Hi REL100, I have the same setup as you do (Beosystem 5500 with Beolab 8000 speakers. I am using audio cables with (RCA) phono connectors connected to the pre-amp out of the BM5500 into the Line In of the Beolab 8000. It works and sounds very well this way. There are two drawbacks to this connection however, the mute function doesn't work this way, and if you connect headphones to the BM5500, again the speakers won't mute. This doesn't bother me though. You can also check with your B&O dealer or possibly Steve at Sounds Heavenly for a cable/adaptor to connect to the speaker link (speaker 1) outputs of the BM5500 to the phono Line In on the BL8000, with a stepdown transformer (to reduce the amplified signal coming out of the speaker link outputs). Connection this way will allow the mute function to work. Hope that helps! Tommy

I think B&O used to (still?) supply attenuating leads so that you could connect you main speaker outputs to the line in of your active Beolabs. This meant that the Beomaster retained it's full functionality.

I'm sure Steve at Sounds Heavenly will be able to offer a solution.

p.s. do not connect your Beomaster speaker outputs directly to your Beolabs without any sort of attenuator inline - you may seriously damage your equipment.

Thanks guys for the advice.  It seems I could have done a bit of damage without it.  I've whistled off an e-mail to Steve at Sounds Heavenly in the hope that I can buy some cables tailored to fix the problem.  Thanks again.

Aren't you going to get better sound quality through line level though?

I would expect so otherwise, but the line out connections in BM5500 are before the volume control and fixed level - thus not usable for this purpose.

Hi Tommy, I've e-mailed Steve at Heavenly Sounds twice over the last week without so much as a 'thanks for your enquiry' response.  Are they usually this slow? Roger.

OK I've just given up ever hearing from Heavenly Sounds!!  And the complexity of getting my Beomaster 5500 to work with the new speakers just frightens me!

My next question is ......I have an Overture and Beolab 8000s.  Is it possible to overcome the fact that this only takes a single CD by connecting either an I-Pod or MP3?

Hi,

Yes via the AUX port on the Overture, my dealer made one up for me, but there used to be a guy by the name of Ridax on here that did a cable that allowed some functionality from the BEO4. Try a search for Ridax.

Shazbat

REL100 wrote:

Hi Tommy, I've e-mailed Steve at Heavenly Sounds twice over the last week without so much as a 'thanks for your enquiry' response.  Are they usually this slow? Roger.

Hi REL100, sorry to have taken so long to answer your post as well.  I'm not sure what Steve at Sounds Heavenly's average response time is.  A lot of people here on BeoWorld seem to have been very happy with his work though.  If you really want to use the Beomaster 5500 with your BL8000's, don't give up, as I mentioned, I'm using the same combination right now, and am very happy with it!  As mentioned elsewhere, you can definitely connect your iPod/MP3 player to the BS4000 using a simple adaptor cable.  Check with your local B&O dealer, or even on eBay.  There are a lot of different DIN to RCA or DIN to 1/8 mini-jack cable adaptors out there.  

Tommy