Beocenter 3500 issues & good news!

12 replies
RR
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Richard Rose
Bronze
Posted July 21, 2017 at 22:58 GMT
#2088058

Greetings, new member here. So at least 10 years ago I took my Beocenter 3500 in for service. Not sure I remember why but I do know they said it was beyond repair. Turntable motor was done & no replacements available. In addition, right side channel was out & "not worth fixing". So into storage it went, simply to good to look at to throw away. Recntly I decided to play around a bit. Gave it a good cleaning inside and out. Removed TT assembly per instructions I found here with the help of the downloaded service manual, thank you silver membership. I even took apart the front panel for a thourough cleaning & to improve the sliding controls. All put together minus the TT assembly. Here is what I have found. Tuner works but sound does not come out of right side speaker. Also, the tiny "nub" on the tuner wire - the one that catches the sliding control - is gone. So slider does nothing. Top is open so I can tune manually but that will need fixing. But, to my great surprise when I hooked up a different TT (5500) it plays perfectly out of both speakers!! Yes! So my research here indicates a TT motor bushing rebuild including the infusion of new lubricant. But where to start with the tuner issues? It looks like any work that gets done on this will need to be done by myself. So thank you in advance for this great resource - and I hope to get a lot of fresh advice to make this beautiful B & O fully functional. Oh by the way my speakers are S45-2, with stands that I purchased new around 1980 when I bought the used Beocenter. I am currently sandblasting / repainting the stands as they had acquired some corrosion. Thank You pets! The 5500 TT is part of a complete 5500 system donated to me with several issues. But that is another story - at least the turntable works!:)

Location: USA

Richard Rose
RR
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Richard Rose
Bronze
Posted July 22, 2017 at 01:53 GMT
#2088059

So after playing a couple of records I connected an FM antenna and now tuner is playing through both speakers. Getting a tiny bit of static sound using the volume control.

Thoughts?

Location: USA

Richard Rose
RR
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Richard Rose
Bronze
Posted July 22, 2017 at 16:49 GMT
#2088060

As I mentioned above, I found here at Beoworld step by step instructions for removal of turntable assembly from the Beocenter. I was confused because part of the instructions said to remove a lead once the TT assembly is tilted up a bit. This is a separate step from disconnecting the DIN lead. I could find no such lead to disconnect. The tech disabled my TT years ago. Would he have clipped a lead? I cannot find any loose wires or places to plug something in. My question here is does the plugging in of the DIN @ Phono 1 power the TT? In this case, the TT shows no signs of life. Switch does nothing, turn or lift. There is no humming - just nothing. What am I missing?

Location: USA

Richard Rose
RR
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Richard Rose
Bronze
Posted July 22, 2017 at 23:59 GMT
#2088061

More questions. If phone 1 powers the supplied TT, and phone 2 is for another TT that has a pre amp, why does my  eogram 5500 work plugged into phono 1? It has a separate power cord plugged into the wall. 5500 does not produce sound plugged into phono 2 but does operate.

Location: USA

Richard Rose
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dmacri (archived2)
Bronze
Posted July 23, 2017 at 02:42 GMT
#2088062
Phono 1 is for cartridge level, Phono 2 is for line level. That's why the BG5500 works on one, but not the other input.
RR
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Richard Rose
Bronze
Posted July 23, 2017 at 03:04 GMT
#2088063

Dom, thank you for the reply & pardon my ignorance but what do those terms mean? 

Location: USA

Richard Rose
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dmacri (archived2)
Bronze
Posted July 23, 2017 at 15:36 GMT
#2088064
No problem. When I wrote "cartridge level", I meant the very low voltage level created by the cartridge itself. This is equalized and amplified in the BC to the higher voltage typically associated with tape decks, CD players, and radio tuners, which are all considered "line level" before it is routed to the output stage of the amplifier.

For example, a cartridge might have a 5 millivolt output, but a CD player may put out 1 volt. A huge difference in level.
RR
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Richard Rose
Bronze
Posted July 26, 2017 at 13:57 GMT
#2088065

So, I continue to be baffled by the function of this Beocenter 3500. This is what is happening. Turn the unit on using either "FM" or "Phono 1". In the case of FM all is well, good reception, sensitive tuner selection sliding control & usually sound from both speakers. Using volume slider control I do get some static with right speaker going in & out. Once I settle on a volume setting both speakers work. Using any of 6 presets results in unsatisfactory tuning - not seeming to remember stations & right speaker works only intermittently. Choosing Phono 1 & operating connected Beogram 5500 turntable results in quality play with sound from both speakers. However, using volume control results in static & intermittent right speaker loss. So, is there most likely a problem with the volume control or the right channel? In addition, I am at a complete loss as to why the turntable supplied with the Beocenter shows absolutely no signs of life when connected to the Beocenter.

Location: USA

Richard Rose
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dmacri (archived2)
Bronze
Posted July 27, 2017 at 11:43 GMT
#2088066
The static noise is caused by the volume slider. It has a control for each channel, so the left slider is just working better than the right. If you search the forum, you can find some descriptions of how others have addressed this. The BC3500 has a similar volume arrangement to the Beomaster 3000 series of components.
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dmacri (archived2)
Bronze
Posted July 27, 2017 at 11:47 GMT
#2088067
As far as the presets not sounding right, you may have to fiddle with the little channel controls on the front to really pull in the signals. Make sure you turn the AFC off first, and then tune to the strongest signal using the tuning arrows as a guide. The dials are small, so just little movements have a big change. Let us know if you have any luck. Also check out the Workbench section if this site for more tips.
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