Also pretty sure that the aux socket on the 3200 has not got Datalink - I might be wrong though.

thanks for the thoughtful responses to my little dilemma ;)

I just finalized the deal for the 4002.  The seller insists that the player is fully functional, and everything works as it should.. I'm a little nervous, but hopeful that it's a diamond in the rough.

I guess that leaves me the tasks of finding an appropriate Phono-Preamp, as well as looking into replacing the MMC... 

Can anyone recommend a sensible Preamp?

Any used cartridge types that are compatible with the 4002 that I should look out for online?? Or would new aftermarket make more sense?

and no adapter was ever created to attach a Datalink cable to a Masterlink cable???

I know my questions are pretty much multiplying with each post.. With a little luck though, this should round off the setup..

thanks again!

To my ageing ears the Soundsmith sounds best. Then the CL (NOS). Then the SP12 !

I'd like to hear the other higher end soundsmith carts, the elliptical stylus isn't up to tracking all the tiniest nuances of the groove but I'm sure the finer stylus profiles will sound good. I'm only 29 years old so the higher frequencies still stand out to me ;-P

any (compatible!) cartridges where I would have an above average chance of finding an inexpensive one used online....??? So far 330 for the Beogram, 150 for cables and Phono-Preamp... I've already spent way more on the initial purchase than I was, uh, hoping, so once again, hoping perhaps naively to keep the costs down on the cartridge....

It will be worth it if everything works and you can upgrade the cartridge later -initially I was really impressed with my Thorens and AT cartridge but have ended up going back to my BG1500 bought new when I started working in 1979. The Beograms are so much easier to setup - none of that messing around with alignment and everything.

I would like to buy a fully restored 4000 series deck or 8000 if I could find one - problem with eBay is that there is no guarantee it would work reliably and the trusted dealers dont seem to stock them

Lee, your summary of the cartridges was really useful - having gone back to my BG I'll look at getting the cartridge restored - I have a couple so can do without one for a few weeks.

So much so that I am thinking of treating my deck to the 20CL you recommend - do you think it will be ok on BG1500 or would i better getting a 20EN for it? - I dont want to damage an expensive cartridge and could always wait until I get a better deck. To my ears the 20EN I currently have sounds a bit muffled when compared to the AT95E on the Thorens - I have no idea how old the cartridge is or how much its been played as I got it from another turntable.