I have a Beosystem 10 bought from new in 1991 and still in mint condition. (I know the failings of the item - Japanese manufacture, poor cassette deck and single unit speakers - but the design is elegant and the radio section is fine.) 

Is the amplifier up to driving CX 50s at low/moderate volume levels in a small room?  

Cleve

Should be fine. There is an interesting note in the user manual telling you that the tone control will need altering as the amplifier is adjuisted for the built in speakers!! Clearly not a flat frequency response!

Thanks Peter

Incidentally, I blame you and the Jarman brothers for a rejuvenation of interest in buying old B and O.  Having owned various bits of B and O since 1971, including a Beogram 4000 (playing through a Sugden A48 Mk 1 - very sweet sounding but ugly), I ended up with a Linn LP12/SME/Shure V15iv/Quad 34/FM4/405/ESL 57s.  However, I was worrying more about the set up of the Linn than listening to the music. - the classic hi fi problem! So I stopped worrying and leaned to love B and O (again). 

I bought a Beosystem 2500, MX1500 (I know!), and a Beosystem 10 and I have been happy for 18 years listening to my music.  Then I spotted an LX 5500 with motorised stand in the window of my local dealer going for a song and I was hooked.

Visits to Beocentral and the Beoworld only made it worse, culminating in me printing off a photograph of your Beogram 4000/Beolab 5000/Beomaster 5000.  I am now thinking of buying some immaculate CX50s, maybe a CDX the most elegant of all the B&O CD players, or perhaps a Beocenter 9500. with either some late model passives or maybe even Beolab 3s. 

I almost bought a Beogram 4000 a week or so ago but my partner (who doesn't understand my growing obsession) couldn't quite grasp why I might want one as I no longer have any records! (Another big mistake made there, I think).  In fact, she thinks this is all bordering on the pornographic, but then, I remember the iconic Christine Keeler image of her sitting on a Jacobsen chair - I was more interested in the chair!   

How's the GT6/Spitfire now?  

Ah the A48 - a great sounding amplifier. All the lettering has rubbed off mine though and it's probably the most horrific looking piece of kit I've ever seen. Did you have the matching tuner?

Why the change to the LP12? I personally would prefer the BeoGram 4000 (as nice as the LP12 is).

Hi Alex,

Sadly no - I hadn't really discovered the joys of a decent FM tuner/aerial at the time. 

As far as replacing the 4000 with a Linn, I was a lot younger then and very foolish and became convinced by all the hype surrounding the LP 12.  I still have a soft spot for the Electrostatics though.

I may still buy a 4000 but then I will probably want a Beomaster 4400 to go with it and then of course, I'll need some M75s or 100s and so it goes on - by which time my partner will have given up with me.  I'll also have to go on a hunt for pristine and immaculate albums (I was obsessive about keeping album covers in mint condition as well!).  Mind you, vinyl says are on the up- Linn are still making them, ECM have started to issue new releases on vinyl and CRD still have some old 1980s stock. 

By the way, I visted the B&O dealer on Pountney Bridge a few months ago and he was really helpful in resolving a problem with my Beolink 5000, much more so than my local franchise down here in Exeter.  Is that your experience? 

I would be interested to know how much better the Beocenter 9500 would sound compared to my 2500 - I guess they could both happily work with either the existing Beolab 2500s or with 8000s or even Beolab 3s.  Any thoughts?

Cleve

To convert to being a true addict, you need the Beolab/Beomaster 5000 system. Works well with the Beogram 4000! No reason you cannot use the CDX or even an MP3 player (iPod on lossless preferably!) - I am going to Denmark in the spring to pick mine up!

The 9500 is a splendid machine - good tape player and excellent CD. The weak point is the power amplifier so using it with active speakers is a good idea. The power amplifier is fine for smaller speakers though and for powering link rooms. I would rate the 9500 above the 2500 simply for the user interface which is, in my opinion, the best ever made by B&O. It is the one piece of B&O my wife actively likes. It is fair to warn you that these are getting older though so may need some attention.

I take it that you have the Jarman book?

Yes, Peter, indeed I have!  It's one of the reasons my interest levels have gone up again.  

If the 9500 may contibute to the maintenance of domestic harmony, then that may be the way to go, although I still like the idea of a Beogram 4000!

Have you still got the LS 3/5s in use? 

Cleve

Yes! And also MS150s and M100s. However still have moderns as well - BL3s and BL4000s as well as some Pentas, 5000s and 3000s! You can use a BG4000 with the 9500 though no remote. However you have to clean the record so remote is not that useful anyway! I use a 4004 with my 5500 system.