I came to the party fairly late. I started building a stereo system in the late 70s and early 80s while still in high school. I changed equipment over the years from Technics to HH Scott to McIntosh, to VTL, speakers from Polk Audio to Infinity to Vandersteen. I was never completely satisfied. I started selling my idle stereo equipment and rebuilding "classic" stereo receivers from the 70s - Pioneer, Marantz, H/K, Yamaha, Rotel, etc. for resale on eBay and I noticed each had their own "sound". Different, but not quite "right".

About 2 years ago, I thought it would be nice if I could find a high quality stereo system that all matched in quality and design. I saw an add for some B&O equipment and gave it a shot - $20 for a BeoCenter 3500 and a TX. I don't recall ever hearing about B&O, so when I tried them out I was shocked at the quality of sound and elegance of design, even though they didn't match each other. After a little research, mostly on this site, it seemed the BeoSystem 5000 was just what I was looking for. I bought a BM5000 from eBay, hoping the sound would be as "right" as the BC 3500 and was thrilled to find it was.

Next I bought the rest of the system one at a time - BG 5005, BC 5000, BG CD50 and then I found a BeoVox s-45 (the 80s version) which needed a refoam. I was clearly infected with the Beovirus. Then a BeoVox CX-50, BeoVox S-45 (original version), RL-140, C-75, which all needed some TLC. Who knew 28 point linen in black is a perfect match for the S-45 fabric? Anyway, I added MLC82 to the BS 5000 to extend music to three other rooms - the system connected to Vandy 2Ci in the Living Room, S-45 in the dinning room, CX-75 in the Master Bath, Sonance ceiling speakers (need BeoVox 1s?) in the kitchen; each room with it's own IR eye and MCP 5000, and I full remote control of my music everywhere! I hooked up my iPod Touch (A8 earphones when of the dock, of course) to the BS 5000 and running Tango, I can control music from any link room in my house from my iPhone.

I've never enjoyed music as much in my life or listened as much as I do now. I actually love the sound from the S-45s and C-75s as much as I do from the Vandys. How can speakers that small produce quality bass that low? Next move is to extend the MCL82 to my Den. I guess once infected you never go back... and don't want to.

Dom

I too have told my story elsewhere on this forum, but don't mind repeating myself ... with a variation on the theme.

Peter's comment reminded me of when I saw my first piece of Hi-Fi magic (like Craig's experience) ... but it was not B&O ... I was 15 years old, and my school friends and I decided to visit the 1965 London Hi-Fi show.  In those days the various firms seemed to rent rooms in different hotels (probably round and about Earls Court) and so I recall us traipsing from one hotel to another.

In one room we found the Elac Miracord 50h (

My infection with Beofever reflects those diseases that lay dormant in the body for many years and only fully present themselves in all their virulence at a much later date -  in my case 30 years later!

It started, almost imperceptibly, in 1971, with just a single purchase of a Beogram 1001.  I didn't even recognise it as a problem.  A few years later, a beogram 1500 and a pair of 2702s started my infection with a subtly different strain - the Rosewood variation - to which I am still highly susceptible.  Then a Beolab 1700 and a Beolit.

A strange aberation followed, very rare amongst sufferers, involving a Beogram 4000 coupled with a Sugden A48.  Now the Sugden was a very fine Class A amp but with very traditional British styling - thinks Roberts Radio.  Whilst musically these two items were well matched being very sweet, smooth and detailed especially when feeding a pair of monstrous Mordaunt Short floor standing loudspeakers with horn-loaded tweeters, visually they were chalk and cheese.

Then the Hi Fi disease of 'up-grading' overpowered the mild strain of Beofever and I ended up with a Linn Sonndek LP12/SME/Shure/Quad set up.  But like many suffering this problem, I was spending more time listening to the HiFi rather than the music and after a period with a BeoCenter 1600 and a pair of Sonabs, I decided enough was enough and bought one of the first Beosystem 2500s in 1991, shortly followed by a Beosystem 10 and an MX1500.  And this was how my condition remained for nearly 20 years - mild symptoms, but stable and living a normal life.  Then I discovered Beoworld! 

A Beocenter 4000 from the 70s started it off.  Then other symptoms - a BG 4004, a BM 2400, a BC5000 (70s again) and a pair of S45s.  Then a BM 4400, a CDX and a BG 1700, a BeoCenter 9500 and a full 8000 system with a pair of MC120.2s.  Smaller infections broke out - pairs of CX100s, 1702s and S40s.  More recently a 6500 system and a pair of S50s and very recently a pair of P45s

I thought age brought a reduction in prevalence of this fever but apparently not.  I think it may be terminal.

Cleve

I drove by the Bang & Olufsen store in Union Square in San Francisco around midnight and couldn't believe what I was seeing behind the glass. I stopped the car, got out, but of course the place was closed. I got up extra early the next morning to drive back down to the store and was the first guy there. I was completely amazed. That was 1993. I started off with a BeoCom 1401, and moved on from there. 😁

Cleviebaby wrote:

My infection with Beofever reflects those diseases that lay dormant in the body for many years and only fully present themselves in all their virulence at a much later date -  in my case 30 years later!

