Hi,

I just bought a  Beogram 4002 that I have a few questions about, I'm hoping you folks can help.

• I was told when I bought it that the owner had very recently replaced the cartridge and stylus. The cartridge says MMC 4000. Since my research on the internet tells me that even the replacement for the MMC 4000 has been discontinued, is there any way that this is a new (or unused) cartridge? Can the stylus be replaced separately or is it an integrated unit?

• My preamp has a selector switch for cartridge capacitance: 100P, 200P, 320P. How do I know which one to select?

• The cartridge has a recommended Vertical Tracking Force of 1.2 grams. How do I know if my unit is within that spec? How is the tracking force adjusted on this unit?

• The colors of the RCA plugs on the phono out are black and gray. Is black the left channel?

• (This is my dumbest question, but here goes...) Since this unit is a Type 5523, it was manufactured between '77 - '80, and so the power plug does not have the wider prong used today to insure that the plug is in the right orientation in the wall socket for proper grounding of the device. Does this matter? Will changing the orientation cause an AC hum?

 Thanks in advance for any advice with this turntable. It's my first piece of B&O gear, and I just love how it looks. I want to set it up to play great.

 Craig

Hi Craig,

Welcome to the Beogram 4000/2 appreciation society! I'll answer your questions in order.

1. The stylus is an integrated unit and the MMC4000 has not been available new for at least  25 years. You can get new cartridges from Soundsmith - I use an SMMC20EN in one of my 4000 type decks and it is fantastic.

2. B&O cartidges have a load of 47kOhms and 220pF. Use the 200P setting.

3. You need a stylus balance - B&O cartridges came with a nice simple one - the accessories are pictured here.

 4. Probably! Depends on the idiot who cut the DIN plug off! I would usually recommend an adapter as it saves problems! It should also have an earth lead which is very important or you will get hum. Play a piece of music you know well - I use Year of the Cat  - which has a distinct and obvious difference between Left and Right channels.

5. No. As released by B&O, the 4002 always had a 2 pin plug with no orientation marked. 

By the way, the user and service manuals are on site for silver and gold members. Did you know that by pulling the wood trim forward, all the metal panels except the control panel are freed up. Makes changing the belt as well as servicing the deck incredibly easy. Make sure that all the transit screws are properly undone before playing a record and just enjoy! My favourite B&O made deck. - I now have all the variants! 

Peter :

3. You need a stylus balance - B&O cartridges came with a nice simple one - the accessories are pictured here.

And the adjustment is done with a screw on the right side of the arm carriage, near the telltale text "stylus weight adjusting" 

There's a dial for the weight as well, but the 0 point might not be true, so cheking with a stylus balance is a better idea. On the other hand, with several turntables I have simply used the setting that sounded the best.¨I did buy one of these original B&O balances off eBay for less than $10.

By the way, if anyone needs to do a lot of stylus balancing, get an electronic powder scale from a shop that sells guns and reloading tools. I've seen the exact same scales advertised as "stylus scales", for three times the price...

Thank you both, Peter and Mika, for your quick responses.

• The stylus does say it is an MMC 4000. Should I assume it is not any good?  How can I tell if the stylus is shot? I bought the unit in part because I was told that the previous owner had recently replaced the cartdridge and it had little play time on it. I really would prefer to not spend an additional $250 on a new cartridge if I don't need to.

• I will look for a scale to adjust the stylus balance.

• What is the 4002 worth, if in good shape? I paid less than $200.

 • My most concerning issue is that even with the ground wire attached to my preamp, I get noticeable hum if the gain on the pre is dialed up to halfway. Disconnecting the ground makes the hum only slightly worse. I've connected the tt to my receiver, bypassing the pre, and I have the same issue. I've plugged the tt into a different socket, same problem. I only get the hum if the tt is connected to the phono input. If I disconnect the tt, the channel is quiet. I don't get hum from my CD player, or my tape deck, so I think the problem is in the tt. It's looking like my purchase is going to get more expensive.

-Craig

I'd say if the cartridge sounds fine to you, don't worry about it. The B&O styli are very durable, it's the stylus suspension that usually breaks in these old cartridges and then it's time to shop for a new one. They can fail from just old age, sitting on the shelf! The later MMC20 series will be plug & play just as well - these turn up often on eBay, but the condition is hit and miss. The MMC4000 was a good cartridge in its time and still is, if in order.

If your 4002 works well and is in good condition, $200 was certainly not a bad price. You hear from utter bargains and freebies from time to time, but usually it means additional time and money for repairs.

Regarding the hum, the grounding wire may have been attached to a wrong place by whoever bastardized the DIN cord. Try running a ground wire directly from the metal frame of the turntable to your amplifier and see if that helps.

