Im gonna leave you sure the individual guitar strings sound clearer but the vocals are lost along with the emotion in the music. Its more like CD which would be quite accurate considering this is pressed from the same digital source of the tapes that the 2014 remasters used. Listening to both new pressings I cant tell them apart, even the volume is the exact same so it must be. Now I dont hate digital as long as its done right, its all about the sound, I love the Pink Floyd 2016 remasters, all made from digital. But I cant say I have been playing the box too often. Its just more fun with whole albums. Especially when I now consider them sounding better overall. Im going to start collecting the Classic Records releases and compare, supposedly they are the best since the original. While this box is not bad I would only recommend it if you are not a huge fan of Led Zeppelin and you want the best songs on a newer release. Then its brilliant. Otherwise save your money for some NM 70s issues or look at saving towards the Classic Records from 2000 or 2007 by Bernie Grundman.

Equipment used:
Rega RP1 with Rega carbon cartridge
Cyrus 2 Amplifier
System Fidelity SF-3050 tower speakers
Custom made HQ speaker cables

possibly one of the best uses of $50 in a long time, the vinyl, alone with box it comes in are beautiful and sound quality is amazing, do yourself a favor, if you haven't already pick this up