B&O Beogram 3000

[fiddlefye]

What I like most about the looks of the 3000 is how the cartridge end of the arms presents so much like the front of the Concorde airplane! I briefly owned a later pivot arm B&O -- maybe an RX? -- because a WAF issue forced me to get rid of my TD165 in favor of something automatic; although it was simple to operate and looked lean and clean enough, it never had the presence of the 3000. Tweeter sure sold a gazillion of those with Yamaha receivers back in the day. Your mate is going to love it. What's the rest of her system, and what music does she like to paint/sculpture/produce with?

The rest of her system at the moment is a Technics SA-700 receiver, Sony ES-something 5 disc player and Design Acoustics PS-10s. I was running my Accuphase E-202 there for quite awhile along with the Yamaha T-1020 tuner that Broc so kindly sent me lo those many years back now.

Ah no, wait.... I fibbed. The SA-700 is in the bedroom system at the moment and my Marantz 4300 is in her living room system.

It will all probably settle down a bit after the wedding in less than 3 weeks and she makes the move to here.

What she listens to when is varied. Lots of NPR, some jazz, Broadway musicals (she used to do music theatre), The Beatles and other classic rock and more recent stuff; loves Cake. Oh and some Mozart or Bach. Definitely not into Stockhausen....

 

[fiddlefye]

I'd guess the Vinyl Engine would love to have a working photo and the scanned owners manual as a start. Make you a contributing member

You know I would be delighted to, but I'm not sure quite how to set it up there if there isn't a listing for the deck. Yes, there is a "Beogram 3000", but it is the last model of that name and this one is the first. There is a sub-set number. So, can I start a whole new listing or would someone else with authority of some sort need to do that?

No pics will be posted of my example for awhile. It needs some good cleanup etc. before it gets seen in public!

 

[Barncats]

I think Edvard Munch must have been listening to Stockhausen when he painted "The Scream";-)

Funny how I can fully embrace Shostakovich, Bartok, Stravinsky, Martinů, Dohnányi, Bloch, and lots of other earlyish 20th-c composers, but as soon as things move into Stockhausen, or even Ives, I get lost and can no longer find my way into the center.

 

[BrocLuno]

Ditto

Jeez fiddle - look, you got me to 9,999 -

I can't advise on the VE entry thing, but I know all would really appreciate the effort. Maybe contact one of their Mods ...

 

[fiddlefye]

Ditto

Jeez fiddle - look, you got me to 9,999 -

I can't advise on the VE entry thing, but I know all would really appreciate the effort. Maybe contact one of their Mods ...

Maybe I will do just that tonight, right after (as the Scots put it) I "see a man about a dog".... ok, a turntable or two. Dual 1219 and Garrard Zero 100 specifically. Not sure how to get in touch with a mod over there....

 

[fiddlefye]

I think Edvard Munch must have been listening to Stockhausen when he painted "The Scream";-)

Funny how I can fully embrace Shostakovich, Bartok, Stravinsky, Martinů, Dohnányi, Bloch, and lots of other earlyish 20th-c composers, but as soon as things move into Stockhausen, or even Ives, I get lost and can no longer find my way into the center.

Ives I often enjoy, actually. He is in fact before the rest of the list there.... After Stockhausen of course things have largely reversed. His sort of style would now be termed "retro" more than current. I'm not a big Schoenberg fan, but some of his works are very good and I do like Berg, especially the operas. Sort of an acquired taste, like scotch is supposed to be.... though I seem to have acquired that taste before birth, lol.

You might have been about right with Munch except the dates don't work out. The feeling is sure the same!

 

[Pio1980]

FWIW It was Maurice Abravanel that opened Bartok for me and got him to make perfect sense. A mixed Utah Symphony concert featuring the Concerto For Orchestra was the most magically transcendent such event I've attended, an inspired illuminating experience. I've also gotten to enjoy Prokofiev quite a bit more than I would have expected lately, dunno what is with Tony Cordesman's vendetta against him.

BTW also have one of those elegant B&O 1800 series MMC TTs needing TLC and a cart, too many other worthy projects beckon.

 

[fiddlefye]

FWIW It was Maurice Abravanel that opened Bartok for me and got him to make perfect sense. A mixed Utah Symphony concert featuring the Concerto For Orchestra was the most magically transcendent such event I've attended, an inspired illuminating experience. I've also gotten to enjoy Prokofiev quite a bit more than I would have expected lately, dunno what is with Tony Cordesman's vendetta against him.

BTW also have one of those elegant B&O 1800 series MMC TTs needing TLC and a cart, too many other worthy projects beckon.

Not sure what anyone would really have against Prokofiev.... Bartok has long been a love of mine and the Concerto for Orchestra was the work that did it for me as well. If you ever get a chance to see/hear the opera Bluebeard's Castle it is quite cool. Only two singers.... and amazing. the COC did it about 30 years ago and it just took me over. I finally bought a recording (in a thrift, hard to believe!) a few weeks back and it still blows my mind. As modern operas go (or any opera for that matter) I love Jenufa by Janacek, Peter Grimes by Britten. Great stuff if you like opera at all and have some exposure to the musical language.