Agree completely with above - I used to run a wire from the metal of the Beogram between the lid back and the chassis and it worked fine. It will be an earth issue.

Also agree about the cartridge - if it works use it! Set the tracking weight to about 1.2g and adjust by ear. 

The 4002 is the easiest deck in the world to open up!

Remove the cartridge.

The wood trim around the three sides of the deck will be able to be pushed forward from the back. It has slides on that hold the metal panels in place. Once it is slid forward, the panels simply lift off.  The panel around the platter, the platter and the plate under the arm are all  just removable. To remove the switch panel, the illuminated speed display simply pulls out and then there is a single screw which once undone releases that panel. it is attached by a number of electrical push on connectors.

Refitting is simply the reverse. 

Removing the panels makes changing the belts a doddle. The lid is held on by two sprung screw bolts which when loosened from underneath allow the lid to slide backwards and off. All the circuit boards are removable by identifying and unscrewing the retaining screws.  I have dismantled mine easily and it went back together and even works! And I am completely useless!

I'll add one warning about the lid - if you remove it, turn it open (up) first. The torsion spring that is supposed to keep it in upright position has a lot of power, and will bang the hinge back with horrific force if you manage to detach it from the turntable chassis in closed position! (yes, once I had my brain switched off and did just this. Luckily I did't break any fingers, or worse yet, the lid itself)

While removing the covers, the cartridge can remain fitted if you are extra careful. It's easiest to start with the rectangular piece, lifting the side edge up a little and then sliding the panel to the right.

About the grounding, try it first with the extra wire anyway before taking the turntable to the shop, you can do that without disassembling anything. That way you'll be sure that the problem is the ground wire (I'd be very surprised if it wasn't, though).

Oh yes, and unplug the power before starting! The live parts can be pretty much exposed in the rear left corner of the chassis, but you don't quite know where when doing this for the first time.

Again, thanks!

Before opening it up, is it necessary to engage the lock-down screws on the bottom of the turntable?

And, removing the cartridge, do I pull it forward? Does it twist? I'm in new territory here.

-Craig

No, the transport screws can remain open (and they have to, if you plan to take a look at how the belt is running or do other adjustments).

The cartridge just pulls forward. Wiggling it a little sideways can help. They can be quite tight, so I try to leave them alone as much as possible.

OK, you guys are really helpful, thanks.

My goal may cause audiophiles to cringe, but I want to digitize my vinyl collection so that I can finally get rid of those LPs that I seldom want to listen to, but can't bring myself to get rid of, such as a recording of Handel's Converti a due cori by the English Chamber Orchestra. I have about 60 LPs that I'd like in iTunes, but don't want to pack up when I have to move again.

I've been told that the hum I hear in headphones coming from the turntable is just something that should be expected from a turntable, and that it is not a ground problem hum. I've been hearing this when I have no LP on the tt, and just bring the gain to over 50%. They say, (several people say) I should hear what it sounds like playing an LP through speakers. OK, I'll check it out after I get my speakers repaired.

I'm running my Proton 1100 preamp into the line in of my M-Audio Audiophile 2496 sound card in my dual processor G4. Do any of you have recommendations for capture software? I have Roxio CD Spin Doctor, Audacity, and Abelton Live Lite 7. Should I record at 44.1, or 96 KHz? Any recommendations for removing the pops and crackle of the LP?

One friend recommended cleaning each CD in soap and water using Dawn Dish soap and rinsing in de-ionized water. Another says just use the cleaning solution and corduroy brush which is standard for LPs. Another says submerge each LP in de-ionized water and get an ultrasonic source like those used to clean jewelry to get all the dirt out of the grooves. --- HOLY SMOKE I thought this would be a fairly simple process. --- Should I use a post-recording software to remove clicks and pops? Any suggestions?

 You audiophiles should know that while I will digitize most of my vinyl, I will keep some of the LPs and buy new ones to listen on the Beogram 4002. Though my ears are a bit blown out, I think I'll still appreciate raw vinyl.

 - Craig

Hi Craig,

As for the cleaning, deionized water is fine, or even distilled.  I use reverse-osmosis simply because I have a RO system in my house.  For records that haven't been played in a long time, or ones that I just bought used, I do the following, which is a tried and true method by many vinyl junkies:

Mix about 1 part rubbing alcohol (the purity/percentage doesn't matter really, but it can't have any additives like oils) with about 3 parts of your chosen pure water.  Then add a single drop of dishwashing detergent to the mix (I make about 1 to 1.5 cups).  Buy a cheap plastic spray bottle and fill it with your cleaning mix.  Then find a 100% cotton undershirt that's been washed a bunch of times to soften it.  Spray the cleaning solution onto the record and wipe around in a circular motion with the t-shirt.  Make sure you let the records dry before playing them!

