Hi everyone, this is my first pst here and I am pleased to have found the forum.

I have been given a Beomaster 5000 amplifier and master control panel.  It all seems to work but not without faults.

At low levels, one channel seems to cut out intermittently.  Increasing the volume seems to cure it but it sounds like the volume control potentiometer is dirty.  However, does this amplifier have a volume control potentiometer that I can clean or is this function performed electronically ?

Also, I notice that there are connections for two pairs of loudspeakers but I can't work out how you switch between them.  Please can someone help ?

Regards,

Jolyon

Welcome to Beoworld !

The Beomaster 5000 uses a digitally controlled potentiometer in the form of an integrated circuit.
Nothing to clean here and, luckily, it's not where the problem is.
You need to replace the muting relay (on the preamp board, near the connector bay).
The problem is well known and will only affect speaker set 1 which is the set you will be using
in the same room as the Beomaster. This set can be muted on the front of the Beomaster and on the MCP.
Speaker set two can be used in the same room but will not mute together with set 1.
Set 2 is mainly meant for use in another (linked -) room where the link system will mute the speakers locally.

Thanks for signing up as a silver member, your support is greatly appreciated.

Martin

Hi Martin,

Thanks for the welcome and the help.  Signing for the silver member was not entirely an act of altruism as I wanted access to the manuals; which I now have so thank you very much for providing this superb resource.  I'll check and clean the relay or replace if necessary.  The amplifier is in bits now; it'll be fun getting the front panel together again.

I also have a Beocord 500 which starts to play and then disengages the head and roller after about 1/2 a second and a Beogram 5000 which makes a terrible scraping sound when the platter spins !

So, more questions on the way !

Thanks again.

Jolyon

Hi Jolyon,

Regarding the BeoCord 5000, it probably needs some new belts. Martin can probably supply these to you. Regarding the BeoGram 5000, maybe the transport screws are not loosened?

Nice setup - all that remains is a matching CD50 or better yet a CD 5500. Blacktrix is right most likely the tape deck has a bad belt(s) and Martin should be able to supply a new set. The turntable sraping could also be the turntable suspension has fallen out of alignment ( I had this problem once) and you will have to realiign it) but sheck to see if the transport screws arent in the way first.

THANK YOU ALL !

Just putting the front panel on the tuner/amp together now.  I have cleaned the relay contacts with 1200 grit wet and dry and put on some switch cleaner so hopefully it'll be ok.

The tape deck plays briefly and then stops so it seemed to me from a standpoint of ignorance that that there may be a micro switch that is meant to be activated to confirm the deck is in "play" which isn't being activated for some reason.  Will look at the belts of course when the amp's back in one piece.

The deck too will be apart in due course.

If I may ask a general question ?  I know nothing about B&O stuff.  I've had old English valve hifi in the past ( Leak QUAD )  and am now using an old Marantz tuner amp.  Very flashy and totally unlike the B&O !

Anyway, my question is in hifi terms, is the Beosystem 5000 highly rated ?  The look is fantastic and I love the (huge) remote but is their beauty more than skin deep ?  This in not meant to be provocative it's just that I am completely new to this equipment. 

I also have a pair of CX100 speakers with blown surrounds which I am going to repair.  Are these good too ?

Yours,

Jolly

Hi Jolly,

I think the CX100 speakers are good for their size. Just keep in mind that the design is of a respectable age, the same goes for BeoSystem 5000. And bat that I mean that you should compare the system with other audiosystems of the same age. And I must say that BeoSystem 5000 is a great system (my personal opinion), but nothing is as personal as taste. So fix the system (which can be done for not too much money) and let us know what you think of it!

Regarding the speaker surrounds, I have very good experiences with Good HiFi in the Netherlands (and I am not just recommending them because I am Dutch.....).

Good luck with getting your BeoSystem 5000 up and ready!

Yes, GoodHifi is a super chap.  I have rebuilt two pairs of AR speakers using his surrounds.  The bass and mids on AR55BX (into I which I put ribbon tweeters) and the bass cones on a pair of AR 5s.  The 55BX speakers sound wonderful  and will be used with the Beosystem.  I have some Technics SBF2s in aluminium enclosures which I'm using as a second pair in the dining room so it'll be interesting to compare the CX100s with those.  I have the surrounds already.

Thanks again,

Jolly

Jolly wrote: "I have cleaned the relay contacts with 1200 grit wet and dry"

- That will have removed the remaining bits of the platinum coating from the relay contacts.
You will experience that the relay works for now but it will soon fail again with the
contact surfaces now open to airs moisture etc.
If you look at the contacts in a microscope, you will see a rough area with lots of pitting and scars,
not unlike the surface of the moon. Nothing we can do about that, a replacement is the only way.
Well, it was no good anyways and new relays are cheap.

The cassette deck stops because it no longer gets any feedback from the motion sensor.
That's a belt fault. I can supply belts and also the relay.

I have returned (and even dismounted and discarded) several GoodHifi DIY surrounds.
Some of them weren't even round...
That some people can make them fit is beyond me but I have seen some of the results when the drivers
are later brought to me and that was not a pretty sight.
I generally try to stay away from recommending suppliers so my advice would simply be to buy somewhere else.
Measure the surrounds exactly and order only surrounds with the exact same figures.
Don't fall for the low-cost (chinese) surrounds at 5 euros or less a piece. A good quality
surround is typically around 15-20 euros. Add the cost of a good speaker cement, the hours spent
and the risk of failure and you are close to the cost of factory new drivers but of course there's
also the DIY satisfaction value to consider. 

Martin

Hi, thanks for that, Martin.

So, how much for a relay and belt, please ?

Interesting what you have to say about good hifis surrounds.  I only have experience of fitting six new surrounds which went fine so on the strength of that I bought some more.  I'll let you know how I get on.  At least the look round !

Yrs,

J.

J,

You have a PM (check your inbox).

Martin

Hi,

New belts on the way but I found an elastic band that works on a temporary basis for the cassette deck.

I was surprised how good the cassette deck sounds.  I may even dig out some cassettes and use this deck to make CD copies of them.

I've nearly finished the surrounds on the CX100 speakers and I am looking forward to hearing those.

I'm going to change the muting relay on the amplifier as well then all's done.  The deck's motor has noisy bearings and I can't take it apart so unless I can find another motor I don't think it's worth bothering with.

Yours,

Jolly

I believe the BC5000 was reasonably highly regarded (although not in the same league as the BC9000)

New relay installed and 5000 working well sounding lovely through AR55BX speakers.

Thanks Dillen and all here for help.

Yrs,

Jolly