Hi All,

Love this new to me system, regret 40 years of mediocre sound! I have been reading through the posts and still have a question. All I want to do is sit back and control sound functions, in particular volume and balance and an occasional adjustment to bass / treble / loudn. Appears that the Beolink 5000 is the best match, but finding a good one on the used market is expensive and I am concerned about reliability. Beo4s are more plentiful and looks like it would do what I want, but not as simply. I would appreciate your opinions, Thank you Kent Dixon

Hello Kent and welcome to Beoworld!

Congrats to your system.... truly B&O classics. I do also have this combination and I am sure that you will enjoy it.

For every day use a Beolink 1000 or a Beo4 are largely sufficient. With the "SOUND" button from the Beolink1000 you can adjust the bass/loudness/balance settings and store them with the "STORE" key.
The Beolink 5000 and the truly superb Beolink7000 are two-way products and will allow you to fully use the BC9500s timer capabilities. Used Beolink5000 are expensive and will very commonly have a display failure (lines missing) and this is a very expensive fix (need to change the whole pcb-port with display).
Volume adjustements are not a problem with the Beo4 and for the rest (bass/Treble/etc..) there is a workaround (works for me) that will allow you to avoid using the rather complcated "A.SETUP" command on the Beo4. Just add the "SPEAKER" command to the Beo4, then scroll to speaker using the "LIST" button. With pressing "GO" you will be able to switch through the sound adjustmenst and see all information on the Penta displays.

My recomendation would be to get a Beolink1000 for every day use and track down a nice Beolink7000 for the occasional programming needs.

Cheers

Foxtrott 

The BC 9500 was my first audio system - 22 years ago... I still have it and I still love it. I bought with a BL5000 that I also still own and it`s working great. Today the system is located in a linkroom as a local source connected to a pair of beautiful Beolab 5000 blue. I also added a Beolink 7000 with the original wall charger/IR eye.

To make the best out of your BC9500 try to get a BL 5000 as this is a great two way remote for the 9500. You can watch the volume- and sound levels when you adjust the sound, even in linkrooms if you have an MCL system connected to your audiosystem. You can make timer programming even when your BC is in standby mode. And you can read the time on the display. 

I don`t know how "expensive" second hand BL5000s are, but I don`t think they will be more than a new Beo4...?

Stefan

I wouldn't worry about two way. The Beolink 5000 is not a great remote - too complicated in use and certainly when I used it I always needed the instruction book to program. The 9500 is so nice to use close up that programming is no problem there - unlike the 5500 system etc which need a remote. If you want to extend the flexibility, then a Beolink 7000 is much easier to use than a 5000 and matches the 9500 very well. I used that set up for many years! I would worry about the reliability of a 7000 these days though!

Will the Beo4 control the tuner section aside from presets on the BC9500? I ask because I know it is very similar to the BS4500 that I have.

I don't listen to the radio anymore so I'm fine with this, but I know many people still listen to their tuners.

I agree with Foxtrott. Easiest to use and most reliable is Beolink 1000.

BL5000 and 7000 are either too fragile or to cumbersome to be considered. Both are also notoriously unreliable.

Evan:

Will the Beo4 control the tuner section aside from presets on the BC9500? I ask because I know it is very similar to the BS4500 that I have.

I'm sure it will, in the same very cumbersome way that Beomasters 5500/6500/7000 (and probably your 4500 as well) do, and a forum search will show how.

But just walking up to the 9500 to program the station presets is immensely easier than with any remote (aside from 7000) and fun too! After that, any of the handheld remotes will be just fine.

Adjusting the bass/treble/etc is a bit annoying and more so with a Beo4, as already noted in this thread. Personally, I've solved that problem by never touching them. I like it flat & natural...

Here's the deal:

Beolink 1000 and Beo4 are fine remotes for the BC9500.  I have a BC9500 and a couple of Beo4 remots.  You can find one easy and for relatively cheap.

HOWEVER....they are boring.  Beolink 7000s are really cool.  I have one of those too.  They are fat and cumbersome but simply awesome to have and collect if you have the money.  I wouldn't want one as a primary remote necessarily. 

The Beolink 5000 is a really cool remote.  Despite what people say here about "two-way is no big deal"....two-way is pretty neat.  No one makes two-way remotes anymore.  So, if you want something unique and a historical piece of technology, it is worth collecting.  I purchased mine from a Beoworld member named Leslie, who frequently posts here.  Leslie has 16 of most everything B&O!

