I have it backwards if the subject is "which is manipulated." (well, perhaps not; see below). I don't if the subject is "which sounds better to me."
I didn't quote your whole post, but I am aware of all the points you've made. I also use headphones 99% of the time. I
like the hard panned stereo w/ added reverb on the US releases, such as Rubber Soul. And they're as "bad" as it gets. I A/B'ed good portions Rubber Soul mono vs. original stereo and mono vs. modern "loudness wars" stereo recently. I have my preferences, and they are not stricly based on what I grew up with and/or what I know. It's deeper than that. The only advantage I can cite for mono is stronger, more focused vocals.
The main point I was trying to make is that, at least in terms of While My Guitar Gently Weeps (there are other cases, but this is the subject for now), mono mashes all the instruments into "one sound." I
hate that. I want to hear each part speak on its own and assemble that into a collective in my head. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is a prime example of mashing that, to me, destroys the individuality of the instrumental and vocal inputs (with my main complaint, McCartney's brilliant bass line, which is a useless throwaway on the mono version and a stand-out supporting element in the stereo version. I realize that mono was the definitive mix. I get all that. End game: The mono While My Guitar Gently Weeps sounds like garbage to me; conversely, the stereo version opens up the music to be heard on either an individual input or collective input level. Mono only offers the latter, at least in this case.
Put another way, McCartney's bass line on While My Guitar Gently Weeps didn't sound bad at all when he laid it down, as evidenced by its appearance on the stereo mastering. But it sure sounds like indistinct mud on the "definitive" mono mastering. Why is that? If I hate the mono master, how could the mono version have not destroyed what was originally laid down?
This isn't all about liking or disliking the faux, hard-panned stereo of '65; it's all about whether you can hear the bass line on While My Guitar Gently Weeps on the mono version or the stereo version. I can sense it on the mono version; I can live every aspect of it on the stereo version. So, isn't the mono master more manipulated than the stereo master? Screw compression and all that cal. Which parts sound more like they did when they were laid down?