sonavor,

What did you find for the platter height to sound best? Some say the aluminum platter part level with aluminum surround or slightly higher. I have been trying to adjust mine for best sound with zero record surface noise. I had one setting where the platter was even with the aluminum surround plate and the sound was wonderful but the right channel had surface noise while the left didn't. when I got the table to be quiet then the highs in the left channel were sizzly. not a lot but enough to irritate. Any suggestion?

Thanks.

I adjusted the suspension springs for the floating chassis so the turntable top surface is about 2mm higher than the deck cover plate.  That is per the service manual.  However, you must try and set the distance between the tonearm/detector arm top surfaces and the platter top surface to 19.5mm.  That 19.5mm setting would be more crucial to the sound as it affects how the cartridge will meet the vinyl record.  The 2mm platter height to the deck cover plate is for the ideal spring suspension position so that is what I try to set on my BG8002 decks.  With the 8002 adjusted to factory settings, any surface noise you hear will most likely come from the vinyl record.  Remember, there are a lot of variations with the vinyl record media.  Vinyl records come in different thicknesses, the center holes are not always perfectly centered and there is often a little warping with the disk.  Those are things you just have to live with.  All you can really do is adjust the turntable to the ideal specifications set in the service manual. 

I have a few warped records and while they definitely produce some noticeable surface noise on the lead in, the 8002 manages to play them quite well (even at 1 gram tracking force).  I try not to play or keep many warped records though as they put a lot of extra strain on the cartridge suspension. 

-sonavor

The top of the detector arm is to be level (at the same height) as the tonearm.  So when you set the 19.5mm distance of the detector arm to the platter surface, that should also be the distance of the tonearm.  I should have mentioned the service manual has another adjustment procedure calling for setting the tonearm level with the detector arm.

It still don't see how it would make any difference to the sound quality, the tone-arm adjustment screw only affects the tone-arms rest position. It doesn't actually change the height of it. All the screw does is prevent the tone-arm counter-weight falling too low and causing the tone-arm (cartridge end) to sit higher. Its purely cosmetic. The height off the sensor arm is important as it won't detect correctly if it is set too high. 

The 19.5mm will be the starting point for the tonearm lowering to a vinyl record, right?  That would affect the angle of the stylus to the grooves I think.  There are a number of mechanical position adjustments (from 5-1 to 5-3) in the service manual that are important to the resulting sound I believe.  Since I am not an expert, I can only go by the service manual instructions as the way to properly set up the turntable for service.  The adjustments have worked for me on the Beogram 8002 turntables I have had an opportunity to work on.  It was mentioned that the turntable platter needs to be level, that is very true as well.  The suspension must be level and the 2mm platter height (over the deck) should be consistent all the way around.  I haven't run into any problems on my BG8002 turntables with the decks being level once I had gone through all of the mechanical adjustments.  My point is that all of the 5-1 through 5-3 adjustments should be made and should be attainable during service of the turntable. If all of those adjustments are set and the resulting sound is not satisfactory, the problem is likely the cartridge (suspension, tracking force, stylus condition) or the media (warping, center hole not true, etc.).

The point I am trying to make is that certain adjustments have no impact on the sound quality.The tone-arm height adjustment screw doesn't change the height of the pivot, only the resting position. Therefore it will have no impact on the angle of the stylus whatsoever. Neither will the platter height as both the tone-arm carriage and the platter are both attached to the floating sub-chassis in fixed positions. As long as the platter is level and the suspension has enough head room, and the sensor arm is at the correct height to detect the markings on the platter to enable record detection. Everything else is just cosmetic... The only adjustments that will affect the sound quality are the azimuth of the cartridge, ensuring that the tonearm is at 90 degrees to the carriage rails, and the diaphragm (for linear motion) is set correctly to keep the stylus in the centre of the groove as the platter rotates...

And of course ensuring that the tracking force is properly set....

Today I readjusted my VTF and made sure with my Mana spirit level that the table and platter level which I found out the table itself was not level. Leveled the table leveled the platter. Put an LP and I was in sonic heaven! The groove noise was gone on the right channel and the soundstage/imaging was dead center. No more sizzling in the left channel that I had described yesterday in my post. All groove noise is gone from all records except those that had it already from the Thrift stores where I bought them. When Micro line or Shibata type tip cartridges are set properly the surface noise of LP's should be totally quiet unless there are scratches on the LP's. Clean records help too! ;)

I built a SUT using the Sowter MM 1090 step up transformers since my MMC 20CL didn't have enough output for my Tube Phono preamp. Now with the SUT I have 5mV output and the BO Beogram 8000 now sound really nice and way better than before.

Thank you to everyone here for there help and info, I really appreciate it.

Hi all,

I'm new owner of a BEO system (Beomaster 8000, Beogram 8002 and Beocord 9000) and I need to repair the Beomaster and Beogram.

Well, my beogram don't work, when I press play button, the plate is turning but tonearm don't move. There is no light on the arm.

What can I check first ?

I already order MArtin's capkit to recap my beogram, I'm waiting it :)

Thanks for help