I have a Beomaster 7000 in daily use. As I write this, I have no less than five B&O remotes on my desk, a BL1000, BL5000, BL7000, MCP5500 and a Beo4.

My thoughts / experiences on those:

BL1000: easy and reliable but feels a bit too simple with an advanced amp such as the BM7000. Mine is of the type where the track up/down -buttons are above the number keys (unlike my other BL1000 where they are on left and right side of the button "0") which is find annoying when flipping thrue tracks or radio presets (where I might need to adjust volume between tracks)

BL5000: fragile (only my second of these has enough working pixels on screen to make it readable! First one had only about five WORKING pixels! ) but so COOL as it's two-way. And I really like the round button -setup on the bottom, play/stop, track change, volume, all neatly there, easy to access with thumb. Has the CONTROL -function (fe. I sometimes first listen to a CD, then decide to switch to FM causing the CD to stay on in pause mode. With CONTROL the CD can be turned off without interrupting the radio.

BL7000: even more cool, especially with the floor-stand. When connected to mains shows the source, track and volume constantly (when playing, in stand-by it shows the clock) which is very nice. Very informative and easy to use. Hard to keep clean (fingerprints) and in-a-way slow to use, if it's in stand-by and you tap the bottom part it takes a second or two before you can actually control anything. The easiest remote to use if you want to program any timers. Also has the CONTROL -function. Will need a service to give it's best performance (remote range, battery life).

MCP5500: In my opinion the most practical remote control -design ever! Also two-way. Perfect control unit to keep on the desk. All buttons easily and neatly there and the round volume adjustment is very good (although it might need a small repair first to get it going. Also it's a bit too easy to scroll the volume to a very high level with only relatively small hand movement). Nicely laid out screen and even it has only a few icons they are used well, fe. the volume bar which also shows the fast forward/rewind animation. Looks really cool in dark! The screen stays lit only for about 7 seconds which I think it's too short time (perhaps a programming matter so not easy to alter?)

Beo4: Volume, track up/down, GO/STOP buttons nicely on the bottom easily accessible. I have always found it hard to get the MUTE on at the first attempt! Some source -buttons not available (in all versions) so they had to be added to the list: need more than one key to press to activate. NOT two-way so no status information. Setting sound adjustments is a bit tricky (Foxtrott, thanks for the tip about the SPEAKER command! That was a new one to me)

The two-way IS neat so I really recommend getting at least some of the two-way Beolinks if you have a two-way Beomaster.

BL1000 or Beo4 can be bought cheaply so having one of those is recommended. One-way remote for basic use, two-way remote for advanced use or for demonstrating to friends!

lausvi:

BL1000 or Beo4 can be bought cheaply so having one of those is recommended. One-way remote for basic use, two-way remote for advanced use or for demonstrating to friends!

Well put here!  Get the one-way remote for day to day use if you must, but get one of the two-ways if you want to be BeoCool!

For two way, the MCP5500/6500/7000 are easily the best for functionality, and are a joy to use! (this is a moot point since they are NOT compatible with BC9500!)

7000 is the coolest, such a great piece of design. Totally over-engineered and a ridiculously convoluted solution to a problem which doesn't really exist, but for this reason I love it.

5000, a good remote - A bit weird to use and as mentioned above, too old to be reliable.

BL1000, yawn. Beo4, slightly less of a yawn.

If it was my choice I would get a beo4 for every day use (A.setup is fine for adjusting EQ/Bal if you feel it necessary), and perhaps save or hold out for a 7000 as a cool show-piece/collectors item. I did have a 7000 which I regret getting rid of now!

KentDixon:

All I want to do is sit back and control sound functions, in particular volume and balance and an occasional adjustment to bass / treble / loudn.

Get a Beolink 1000. It'll do everything you have requested with ease, reliability & low cost. Once you've got used to this new system of yours you can always upgrade to a BL7000.

Stonk:

KentDixon:

All I want to do is sit back and control sound functions, in particular volume and balance and an occasional adjustment to bass / treble / loudn.

Get a Beolink 1000. It'll do everything you have requested with ease, reliability & low cost. Once you've got used to this new system of yours you can always upgrade to a BL7000.

 

macjonny1:

I purchased mine from a Beoworld member named Leslie, who frequently posts here.  Leslie has 16 of most everything B&O!

Ahum but at the same time

Thank you everybody! This forum is wonderful, I really appreciate the input and hope someday I have useful info for someone else. Kent Dixon