If he wants to go all DAC with tubes, why not just use an external DAC with the CD 5500? Weird he would brutalize a nice player like that.

If you want to go with an external DAC but still want datalink, you could do like I did an make an adaptor connecting from the S/PDIF of the CD5500 to a DAC to 7pin din male with datalink looped in from a 7pin female to the DIN cable of the CD5500. It all tucks away nicely and let’s you play with DACs when you are bored and like to skip songs by remote.

I know and I have an external tube DAC with a headphone amplifier, I listen to music from music services by my phone through it.

Why would anyone use an external DAC when they have such a nice player, with a perfectly adequate DAC inside?

Perhaps you convince yourself it will be better, but that’s it, self suggestion, placebo.

The CD5500 is a fine player as it is. Use it and forget the useless tweaks.

I agree on the sheer beauty of the MCP 5500. Has it ever been equaled?

Quad made a vague attempt back in the late 80’s, but there was no display, it was unidirectional.

Yes, I picked it up, I got it !!!!

Now, first listening and first comparisons.

 

 

At night I will start to dismantle and I will see what is inside.

Music & Lights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpIbgBChVgY

It looks like two absolute pristine sets. Its the first time i have seen the 5000 stacked, the displays are awesome! I would keep both!

Hard to imagine the company now excels in making plastic boxes meant to be hidden.

After opening Beomaster, no surprises. everything is nice, only the capacitors in the power supply were replaced.

 

 

Inside Beogram CD5500 little surprise, it's like CD3300 TDA1541 with SAA7220P / A and CDM-2/10, usually is TDA1541A with SAA7220P / B and CDM 4/11.

CDM is brand new, I have old in box ( working but sometimes with problems )

 

Beocord is after BT upgrade. On board is Nuforce BT DAC ( apt-X, SBC, AAC codecs ).

When I select the tape, the BT module is powered with the Beocord power supply. The blue LED flashes on the Beocord panel. I can listen to the tape, or give it a stop and listen to BT through the tape audio track. It really works well !!! Spotify sounds good via BT.

 

And now I will compare sound and comfort of use.

... and ... after two days with music, once 5000, once 5500, I can say:

Beosystem 5000 sounds better. Much better, it's like comparing the original and mp3 copy. No important configuration, always Beomaster 5000 sounded better, warm, bright, fully, analog.

The Beogram CD50 sound also beats the CD5500 for me. CD50 has something that makes every music is a favorite, on CD5500 even favorite music sounds like any other.

but...

First of all I'm impressed by the number of connections at BM5500. I have a DAC connected under TAPE2 and TV under AUX and I could still push something there. The BM5000 was poor in connection. Second, control with BL1000 and MCP5500 is much better than Terminal 5000 and MCP5000. Controlling without opening the Beomaster panel is not bad. After one day I reached for Beolink1000 instead of opening the panel, although I was sitting next to the Beosystem.

Beomaster 5500 sounds stronger. From the very bottom of the volume it drives both M70 and KEF's. In BM5000 I had to give over 20, so that it could be heard that the bass works although it was still very quiet.

I love "Direct Sound", and without any additional settings BM5000 sounded wonderful, BM5500 tuned to the same level by changing bass and treble. Now they sound almost the same, but "almost" does make a difference.

The poor and simple display style and the size of the numbers in the Beosystem 5000 made a greater impression on me than the multiplicity of data and inconsistency on the 5500 Beosystem panels.

 

What to do now my colleagues ... what to do now my friends ?? Too many points for yes, too many points for no. echhhh....

If I bought both today, I would choose Beosystem 5500, but having Beosystem 5000 for a long time ... maybe I just feel reluctance to 5500 and I'm not objective. Maybe, however, ... wife out

Ok,

I decided. 5500 stayed. Now I will be looking for a new home for Beosystem 5000:

-Beomaster 5000

-Beocord 5000

-Beogram CD50

-Beogram 5000 or 5005 can be chosen with newly retipped MMC4

-MCP5000 and Terminal 5000 remote controler 

 

I am puzzled by your decision.

You said the 5000 sounded really much better (it does, a little), and now you keep the 5500, purely on convenience grounds?

I’d take sound quality over ease of use anytime. But that’s just me

Not completely.  I am selling my 5000 because it is complete and can be worth something.  Maybe someone will take.  I leave myself the comfort of 5,500 but ... I just bought another Beomaster 5000 and I will probably make a mix with 5500 blocks

Don't over overlook the Beomaster 5500 uses a different volume scale than the Beomaster 5000.

Keep this in mind if you do a comparison.

... And I still have old damaged Marantz with TDA1541A with a crown.  I will do a CD5500 upgrade.  We'll see, maybe it will be better.

I can’t hear a single difference between regular 1541s and crowned ones (I have two).

Plus you’ll have to unsolder the regular one before replacement.