For the quick 5-second cleanings before playing a record, just use a record brush.  The Hunt is a good one, and pretty popular.  It has carbon fiber bristles on the edges, and a soft felt pad in the center.

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/73714

Hope that helps!

Austin

edit: I should have mentioned that completely submerging and washing the records as you mentioned is also fine, and is more thorough than what I advised, but you definitely don't have to do that, so don't both unless you want to.

Hi Craig

That hum is absolutely not acceptable.

I've restored a couple of these magnificent units, as well as of other makes, and no way should you hear any type of hum at all.

These are SILENT decks, and the silence is a rare pleasure. What you do hear, is pure music.

That said, the problem may NOT be in the cabling, but somewhere else in the circuit. Capacitors are a perennial problem in this unit.

But for the vendor to fob you off with the b.s. excuse that it's some kind of normal, is absolutely unacceptable.

If I was in the US, I'd be happy to look after it for you, but there's a friend of mine in Chicago who may be able to help you. He was a TEAC/TASCAM technician for over 35 years. I'm not going to post his details on the forum, but if you're interested send me a PM.

Menahem Yachad

Yachdem,

Thanks for your response. I have come to the same conclusion as you, that the deck should be quiet. My CD and my tape player are dead quiet at the same level. 

I can't afford to send this deck to Chicago, but there is a pretty good tech here in Santa Cruz. I was just going to ask him to check the ground, but now I'll suggest that maybe capacitors are suspect. Any particular part of the circuitry to focus on?

Also, do you see any value in converting the deck back to the DIN connector? Or should I just leave it with RCA connectors?

Craig

Well I'm starting to feel despair. I replaced the RCA connectors and that cleaned up the sound considerably. I still have some low frequency rumble, but maybe that's just the turntable. I've isolated it from the desk it is on with some high density foam squares.

My problem is I started digitizing some records, and only after 2 complete sides, now the tone arm fails to move to the LP. When I press STOP, it tries to return, I hear the motor straining, but it will not move without external help. The drive mechanism to move the tonearm seams unable to do its job.

I'm feeling like I bought into property where I want to build a house only to find it has a sink-hole.

Is there any way I can repair this myself? Any advice appreciated.

I feel now that I should have just bought one of those USB turntables.

Craig -- dumb aspiring audiophile.

Take a look at my post

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/thread/94148.aspx

In restoring mine, I came across just about every fault that could be in this deck, short of total mechanical breakdown.

It's best read with the turntable open in front of you, so you can check everything I wrote about.

Check the 2nd article down ToneArm not lowering, where I mention replacing a Diode, and the 3rd article down on that page - 33/45 Speed Problem - diode and capacitors.

 Your problem may be electronic, or the actual plastic gear on the motor axle may be cracked (the gear which has the rubber belt).

I had to build mine up with epoxy. 

Don't give up, and keep us updated

Regards

Menahem Yachad

Well I may have bollixed the whole thing. I opened up the deck and found that the screw drive for the tone-arm transport seemed gummed up, old lubricant. I decided to take the screw drive out, clean and lubricate it with mineral oil. I may have screwed up the alignment  when replacing it, though it seemed right. Somewhere along the way in the repair I must have bumped the tone-arm because it was at a skewed angle. I tried to push it back into place but I think I broke something in the tone-arm suspension. I'm not usually all thumbs, but I think I f****d it up. The little belt that drives the screw drive is spinning, but won't turn the screw (machine threaded rod). I don't know how to get into the housing of the tone-arm suspension to see if I broke it. I feel like a first class idiot.

• Do I need the Service Manual?

• If I need the Service Manual, where do I get one?

• Does anyone know a repair tech in the San Francisco Bay area?

• I think I'm still getting (was getting) rumble from the drive motor through the signal from the cartridge. If so, is it worth trying to get this unit fixed? This is starting to look like a $600 repair.

 • Menahem, I don't think I have the skill or patience to start replacing components on the circuit boards. Maybe you could give me the name of the tech in Chicago you mentioned. (But I think I'd be into $100 just in shipping charges)

- Craig

I am sure it will be able to be fixed! The common thing to break is the wheel on the screw thread by tightening it too much - it splits. Super glue should fix it.

The service manuals are on site but to be honest, cut your losses and call in an expert. These are complex decks  and not simple to repair. They are however worth the effort as they perform well and are the most beautiful record player made in my opinion.

More BG 4002 saga.

I'm looking for a qualified B&O tech in Northern California / San Francisco Bay Area to repair my BG 4002.

Have any of you folks had any experience with anyone in my area?

Thanks, Craig