Same here, bought my first in 1969, BG 1000, BM 900, BV 1000s, long gone. 2001/2 I bought BS 3000, BL 4000s, 2002/3 used BL 8000s and a BG 2404 from the bay.

But 2009 September I think I was surfing the US bay and saw a BM 901 with 3 days left and no bids, I bid USD 20.00, 3 days later I got it, I didn't know exactly what I got into, and started getting active on the forum, found out that I probably had to do something on the 901. The 901 was shipped from Seattle to McAllen TX and left there until December 2009, well a reciever needs speakers and I found a pair of S45s.

The forum really got me, so before I went to pick up the 901 I bought a BM 2400 to fit my BG 2404. Got all of it home refubished and playing, must have been around middle of 2010, but I needed more speakers, surfing for speakers I found a BG 5000 I just had to have, that one came with a MMC 4 that still plays good, meantime the the BG 2404 lost its needle, a new SMMC4 was ordered from Soundsmith, September 2010 I found a pair of BV 3702, and 2011 from Jaff bay I bought a pair of BV 3000 flat panel just for the design. Also 2011 I found a nice looking BM 4000 that is my main refurb now, but as I intend to use a pair of speakers as surround I will need 1 or 2 more pair of speakers and for the BM 4000 a BG 4000 is a must, and my dream is to find a good reel to reel to complete the BM 2404, I know Leslie is sitting on one or two😁 Will it ever end, I hope not (well the fabric selector has some ideas about it, but I desided to ignore that as long as posible😮)

Where did it start?

I can recall playing around with big wheels on a rosewood BM2000 way back in the '70s or so at my moms parents and they also had a black Beolit something in the kitchen. My dads parents had a BG2200 and a pair of Beovox S45-2 bought in 1979 by one of my dads 3 sisters.

My parents only had a Beogram 1202 and at some point some Beovox 1000's. I spent many hours listning to the Beogram 1202.

A typical B&O store visit in the early 1990's would be in , god those prices! and out again.

It was not until the late 1990's that I realized that I did never get into a good sounding stereo but guitars, effects and amps for tone. I ended up buying a 3cd JVC stereo system and I got the Beogram 1202 from my parents.

One day I saw an ad in the local paper with a Beogram 2000 '80s version in the other end of the city so I went and had a look. There was nothing wrong with 1202 but I properly wanted something newer or so. I bought complete with mmc4 for not much. It played great.

The next big thing in getting the Beovirus going was back in 2003 when my mom asked me to find a cheap stereo. I found a tape recorder in a thrift store and went by a radio store to get a cleanning casette tape. The seller took a look, said wait a minute and came back with a rosewood Beocord 9000. The price was a bit over the budget and my parents did use casettes at all. Yes I know and that thrift store player did not work so end of that story.

I decided then to get that BC9000. It was to cool to let go. Anyway I still had to find a cheap stereo so I saw an ad for a Beocenter 2000 which was cheap enough. I called the seller and I asked about how it looked as I had no idea. Flat and silvery? My Beogram was a 2000. I have it but it does not work came the reply. By the end of that call we agreed on the Beocenter and the flat, silvery non working something. He would be around in a few hours.

I went for something to eat and got to think what if there is a Beogram in it? I dont have a use for it. It turned out to be a Beomaster 2000 and a Beocord 2000 that was just was needed to complete the main 3 units of the Beosystem 2000 80's. The Beocenter 2000 also worked for radio and recordplayer.   

The next day I carried the BM and BC to the radio store to get if fixed. Meanwhile I found Beoworld and I could see that I needed a pair of Beovox X35 speakers which I found on ebay.co.uk in mint condition inside and out. Bad sounding so I got other spekaers quickly but kept them.

How do I arrange 3 units? The answer came with a nice Attyca II not far from where I lived. A week or 2 later I went to the radio store to hear how it was going. We found the faults and would cost so and so. Is it worthwhile to do? Yes, right then fix it.

So it was really just a few events that led up to it really. I used the Beosystem 2000 untill 2006 and then sold it on with the Beovox X35. No problems it was always working great.

The direction now became the Beolab 8000 system. I allready had the BC9000 which I had used for playback only once in a while. During the years of locating and other general experience I also got into Beosystem 6000 and 6500 + Beovisions as TVs etc.

I got to know Dillen and his brilliant work on nearly all of the audio stuff. I also got my own thread on HIFI4all a Danish HIFI forum called old school B&O which basically describes my B&O experience from the time 2008 and still going. Its in Danish but here is the link:

link

I also got my photobucket link which has a lot of old school B&O related pictures:

link

Friedmett wrote:

I got to know Dillen and his brilliant work on nearly all of the audio stuff. I also got my own thread on HIFI4all a Danish HIFI forum called old school B&O which basically describes my B&O experience from the time 2008 and still going. Its in Danish but here is the link:

I have been following Friedmett on Hifi4all the last 2 years and his turnaround and repairs by Matin is more than the best on Beoworld, I think he has more Kms of cables in his house than London has drainage pipes.😁