Peter, of course you're right – to hell with the figures, I like what I hear

The beolab 5000 looks really great, especially the contoured frontpanel with the screws. I guess it sounds just as good!

Amp608:

 

The beolab 5000 is one of the favorite items of vintage beo lovers. Its sound quality is outstanding. Owners told me so, I do not own this amplifier, its a pity...

It is extremely rare and comparatively expensive. It was expensive then: 1995 Deutsche Mark in 1969! How many pounds might that had been...?

Congratulations, you should be really proud owning this fine gear! Casdave is right, try to find a beomaster 5000 in similar condition to complete the item.

Take much care of the inscription on the front, it is very sensitive and impossible to replace when damaged.

thanks amp608,

maybe sometimes i'll find a right beomaster to complete my setup... step by step. ;-). i'm wondering how long will fm radio exist. 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?

j0hnbarker:

Looks great Dario :)

My Beolab 5000 isn't serviced either, but still sounds great. I think it's testament to how well built and designed they are that they can survive 40 odd years into the future and still function to a high standard!

thanks j0hn,

Peter :

 My collection is now very small but I have kept the essentials - and these are two of them! 

peter, i'm wondering which equipment are the essentials of your collection...

Amp608:

I check out vintage B&O regularly every week for five years now on German Ebay and there beolab/beomaster 5000 are absolutely rare, I havent seen a single one for more than two years.

You haven't looked very closely then, or perhaps need to work on your search terms! My Beomaster 5000 is from German eBay (although it did come from Sweden - the 'Lab I found locally) and I'm quite sure I've seen at least half a dozen pairs and some lone units on sale there in the year or two I've been following them.

I cannot imagine how missing letters or words can be replaced on the front panel - but if it is possible, thats fine.

Full silk screen reprint I guess, not much sense trying to fix partial problems that will be different every time.

My favourite is still this - at least until I have time to do some work on the 5000. I have a 4400 as well which sounds mighty fine, but frankly I don't like the looks that much, so I have loaned it to a friend...

I've always had a soft spot for the BM5500, mostly due to its versaitility having both RCA & DIN inputs. It's a godsend when testing repaired items such as CDX's & turntables. Sounds pretty good & looks the part too

Chris.

superdario:

Peter :

 My collection is now very small but I have kept the essentials - and these are two of them! 

peter, i'm wondering which equipment are the essentials of your collection...

I now have:

Beogram 3000 Thorens, Beolab 5000, Beomaster 5000, Beogram CDX, Beovox 5000, Beovox 2500 (though I actually use BBC LS3/5A speakers most of the time)

Beogram 4000, Beomaster 5500 (I agree with Chris here!), Beogram CD5500, Beocord 5500, CX100s

Beogram 4001, Beomaster 4401, Beocord 5000 (T4715) M100.2s

Beomaster 6000 quad, S45-2s, Beogram 4004, collection of VCRs and a few bits and pieces.

And my modern system! 

Interesting that you kept the 6000 Quad Peter! Is this more because of its rarity than the way it sounds, as you've always been a bit unimpressed with the amp haven't you? Anyway, I have something approaching a similar collection myself:

Beomaster 8000/Beogram 8002/Beocord 8004/Beogram CDX/Beovox Pentas 

Beomaster 6000 Quad/Beogram 4002/Beogram CDX2/ Beovox MC120.2s 

Beomaster/Beolab 5000/ Beovox CX50s

Beomaster 2000/ Beovox CX50s

Beomaster 900M/ Beovox 1000s

Beolit 600 (1960s)/Beolit 609/Beolit 800/Beolit 600 (colour radio) x2

Jet Present 607

Beovision Avant RF 28/MX 1500

and that's about it, apart from assorted remote controls and a B&O soldier!

Actually I might sell it! I forgot I had it until we cleared out the spare bedroom!

I'm sure there will be no shortage of takers - they're hard to come by, and in my opinion, a must have in any collection!

I have been trying to resist contributing to this thread as I'm not sure I'm really qualified to express a view - I've not owned nearly as many Beomasters as some of the Beoworlders who have posted, but here goes.  

I currently have both a Beomaster 4400 and an 8000 - both from Peter so the provenance was always unimpeachable.  I love them both and enjoy them equally for different reasons.  The 4400 is the more neutral (I think) but the 8000 is so punchy and dynamic.  But my favourite is another piece altogether -  the 2200 in its Beocenter 4000 guise, not for musical reasons alone but because it was the piece of kit that opened my eyes to just how good B&O could sound.  As a piece of 34 year old technology, it was a revelation and started me on collecting.  And it isn't a pice that seems to command exceptional prices either.

Having now got systems from the 70s, 80s and 90s the next stop is the 60s - the full Beolab 5000 system.

Cleve

Well, I think that the best of my beomasters is an 80's Beomaster 6000. Sounds like the 8000 but simpler to service and replacement parts are cheap and available. Next to that comes the Beomaster 5500: Fine sound and a whole lot of options. Actually, my current setup is a mixtutre of a 6000/5500 for full controllability of my CD50.

-Søren

Cleviebaby:

I have been trying to resist contributing to this thread as I'm not sure I'm really qualified to express a view - I've not owned nearly as many Beomasters as some of the Beoworlders who have posted, but here goes.  

I currently have both a Beomaster 4400 and an 8000 - both from Peter so the provenance was always unimpeachable.  I love them both and enjoy them equally for different reasons.  The 4400 is the more neutral (I think) but the 8000 is so punchy and dynamic.  But my favourite is another piece altogether -  the 2200 in its Beocenter 4000 guise, not for musical reasons alone but because it was the piece of kit that opened my eyes to just how good B&O could sound.  As a piece of 34 year old technology, it was a revelation and started me on collecting.  And it isn't a pice that seems to command exceptional prices either.

