I have heard on this site about the BM 4500 and 8000 being of superior sound quality and was wondering how some other models sound,such as the BM4000 and 3000.Also I was wondering how some of these stack up against the comparable Japanese units of this era.

Sound quality is always a slightly contentious issue as what one person likes may not be the same as another. B&O have in the past had two ranges - the hi-fi range and the audio range.

The Hi-Fi range is where the engineers have been allowed their full rein and these will be comparable with the better of their competitors. Examples are:

Beolab 5000 system of 1967 - expensive at the time and developed to be as good as it could be. Still good today!

Beomaster 3000/4000/4400 - these were the replacement for the 5000 system - not as expensive or quite as well made but very similar performance and the 4400 was exceptional. Regarded by some as the best receiver made by B&O.

Beomaster 8000/6000 - I have put these together but the 6000 is in many ways a 4400 uprated. Not as well built (again!) but good sounding if a little temperamental. The 8000 was a tour de force with B&O throwing everything they knew to make this a powerful and good sounding receiver. Let down by rotten red capacitors (they were fine in their day but have proved to age badly and need replacing , as do those in the 4400) and by some cheaper plastics. None the less, this is a superb receiver.

The audio range included the lesser models such as the 901 and the 1700 etc. nothing wrong with them but built to a price level.

The interesting models are in the middle! Deciding where they go is tricky! The Beomaster 2200 uses similar circuit design, though not construction, to the 4400 and is brilliant, as is the even lower powered BM1500. The 2400 is not as good but is a stunning design! I am not sure I would rate the 4500 that highly on sound either but it is again beautiful.

Thanks much,Peter.I appologize when I said 4500 I meant 4400,the one you consider to be exceptional.The two I have had my eye on are the modestly priced 4000 and 3000,and I was wondering how much of a downgrade they are to the flagship models.

I have a BM3000 (the early one, like the 3000-2) connected to my computer through some CX50's and it sounds great. I did have it hooked up to some S45.2's and it sounded very sweet indeed. They are good amps. I prefer the looks of the silver versions to the black of the 4000. Yes they may not be quite as good as the 4400 but you will not be disappointed and for the money that they cost, you cant really go wrong. They seem to be very reliable too except for the switches on the front which can get a bit sticky but usually a bit of contact cleaner and some use will clear this up.

I would recommend any from this series. Dont discount the music centres in this series either as they are normally cheaper than the reciever and you get a decent record deck too. 

I have had both - they do differ considerably in circuit design to the 4400 but are fine sounding for their age. Either would be a reasonable buy at the right price - I got my 3000 for £30. The other receiver to look out for is the 70s BM 2000 or 2200. These are often cheap and have a more modern design than the 3000 both internally and in the case of the 2200, externally. You will not be disappointed with any of the mentioned receivers though.

I currently own a BC7000 and a BM2400,both fully recapped.Love the design,but am looking to step up in sound quality.I am looking to buy something cheap that is in poor or non funtioning condition to restore.The 4400s and 8000 I have seen went for more than I(my wife) cared to spend.Is it safe to say that any of these models mentioned above would provide better sound and performance?

Thanks,very informative posts

The 8000 will not disappoint if you want to power big speakers and make a huge design statement :)

Just picked up a 3000-2!can't wait to tear into it for restoration.I will go into the workbench later with a few technical questions.

Thanks for all the info.

To be fair, the amplifier in the Beocenter 7000 you have is a really good one. Much better than the 2400 and a match for the 3000/4000 in my view. The BC7000 is sometimes referred to as the poor man's 8000 system (not that poor, mind you!) and I think this is a good description. Most need some work these days but are ridiculously cheap.

Glad you should mention that,Peter.My ears were not deceiving me.I thought that BC7000 sounded better than my BM2400.Good to have someone second that.My BC 7000 is recapped,has new belts on the tape drive and is working well.