Using my “new” Beogram 8002, which plays records beautifully, there is an occasional crackle and some of the very high notes seemed artificial. This is while playing a brand new record, sealed. I’d bet my bottom dollar that there would be no crackle or fuzzy highs with the Beogram 4004 and its MMC 20CL. Your thoughts?

Jeff

Faulty cartridge? I prefer my 4000 as well though!

Of course what you really want is one of these!

Hi Peter,

 

My question was very poorly worded.

 

What I was “attempting” to do was to express my surprise that a band new record would have occasional “pops and crackles.”

 

I have noticed in the past that when the Beogram 4002 gets out of adjustment, something it has a genuine gift for doing, that playback may have similar pops and crackles. Take the same record and play it on say the Beogram 4004 and the noise is gone.

 

I was also making an unfair comparison between my new Beogram 8002 with its MMC 3 stylus to my Beogram 4004 and its NOS MMC 20 CL stylus.

 

Jeff

How do you clean your records?

I have tried new vinyl as well and they don't always come 100% clean or spotless.

As for cleaning I use: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-AM-CD-RECORD-CLEANER-FLUID-CLOTH-STYLUS-BRUSH_W0QQitemZ110270563605QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110270563605&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318

This stuff works great. If dirt gets on the cartridge tracking then the brush with fluid will keep your hands of it and reduce breaking the cantilever. For the vinyl the blue fluid cleans it to the bone and it's simple to use.

I don't experience alot of vinyl cracks and when the vinyl is new hardly any but it comes with records so it can't be ruled out 100%.

My Soundsmith mmc2 is in 100% working order and sounds really good as it should.

I got my Beogram 6006 back from Dillen and I tested it with both a MMC20EN (Still alot of life left) and MMC20CL (with less than 5 hours on it!). Again there ain't most of a difference in the sound or noise of any kind against my Beogram 8002 or the cartridges used.

 

 

 

 

I am almost too embarrassed to say this, but as we are in the process of moving from one house to another and all the stress that goes with a “large” move, all my records are packed and the one new record arrived by mail and since it was new, so I didn’t bother to clean it.

 

I have an excellent record cleaner, and will do so and se if that makes a difference. I use a Discwasher D4 with a record cleaning fluid.

 

My knee-jerk reaction was to equate the pops and crackles with my Beogram 4002 that has a real propensity for getting out of adjustment. When this has happened in the past either the tangential tracking force off base or the vertical tracking weight too light, the 4002 exhibits this same situation.

 

This Beogram 8002 has been completely refurbished, top to bottom, by a real B&O expert, so I should not have assumed that something might be wrong with it or the tonearm assembly.

 

I regularly clean my records before playing them, so this was just a very stupid oversight on my part.

 

Also comparing a MMC 3, which is the equivalent of the earlier MMC 20 EN, with a new old stock MMC 20 CL is unrealistic, especially in the upper range.

 

Jeff

Peter :

Of course what you really want is one of these!

Ohh, when did that come back Peter?
It handles the blue paint very well and looks lovely.
Any sign of your 5000 system yet?

Sorry for high-jacking the thread.

Andy T.

Not here yet. But the turntable is finished.

OK, I'll bite, what is this turntable?

Oh and Peter, I am so embarressed, but this whole "crackle" question was based on my being too lazy to clean a new record. Once cleaned Jane Oliver sounded as if she were in person.

Jeff

Beogram 3000 Thorens with 12" ST/P arm. Frede is restoring my 5000 system at present and the turntable has just been finished! I had it working as a 9" model previously and the sound was superb - the bass is much more solid and believable than any other Beogram.

Peter :

Beogram 3000 Thorens with 12" ST/P arm. Frede is restoring my 5000 system at present and the turntable has just been finished! I had it working as a 9" model previously and the sound was superb - the bass is much more solid and believable than any other Beogram.

I can believe that.  I used to have a "skeleton" TD160MKII, and it was probably the best sounding turntable I've ever owned.

I'm looking forward to getting a RIAA for my BG1000 and listening to some vinyl through my Beomaster 900K. I think it's going to sound gorgeous.

But, I still want an 8002....  I'm infatuated.  

 

Ray,

 

The Beogram 8002 is a marvelous piece, but be warned, they are getting old. I nearly purchased a nearly flawless local unit that had sat in a garage for 10 years. The chances that the capacitors would fail shortly after being pressed back into service are nearly 100%.

 

I was outbid on that one and was fortunate in being the eBay high bidder on a completely restored 8002 by B&O professionals in St. Louis, and the work shows. This 8002 “feels” like new.

 

Of course my favorite is the Beogram 4000, a true work of art, but those turntables REALLY do not travel well. Mine suffered so much that it no long plays records

 

Oddly enough, my “best” turntable and by FAR the most dependable is the Beogram 4004. This turntable ended up in a church rummage sale with the platter upside down, was purchased by a man purely looking to buy it and sell it at a profit. NOT a good scenario from which to purchase used high-end stereo gear.

 

Still the seller was an honorable man and packaged the 4004 beautifully…. As such it survived the trip.

 

The point here is when you buy these used turntables you seldom know what you are getting until it arrives. The 4000 was sold to me by the original owner who said he knew how to pack it…. but didn’t have a clue. By contrast the 4004 was sold by a B&O novice who really put the time into packing the turntable.

 

I hope you get your 8002 and that it is a winner!

 

Jeff

Hi Jeff

Yes, turntables don't travel well unless the sender knows what they are doing..  I have broken BG 3000 here that needs the follow sensor in the arm sorting out, whereas my BG1000 came with all the original packaging, and other than running a bit slow (must have a look at that...) it is in timewarp condition.

I'll keep looking for an 8002, but those 4000s do look good.... 

I can only agree on those Beogram 8000, 6000 series. By meaning that the age has come for them to have a qualified service. If done correctly they are truly wonderfull work of,dare I say it? art.

I'm very biased living in Denmark as far as locating and getting it serviced all though when it comes to the more complicated work like the 6000/8000 system my usual B&O center did a not so good job on my Beogram 8002. It stopped working and they could charge a large sum of money for the second time just to locate the faults.

Dillen had said a few times that he would be glad to take a look so in the end I took the 4,5 hour train ride to give it to him. Some weeks later it was ready and it's been 8 months of trouble free playing at this time of writing.

 

 

Having qualified service close at hand is such a blessing!

 

I live on Vancouver Island and there are absolutely no dependable high end stereo repair shops. Even with the 1 ½ hour (each way) ferry ride to Vancouver on the mainland the B&O repairer only answers his phone “when he feels like it.”

 

The McIntosh repair facility actually destroyed my Beogram 8000 in an ill conceived attempt to repair it and their work on my McIntosh gear was so spotty (some good some not) that they had me send the major components back to the factory in New York.

 

The McIntosh factory did an amazing job on my amp “under warrantee” in spite of the fact that the amp is 30 years old.

 

My only options are to repair things myself or package the unit up and hope for the best in transit.

 

So I envy you having so many B&O resources close at hand.

 

Jeff