Having now got systems from the 70s, 80s and 90s the next stop is the 60s - the full Beolab 5000 system.

Cleve

 

 

You are quite right - the 2200 is a lovely device. It uses the same basic circuit design as the 4400, just a little less powerful. It has a fascinating construction method, far more akin to TVs of the day and is designed to be very modular. Practically hand made, it had a beautiful sound. Ridiculously under rated, it had the problem with competing with the 2400 whic looked similar but which was far more advanced in operation. Nothing like as musical though!

Peter :

superdario:

Peter :

 My collection is now very small but I have kept the essentials - and these are two of them! 

peter, i'm wondering which equipment are the essentials of your collection...

 

I now have:

Beogram 3000 Thorens, Beolab 5000, Beomaster 5000, Beogram CDX, Beovox 5000, Beovox 2500 (though I actually use BBC LS3/5A speakers most of the time)

Beogram 4000, Beomaster 5500 (I agree with Chris here!), Beogram CD5500, Beocord 5500, CX100s

Beogram 4001, Beomaster 4401, Beocord 5000 (T4715) M100.2s

Beomaster 6000 quad, S45-2s, Beogram 4004, collection of VCRs and a few bits and pieces.

And my modern system! 

nice collection indeed... ;-)

especially the beolab/master 5000 system. which bbc ls3/5a you use? some rogers?

i would get, if i had the money and the space: a beomaster 6000 quad and a beogram 6000 incl. mmc 6000... but without some cd4 records it makes not so much sense to me...

on the top of my wishlist is a eames lounge chair with ottoman in palisander. it would be a perfect match for my vintage b&o setup...

j0hnbarker:

Interesting that you kept the 6000 Quad Peter! Is this more because of its rarity than the way it sounds, as you've always been a bit unimpressed with the amp haven't you? Anyway, I have something approaching a similar collection myself:

Beomaster 8000/Beogram 8002/Beocord 8004/Beogram CDX/Beovox Pentas 

Beomaster 6000 Quad/Beogram 4002/Beogram CDX2/ Beovox MC120.2s 

Beomaster/Beolab 5000/ Beovox CX50s

Beomaster 2000/ Beovox CX50s

Beomaster 900M/ Beovox 1000s

Beolit 600 (1960s)/Beolit 609/Beolit 800/Beolit 600 (colour radio) x2

Jet Present 607

Beovision Avant RF 28/MX 1500

and that's about it, apart from assorted remote controls and a B&O soldier!

also a nice collection, did you hear some difference between your cdx and cdx2?

I had that - only the whole CD4 records are a disappointment and I have not heard a MMC6000 able to track a CD4 record properly in the last 10 years! You can use a shibata tipped stylus from Axel though. The BM6000 is a splendid device though - worth having as something just to look at! Always makes me think of the medical bed read out in the original Star Trek!!

The CDX and CDX2 sound very similar to me, but I have not really had the chance to compare them with each other using the same amp for any period of time. The CDX and BM8000 combination sounds great, as does the CDX2 and BM6000 Quad pairing. Peter's right about the visual impact of the 6000 Quad - in low light levels it looks absolutely fantastic with all the display lights functioning, and as I have said several times before, to my ears it is also a nice sounding amp when it has been fully serviced (as mine has been). Would look great in your interior Dario if your Beolab 5000 and 400x turntable is anything to go by!

A picture of mine and also Tim's - you don't see two working ones together that often! The major problem with these receivers is that there is simply too much in them! 

You could add mine to that photo too as I have the Terminal Commander too!

Peter :

The BM6000 is a splendid device though - worth having as something just to look at! Always makes me think of the medical bed read out in the original Star Trek!!

truth! it looks stylish and really futuristic... beam me up, scotty. ;-)

j0hnbarker:

The CDX and CDX2 sound very similar to me, but I have not really had the chance to compare them with each other using the same amp for any period of time. 

thanks for sharing your experience.

j0hnbarker:

Peter's right about the visual impact of the 6000 Quad - in low light levels it looks absolutely fantastic with all the display lights functioning, and as I have said several times before, to my ears it is also a nice sounding amp when it has been fully serviced (as mine has been). Would look great in your interior Dario if your Beolab 5000 and 400x turntable is anything to go by!

right... the 6000 quad have a stylish look, especially as a setup with the beogram 6000 or beogram 4002. it is a really iconic and collectible beomaster... the 6000 commander looks for me like a swiss chocolate made from brushed aluminium and steel... ;-)

which beovox are originally made for the 6000 quad?

Peter :

You can use a shibata tipped stylus from Axel though.

did you know the difference between the rebuild shibata and the original shibata diamond?

The speakers usually included in the original tests were the P50s though S60s or M70s were suggested as well. I have used mine with P45s and S45s and these work well. It was not a great seller and was expensive new. It also did not sound as good as the stereo receivers in the range and quad was a passing fad. It uses the circuit design from the 901 so is simply not as advanced as the 2000 or 3400 quad. It does look fantastic though! Still not really worked out what to do with two headphone sockets though - one front and one rear!!

Peter :

Still not really worked out what to do with two headphone sockets though - one front and one rear!!

You buy quad headphones and plug them in!

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Music-instruments/Other/auction-278377289.htm

EDIT: Not to enforce just Pioneer, here's a Sansui QH-44:

Whoa! You'd need big ears for those bad boyz!!!