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ARCHIVED FORUM -- April 2007 to March 2012
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This is the first Archived Forum which was active between 17th April 2007 and 1st March February 2012

 

Latest post 03-31-2008 3:12 AM by Puncher. 10 replies.
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  • 03-24-2008 2:08 PM

    • Kevin
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    Smile [:)] My B&O - By Peter

    After a weeks absence My B&O has another contribution, this time by the man himself Peter!

    If you feel you have a story to add to the series please do send me a PM and we´ll include it.

    Cheers,

    Kevin 

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  • 03-24-2008 2:10 PM In reply to

    • Kevin
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    Re: My B&O - By Peter

     

     My love of B&O started back in the 70s when my father arrived home with a Beovision 3400SJ. We had previously has a rather unglamorous colour set - some sort of Pye if i remember correctly - but this one was streets ahead. Much improved colour and the sound was fantastic. It had a wonderful sliding door, which covered the screen when not in use. I did notice that it also heated the room quite nicely and do remember it actually catching fire one time! The excellent Windows of the Arcade came and fixed it promptly and we had it for many years.

    I was not heavily into hi-fi whilst at school and had a particularly awful Japanese cassette player with built in amplifier and separate speakers.  A friend of mine however took me home one time and his father had a Beogram playing through a Quad system. I loved the sound and the look of the record player with its arm that looked like a pencil. My father at that time had a Philips cassette player with a built in amplifier and a Garrard SP25 record player. Pretty sure it had a ceramic cartridge!!

    I was listening to more music by this time - Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd as well as Santana were high on my play lists -  so decided to get a better system once I finished school. By this time I was regularly wandering past the Windows showroom and as this was the 70s, saw the transition to low flat aluminium receivers take place before my eyes.

    I am afraid to admit it, but I was extremely well off as a student - I drank little and didn't smoke - and dutifully went off to Windows with a wad of five pound notes and bought my first B&O system - a Beomaster 2400, Beogram 1902 and some Beovox P30 speakers. This looked fabulous but unfortunately the Beomaster developed an intermittent fault where it would suddenly turn up to full volume.  Windows rapidly replaced this with a brand new 2400-2 and I replaced the somewhat frazzled P30s with S75s. I have to confess that this was my favourite system and was only improved when I changed my Beogram to a 4004 after an excellent demo by Dennis Carr.  I still have the 4004, which is sitting next to my computer as I type!

    For many years, this system did everything I wanted  - and it remains the best looking system made by B&O in my opinion. However I hankered after a fully programmable system and when the 5000 system was released, I had to have it! I kept the S75s and donated the other bits to members of my family! I expanded the system with a link room and had a pair of B&W DM12s - which again I still have and use. This system toured the country with me as I moved from hospital post to hospital post and was supplemented with a white MX2000.

    I moved into my first house - a flat overlooking the sea and mouth of the Tyne and got married. Around the same time B&O released the Beolink 7000 – I knew I had to have one of these when I first saw it. I didn’t like the Beomaster 6500, which it was designed for, but, realising it wouldn’t work with my 5000 system, bought a Beocenter 9500, which was superb. This system moved with me to my new house and an LX6000 joined us as the MX2000 finally died after a circuit board cracked.

    I extended the system into our bedroom and bathroom and I dare say would still be using this system today but unfortunately we were burgled and the Beocenter, Beovision and my lovely S75s were all taken.

    Windows came to my rescue and lent me a Beosystem 5500 along with some RL60.2 speakers. This system however did not really work with my system – seemed to have some compatibility problems with the MCL2 network despite having a Beolink sticker on the back. They agreed to help find a 7000 system for me (two way had just been discontinued) and if they did, I would buy some speakers from them. The 7000 system arrived and shortly after I bought some Pentas!

    Unfortunately during the period when I was effectively B&Oless, I had bought a Panasonic TV as a stopgap. This was horrid and so I went looking for a new LX.  At this point I discovered the joys of eBay!! Some 100 B&O products later, I decided that I no longer needed to collect and indeed have given away the vast bulk of my collection. I will always keep a few little gems and have a modern system mainly to listen to my digital music collection.

    I still love the 70s equipment – and I am having one of the best restored at present – more of which you will learn when it is finished!

    However a large part of my love of B&O was engendered by my dealer – Windows of the Arcade. Unfortunately they gave up their franchise and although the manager of the new dealer was friendly, the knowledge and love of the product never seemed the same. When he left, the dealership seemed to change and after a number of unfortunate events, I decided to no longer frequent this shop.

    King Street in Manchester now are my registered dealer but this unfortunately does not allow for much in the way of dropping in!! Luckily I have a fair amount at home and I imagine this will do for the moment! As will this tale!
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  • 03-24-2008 4:08 PM In reply to

    Re: My B&O - By Peter

    Great story, Peter. Thanks for sharing. Weren't your fellow students green with envy at the time?

    Beoworld's twenty-eighth ninth prize winner and fifty-first second prize winner. Best £30 I've ever spent!

  • 03-24-2008 4:13 PM In reply to

    Re: My B&O - By Peter

    I don't think so - it wasn't something I flaunted so only my close friends knew I had it! I was at Medical School so we didn't see that much of other students - lectures all day and in the clinical years you often worked through the night. I did lend it out for a few parties though!!
  • 03-27-2008 4:10 AM In reply to

    Re: My B&O - By Peter

    Essentially you've run the gamut of addiction from initial exposure to near indiscriminate abuse, and have now settled down into true connoisseur appreciation of the very finest of the brand!

  • 03-28-2008 11:08 AM In reply to

    • Kevin
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    Re: My B&O - By Peter

    Must be the Holidays but no new stories received yetUnsure

    Come don´t hesitateYes -  thumbs up  let everyone know your story!

  • 03-29-2008 5:30 PM In reply to

    • Jandyt
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    Re: My B&O - By Peter

    Great to read your story Peter. Thanks.
    Kevin, you'll be pleased to note that I have started mine, and should get it to you tomorrow. Sorry for the delay.

    Andy T.

    Poor me, never win owt!

  • 03-29-2008 6:05 PM In reply to

    • Puncher
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    Re: My B&O - By Peter

    Jandyt:

    Great to read your story Peter. Thanks.
    Kevin, you'll be pleased to note that I have started mine, and should get it to you tomorrow. Sorry for the delay.

    Andy T.

    That's what I said - took me over a weekLaughing

    Generally speaking, you aren't learning much if your lips are moving.

  • 03-30-2008 2:59 PM In reply to

    • Jandyt
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    Re: My B&O - By Peter

    Un-be-flippin'-lievable!!

    Since when did a PM to a moderator need moderating?????

    Just sent my story to Kevin hope it doesn't get lost, took me ages to make!

    Poor me, never win owt!

  • 03-31-2008 1:58 AM In reply to

    • Kevin
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    Re: My B&O - By Peter

    Thanks Andy I´ll go find it Yes -  thumbs up
  • 03-31-2008 3:12 AM In reply to

    • Puncher
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    Re: My B&O - By Peter

    Jandyt:

    Un-be-flippin'-lievable!!

    Since when did a PM to a moderator need moderating?????

    Just sent my story to Kevin hope it doesn't get lost, took me ages to make!

    While being screened for gratuitous photo threads it was probably quarantined for overuse of the word "fiddle" - btw did you ever consider a career writing the photo stories for "Jackie" magazine??Laughing

    Generally speaking, you aren't learning much if your lips are moving.

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