B&O BeoGram 3000 Linear Track - What's the spiel on B&O?

chapps

chapps

AK Subscriber
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Forget the almost ungettable cartridges.....

And considering ONLY linear tracking TTs...........

But, in the days back when dinosaurs roamed the earth the name Bang and Olufsen gave me org*sms. But now it does not hold much value....

If one were to get a fully functional machine, would B&O still be a good turntable to have? Will it beat out a Mitsubishi LT-20, Sony PS_X800, Yamaha PX-2, Pioneer PL-L1000.....etc. or at least comapre with one?

Thanks for any comments and input!
 
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chapps said:
Forget the almost ungettable cartridges.....

And considering ONLY linear tracking TTs...........

But, in the days back when dinosaurs roamed the earth the name Bang and Olufsen gave me org*sms. But now it does not hold much value....

If one were to get a fully functional machine, would B&O still be a good turntable to have? Will it beat out a Mitsubishi LT-20, Sony PS_X800, Yamaha PX-2, Pioneer PL-L1000.....etc. or at least comapre with one?

Thanks for any comments and input!
Click to expand...

B&O are very proprietary. There are no new cartridges made for them. Though if work, it will be comparable with Pioneer or Mitsubishi.

I also suggest to look for more advanced unit - Pioneer PL-L1. It will likely beat all of the above. And unlike all others, does NOT need new belts. That model appears once a month or so at yahoo.co.jp auctions or hifido.co.jp store.

Out of your list I would take Sony, but ONLY if fully tested and perfectly working - it is most complex to repair and tune up.
 
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for_p1 said:
B&O are very proprietary. There are no new cartridges made for them. Though if work, it will be comparable with Pioneer or Mitsubishi.

I also suggest to look for more advanced unit - Pioneer PL-L1. It will likely beat all of the above. And unlike all others, does NOT need new belts. That model appears once a month or so at yahoo.co.jp auctions or hifido.co.jp store.

Out of your list I would take Sony, but ONLY if fully tested and perfectly working - it is most complex to repair and tune up.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply.

The Japanese sites you mention are impossible to bid on. I have been there so often but cannot figure out how to register, and more importantly pay safely. if you have some tips please pm me since I don't know if that discussion is OK here.
 
chapps said:
Thanks for the reply.

The Japanese sites you mention are impossible to bid on. I have been there so often but cannot figure out how to register, and more importantly pay safely. if you have some tips please pm me since I don't know if that discussion is OK here.
Click to expand...

HiFiDo is a well known retailer. They accept credit cards. Here http://www.hifido.co.jp/?lang=E is their English version of web site. In some of their regional stores they even can respond to phone calls in English.

For bidding at Yahoo Japan you can use this http://yahoo.aleado.com/ proxy service. They exist for many years, and can be considered safe. But you will have to send them money via wire transfer (they seems to accept PayPal now too) before bidding.

There are other proxies for purchases from Japan's domestic market.
 
If you want a B&O linear tracker that will really perform sonically, then go for the 4000, 4002, 4004, TX, 6002, 8000 or 8002.

The later decks such as the 3000/3300/3500/TX2/5005/5500/6500/7000/9500 are much more basic in their construction and do not sound as good as their conventionally tracking counterparts.
 
I sold B&O back in the day loved them style isolation, looks great tables. Their cart.are getting pricey. I run a 8002 every day just had to recap it and touch it up but after 40 years who cares. I have the complete 6000 receiver.the 8004 tape deck their speakers and the Cd that came with that series. I still love its looks.
 
Yes, the 3000 and it's cousins is the last iteration of the B&O linear trackers, all of which perform reasonably well considering they are mickey mouse designs with arm carriages propelled by strings that nobody will service! They actually do work pretty well until they fail, so if you can score one reasonably with a good cartridge, it's a great starting point.
And if it craps out, then find an 8002 or a TX (not TX2-thats a 3000 variant!) and use your cartridge.
And, as stated before, Soundsmith manufactures several replacement cartridges at several price points. The SS SMC-1 was rated Class A by Stereophile a few years ago. All these cartridges are excellent to superb and WILL seduce you.
I have both an 8002 and a PX-2 in constant service for 7? years now on the same system and my favorite is the B&O
 
I have one of the first generation B&O linear tables with a good cart. My issue with it is I get a low-pitched rumble, transmitted thru the cartridge to the amp and speakers whenever it propels itself forward across the record. It seems to propel in tiny bursts, rather than continuous. Maybe I got a flaw here, but I retired it to my "seldom used" turntables because of this anomaly. My HK/Rabco tables (also linear tracking, but mechanical) do not produce any rumble from the arm being propelled across the record. Of course all turntables have "some" teeny amount of rumble, but this is different.
 
comish4 said:
I sold B&O back in the day loved them style isolation, looks great tables. Their cart.are getting pricey. I run a 8002 every day just had to recap it and touch it up but after 40 years who cares. I have the complete 6000 receiver.the 8004 tape deck their speakers and the Cd that came with that series. I still love its looks.
Click to expand...

pfcs49 said:
Yes, the 3000 and it's cousins is the last iteration of the B&O linear trackers, all of which perform reasonably well considering they are mickey mouse designs with arm carriages propelled by strings that nobody will service! They actually do work pretty well until they fail, so if you can score one reasonably with a good cartridge, it's a great starting point.
And if it craps out, then find an 8002 or a TX (not TX2-thats a 3000 variant!) and use your cartridge.
And, as stated before, Soundsmith manufactures several replacement cartridges at several price points. The SS SMC-1 was rated Class A by Stereophile a few years ago. All these cartridges are excellent to superb and WILL seduce you.
I have both an 8002 and a PX-2 in constant service for 7? years now on the same system and my favorite is the B&O
Click to expand...

Phototone said:
I have one of the first generation B&O linear tables with a good cart. My issue with it is I get a low-pitched rumble, transmitted thru the cartridge to the amp and speakers whenever it propels itself forward across the record. It seems to propel in tiny bursts, rather than continuous. Maybe I got a flaw here, but I retired it to my "seldom used" turntables because of this anomaly. My HK/Rabco tables (also linear tracking, but mechanical) do not produce any rumble from the arm being propelled across the record. Of course all turntables have "some" teeny amount of rumble, but this is different.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your answers.

My big question is sonics. Does a linear B&O - of the good models - put out good sound? Compared to a Mitsubishi LT-20, PS-X800, Yamaha PX-1/2/3 etc. Let us assume the TT works well. I want to know if I should even bother to buy a used B&O Linear TX to even audition, or compared to the cited TTs, I would be clearly disappointed. I am a reasonably discerning listener, and to the Mits LT-20 is nice.

Thanks.
 
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