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Which B&O TT should I keep?

crswanson

crswanson

New Member
I've picked up a couple of B&O TT over the last couple of months. The first is a Bang and Olufsen RX2. The other is a B&O TX2. The problem....I have two TT but only one MMC 5 cartridge. I don't want to sink $100+ in a used cartridge so I guess my only option is to get rid of one and sell the other to fund more projects. Both are in approximately the same condition and both play flawlessly. So, which one should I hold on to?
 
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I was hoping someone would give me a technical or durability reason why one is better than the other. Seems like it might be a toss up.
 
I like the tangential trackers; that's my underlying reason -- but I never owned an RX-2 so I cannot say anything about it (although they do look nice).

Soundsmith has new production versions of the old MMC-2 and MMC-4. They're not cheap, but they are said to be pretty good. I bought an MMC-4 for my TX-2 when I got it in 2002 (just before b&o stopped selling cartridges).
 
I own both (actually an RX, not an RX2), plus a 3404 that uses the older MMC20 series cartridges. I say keep 'em both! I also only have one MMC5 to use with either the TX-2 or the RX. I've never actually played the RX, but I can tell you that I love the TX-2 and found it (with the MMC5) to be sonically superior to the 3404.

I replaced the belts in the TX-2, cleaned it and lubed it. I had to adjust the speed once, and I adjusted the suspension a little to better center and level the platter. (Service manual available on vinylengine.com) I probably use it 3 or 4 hours a day on average since I got it in May. Since it does have some components that probably cannot be replaced if they fail, I keep the RX as a spare "just in case."

I think you have to decide if you prefer a linear tracker or a conventional arm. Beyond that I think the quality of the two tables is similar. The TX-2 is more complex and I suppose could be more failure prone though I personally wouldn't give that too much weight in my decision.

Sound Smith (sound-smith.com) manufactures a range of cartridges for these tables. They are highly regarded and start at $150 for the equivalent of an MMC4.

I really like my TX-2. One of these days I'll have to pull the RX down off the shelf and give it a listen.
 
I owned both of them and if I could have either back now I'd take the TX-2. There aren't many linear trackers I'd want, but it was a beautiful piece. That said, the RX-2 is a simpler deck so it probably has a lower potential for problems. But, they're both vintage so either one could have them.
For me, the RX was just too plain simple, the TX is cooler! It should have better resale value, though neither will bring much without a cart. Original MMC's a hard to find and SoundSmith replacements aren't cheap. Like Broc said, its your call.
 
I've got no experience with the RX-2, but I bought a new TX-2 in 1989 and it's been an excellent performer and trouble free. It is without question the best tracking turntable I've ever owned. It will play warped and mispressed records better than any other turntable.
 
I posted a video of my TX-2 tracking a severely warped record. The video is terrible, sorry. It is scary to watch the tonearm rising and falling, but it is TOTALLY inaudible in the music. Pretty amazing. I don't know how the RX would track this, but I found my 3404 (similar arm to the RX) to track very well also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYT8haIz8_o
 
crswanson said:
I was hoping someone would give me a technical or durability reason why one is better than the other. Seems like it might be a toss up.
Click to expand...

The RX2 is simpler, does not use a complex and frankly not very robust linear tracking mechanism and (based on every time I've compared similar models) sounds better than the linear tracking versions.

RX2 gets my vote!:thmbsp:
 
well, i vote for keeping both, since i have a 1602 (radial) and a 3300 (tangent). the 3300 is very cool, but has issues playing off-center records. you can hear the arm servo thumping to try to keep up with the back-and-forth motion of the grooves. both sound great. the 3300 has an mmc3, and the 1602 has an mmc4000.
 
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