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You can use the Beomaster 1900 with Beolab Pentas using the speaker link function. The amplified signal is attentuated by the Penta – you set it up using the controls on the drop down flap – this is a link to the manual telling you how to do it.
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Pentas can accept both line and amplified inputs so I suspect can take input from your LG set. I use a pair of Pentas with a Beolab 2 though with a Beovision. I do also have an LG set I use with a B&O Stage and it works very well. Pentas are getting quite long in the tooth now – I would contact Multicare for further advice – they may be able to offer more advice and certainly can refurbish a pair. The Beolab 2 is great with films though I am less convinced that it is great with music. I have a blue one!
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I would suggest swapping it from right to left just to check it is not the source – I guess you have done this already – in which case I can only imagine there is a fault in the amplifier – will need service – from experience, Multicare know what they are doing. About to take one of my Pentas in which has done something similar!
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Well done – I always liked the 5 – gave mine away eventually as they are very big and weigh a ton! It sounds like yours will considerably outperform a normal 5 though! The problem B&O had with this model initially was that it appeared when the Avant CRT was still around and comparing the picture did no favours to the 5 as early plasma screens were not that great! The sound was always good though.
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The Beocenter 4000 from this era is a truly great piece of kit. It uses the Beomaster 2200 as a base and the amplifier is fantastic. The later Beocenter 4000 from the mid 80s is completely different and nothing like the quality. The speakers you have seem to be S40s. These were a slightly upgraded S35 – you would be better off getting S45s which are a three way speaker and one of the best speakers of this era of B&O. The speakers you picture appear to have a foam surround whereas the S45s have a rubber surround.
The 4000 is notable for the way it was made using prototype wiring and is extremely high quality. The receiver version, the 2200 had the misfortune to be around at the same time as the 2400 which was better looking though similar but was not as good from an audio point of view. The 4000 is quite unusual to see about – lovely piece of equipment.
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The BM3000 is an excellent machine – was the mainstay for a while and the final iteration of this design, the 4400 was probably the best balanced receiver they made. The 8000 was more powerful and had a fantastic performance but was gigantic and was a real statement piece which really only worked as a whole system (in which it was fantastic) but was hard to fit sensibly in most environments! I have had two of these systems and have sold them both preferring a more elegant BM4400 and BG4000 system.
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There is a manual available – I scanned it in on the old Forum! I probably have a copy though looking for the DVD drive at present!! Keith should have it on file – This is B&Os fault for giving completely different devices the same number!! I am sure we can get this changed.
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There is an earth that goes to the round metal part of the DIN plug. A wire from this to an earth will get the hum to go away.
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The SP12 does have an elliptical diamond – the others are spherical. I note there is a firm selling newly restored styli with a choice of tips though have not used him – audio-origin is the name. Seems to be retipping original cartridges. I have a bespoke SP2 cartridge with an elliptical diamond supplied by Frede at Classical Audio – fantastic cartridge.
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Of interest, when I bought my first BC9500, which I bought new, the dealer also sold me a BG4500 as he had not realised it had a RIAA. Of course it produced a dreadful sound through the phono input and he rather shamefacedly replaced it with a 9500. I cannot remember what I did with the deck – I suspect it might be with the BC9500 which I lent to a friend many years ago! I will probably use a 4004 with my new 9500 if I need a record player.
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The alternative would be a Beogram 8000 which is a definite step up from a 4500 or 5500.
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Seriously, just connect the pins 6 and 7 on the DIN plug and you will get remote control through the Aux channel. You can of course open up the Beogram and remove the RIAA but this will be far more complicated. Beograms with the built in RIAA are probably worth more than the non RIAA fitted decks as they can be used with all sorts of modern equipment. What you need is a Beogram 9500 (rare) or more reasonably a Beogram 5005 0r 5500 which don’t have a RIAA fitted and will work with the 9500 ( Good choice of system – in my view the best designed system B&O made – just bought another myself!) You can probably sell the 4500 for more than it would cost to get a 5500.
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The best B&O CD player is the BG5500. Has the best motor and usually the best chip set. It also has an optical out if that is what you want. It will however have very limited control unless used with a Beomaster as mentioned above but if listening to classical CDs, I imagine putting a CD in and pressing play will cover almost all options! If you are in the UK, I have a 5500 CD and master with remote that you could have on loan to see if it suits your needs. I confess to using a BC9500 as I like the looks, sound and ease of use.
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Very clever! It amazes me how resourceful members are! I confess that I always clean the record before playing it as usually use a 20CL and any dust simply collects on the needle. And my best deck is completely manual. However clearly there will be demand though maybe a non RIAA version could also be popular.
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I seem to remember that in a MCL system, the volume is independent, to a point. I have much the same system in my house – MCL feeding both MCL – A and MCLAV devices and a NL/ML converter as well. Confess no longer use most of it as have Amazon Echo devices through the house, some feeding into B&O systems – rather more convenient!
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Just seen this – it depends on your own technical abilities – there should be a service manual available of site – I am pretty sure I scanned it for the old site and that will give capacitor values and positions so that they can be replaced. Otherwise I would entrust your device to a good repair shop – a couple of my items are with Multicare as I type!
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Agree – I love the massively over engineered 4000 – I have three of the 400x decks – the 4000, 4004 (bought this new when a medical student!) and my 6000 (now rebadged as the 4001! The 4000 exudes quality , the control panel simpler and I think better looking and has the strobe, and the lid is not so heavily smoked with a light brown smoked finish as opposed to the grey of the 4004. And considerably heavier!
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The Beogram 4000 is very different to the Beogram 4002, 4004 and 6000. It uses an expensive Swiss AC motor, a completely different control system, has a much more substantial sub chassis and sub platter with a strobe speed display and the arm control was simplified for the 4002. There is a good description of the two at Beocentral. However, as Tim points out, the performance of the 4002 was much the same as the 4000 and was a lot cheaper to produce. As the electronics and structure of the 4000 is very different to the 4002, I can fully understand why B&O have limited the offer to the later simpler models.
B&O do have a history of the engineers making products that are technologically fantastic but in real life could be troublesome or very expensive to produce – the Beocord 5000 type 4705 comes to mind – three heads, dual capstan and all electronic control. As anyone who has owned one of these will testify, these are heavy and staggeringly well made and also temperamental and liable to destroy tapes. I remember these were the only devices that my old service departments refused to touch as they said simply taking them apart and putting them back together cost more in time than the machine was worth. The Beomaster 6000 quad, which it matched, was similar though I did get them to service this – I was a good customer!!
I suspect the parts needed to fully restore a BG4000 would be very expensive now and would probably need remanufacturing which would clearly be uneconomic for a very small number of decks. Luckily mine still seems to be working fine!
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Thank you for that – I take it you mean the nice wooden flat 2000 – I had one of those and the quad version, the 3400. I particularly liked the feature of the ‘bonnet stay’ so you could service it more easily! I too still have S45.2s – one of the stars of the Uniphase range though I confess they are rarely used. Just reacquired a Beocenter 9500 which I regard as the best design of music system B&O ever made especially when paired with a Beolink 7000. I am rediscovering some compilation tapes (!) that I made in the early 80s! My B&O collection has almost all be given away or sometimes sold. Theb most used part is a Beolit 700 (Colour version) which is still stupendous!
As I no longer no much about the present range, I will not post as much as I did – when Beoworld first started, I made it a rule that every query would get an answer in 24 hours if at all possible and this became ever easier especially when we attracted other members – Martin comes readily to mind with his encyclopaedic knowledge!
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