All CD50's are well beyond their sell by date and are becoming unreliable.  Fixing them is a bit beyond the average DIYer and you will need a specialist. The only one I know of is based in the deep south but someone in your area may be along later to help in this respect. My general advice would be to consider buying the later CD5500 model which will work 100% with your 5000 system and will be more reliable.

Now to the MX4002. Why are you even thinking about it???? The remote is worth £80-100 so that means you are getting a MX4002 for £25. If you don't want it just let me know where it is and I will have it!!

A small point. Just what do you do on a TV to regularly service it????? You can hoover the dust out of the back but beyond that it is bull.

Most RL series speakers have now got bands or a band missing. A satisfactory replacement has not been found ,in my opinion. I suggest taking them all off and forgetting about them. They actually do nothing functional.

joeyboygolf wrote:

Most RL series speakers have now got bands or a band missing. A satisfactory replacement has not been found ,in my opinion. I suggest taking them all off and forgetting about them. They actually do nothing functional.

Just the other day at the office, I noticed that new cardboard shipping cartons came in bunches strapped together with something that looks exactly the same as RL straps - colour, thickness, stiffness. Too bad it was too narrow (like 5mm instead of 12mm, as I remember on my RL60.2s), otherwise I would've salvaged it. I have no idea where to get such packing strap separately, but it must be made from either polypropylene or mylar.

But if you decide to remove the rest of the straps, don't just forget them - sell them to someone else who is missing them!

tournedos wrote:

joeyboygolf wrote:

Most RL series speakers have now got bands or a band missing. A satisfactory replacement has not been found ,in my opinion. I suggest taking them all off and forgetting about them. They actually do nothing functional.

But if you decide to remove the rest of the straps, don't just forget them - sell them to someone else who is missing them!

The reason for my suggestion is that if one strap has fallen apart then it's a fair bet that the others are probably not going to last much longer. Would you buy them or would you be happy selling them?

Can't argue with most of that except that the laser on the CD50 is almost bomb proof unlike the CD5500 which can break. Usual problem is the motor which needs overhauling - however I agree with Graham that getting this done is not so easy!

Agree about the MX - I live closer than Graham so if you don't want it ....!! 😂

Thanks for replies so far. On the basis of Graham's response I have just emailed the seller to agree to buy the MX!!

I had thought about getting a CD5500 but seeing as I only recently bought the 5000 system and the CD50 does work most of the time I had hoped there would be a way to get the small problems fixed - I suppose it depends on the costs involved in repair. I do spend a third of the year at my parents house in South Oxfordshire (I'm just a student in Durham) a lot of the time so if there is no one up here available I could always take it down with me. If it's not cost effective I may just live with the problems for now.

I have almost given up on the RL straps although it seems a shame to remove them as personally I think they add something to the design.

I guessed you were a student! (Your room!)  I do have a spare CD50 with recently serviced motor which you can swap for your less than useful one. I am just to the east of Newcastle but if you are interested, send me a PM and we can work something out. No RL straps as I have given away both pairs of RLs though!

joeyboygolf wrote:

The reason for my suggestion is that if one strap has fallen apart then it's a fair bet that the others are probably not going to last much longer. Would you buy them or would you be happy selling them?

Luckily I'm not in the market either way. I just loathe the idea of throwing away something that might save the originality of some other pair. At least let the fixing blocks stay on in case you (or some later owner) stumble upon suitable replacement material later on...

And I agree that the RLs look naked without the straps.

Thanks for the offer Peter, I have sent you a PM. Well guessed about the room! I suppose I would have called it my bedroom otherwise. I should add my room is rapidly accumulting B&O equipment that it doesn't really have space for! I have read people on here saying it's like an addiction and I think they're right. I'd hardly heard of B&O until January and the MX will be my third purchase!

I have just bought some RL140s from ebay (for £23!) so if they're not in great condition I might just remove the straps from those and try and sell the speakers on!

The straps are a different size - RL140s are really quite big!! £23 is a very good price! You could always tie them together and use them as a punt!