I am looking forward to getting the Beogram 3000 sorted out and making music. It is interesting that it is an idler running a belt drive. Allows for a much bigger capstan, I figure that to be a good thing. I have found lately a whole bunch of Euro tables of that vintage that used the set up. I had NO idea!

 

[fiddlefye]

Ok, so four years on and finally a little update. Life has been busy - got married, moved the wife, renovated the house and I have too many tables. When I found the condition of both carts that came with the table wasn't wonderful the poor thing ended up on a shelf.

This past weekend we had a yard sale and I decided to sell off a few tables I was not likely ever to use. Two BIC tables sold easily, so I pulled out the B&O thinking maybe it should go as well. After a wipe down I set it up on the porch, plugged it in and ran it through the cycles. All very smooth, working flawlessly and silently. The suspension works beautifully on these tables and the whole design is very attractive. Not so easy to let go....

So, what to do? I did a bit of internet hunting and discovered that there is a company in the UK that actually rebuilds the carts for these tables (Soundsmith does not) with upgraded cantilevers and diamonds. I can get both of the cartridges I have (LP-12 and LP-14) redone to the higher standard for a total of around $360 CAN all-in with shipping etc. included. Ok, not cheap perhaps for a table I paid almost nothing for, but I am thinking it might just be worth it - curiosity and all that! You only live once, right?

 

[fiddlefye]

DSC_7278 by fiddlefye, on Flickr

 

[bimasta]

I can't speak for the SP14 cartridge (it's a Sperical stylus acc'g VE). But I have a NOS SP12 — I didn't expect much, but even at 50-years-plus age, it's magnificent, and even has a very sophisticated micro-edge stylus. Also a healthy 5mv output, for great dynamics and S/N ratio, and it won't strain your amps. It would easily cost $500 minimum new today (more for B&O logo), so don't hesitate on the rebuild. I have less than 2 hours on mine, and it might get even better — it it does, it will move into the best ever Hall of Fame. (But I'm not sure it will play all those CDs you have next to it...)

 

[fiddlefye]

I can't speak for the SP14 cartridge (it's a Sperical stylus acc'g VE). But I have a NOS SP12 — I didn't expect much, but even at 50-years-plus age, it's magnificent, and even has a very sophisticated micro-edge stylus. Also a healthy 5mv output, for great dynamics and S/N ratio, and it won't strain your amps. It would easily cost $500 minimum new today (more for B&O logo), so don't hesitate on the rebuild. I have less than 2 hours on mine, and it might get even better — it it does, it will move into the best ever Hall of Fame. (But I'm not sure it will play all those CDs you have next to it...)

Thanks for the response. Just what I needed! I had a long chat with the gent who would be doing the rebuilds and apparently the SP-14 body is quite similar in characteristics to the SP-12 and rebuilt with the same cantilever and diamond as the SP-12 it should come out very similar. The CDs are my little cache of drifting-off-to-sleep music, something CD players are great for. LPs are in a eight ft. built-in shelf about ten feet out of view to the left....

I am curious as to who made the "motors" for these carts - Ortofon perhaps?

 

[Beobloke]

I am curious as to who made the "motors" for these carts - Ortofon perhaps?

They were made in-house by Bang & Olufsen.

Out of interest, who is the UK company you found to repair them?

 

[fiddlefye]

They were made in-house by Bang & Olufsen.

Out of interest, who is the UK company you found to repair them?

So B&O really made the carts in-house in entirety? Cool.

The UK company that I found to do the carts is Audio Origin. The chap only does B&O. http://www.audio-origin.co.uk/index.html

Andy at Phono Cartridge Retipping on the US west coast also rebuilds the carts apparently.

 

[bimasta]

Great "tip", Fiddlefye. Bookmarked. Thanks!

 

[fiddlefye]

Great "tip", Fiddlefye. Bookmarked. Thanks!

It is great to see so many more places servicing analogue gear. Chalk one up for the "vinyl revival" I guess! Folks are starting to realize that some of these old machines were very well made, did fine job and are worthy of maintenance.

 

[twiiii]

The 3000 with a SP-12 had a special sound. It didn't match the tracking of the mmc cartridge but I preferred the open midrange and lower highs of the SP 12. The bass was firm and the table stayed out of our shop. We always had a few 4000 series in for one issue or another. As with all B&O tables there can be issues, so make sure its working to your satisfaction before purchasing.

 

[fiddlefye]

The 3000 with a SP-12 had a special sound. It didn't match the tracking of the mmc cartridge but I preferred the open midrange and lower highs of the SP 12. The bass was firm and the table stayed out of our shop. We always had a few 4000 series in for one issue or another. As with all B&O tables there can be issues, so make sure its working to your satisfaction before purchasing.

You wouldn't happen to know where to get one's hands on a service manual by any chance? I looked a few places, but only found the one for the later 3000 model so far.