Hi All,

I recently was very lucky to find a B&O 5000 system complete with CD50 and Beogram 5005.

The sales person explained the CD50 was not working but everything else was OK.  A check in the shop seemed to concur.

Once home I set things up and found the following:

The components are built like tanks.  No flimsy chassis or cheap plastic bits.  Perhaps there are some under the covers but by weight I suspect not much.

The Beocord 5000 worked once but then stopped in the sense that a tape would start to play then immediately stop as if coming to the end of the tape.  Unsure why and as I do not listen to tapes am not rushing to have a look.

The Beogram 5005 works and sounds lovely.  Is there much difference between it and say a BG8000?

The BM 5000 works and sounds great.  The only minor issue is when I press the mute button on the Master Control Panel the BM does not mute.  Not really an issue for me but sometime I might check out if a muting transistor is still alive or for some other reason the mute not working.

The CD50 worked fine and still is after many CDs.  Now how can a 26 year old CD player released shortly after the introduction of CDs sound better than a mid fi CD player 20 years it junior?  With the BM5000 or a combination of TVC pre and WE300B valve amplifiers the results are substantially the same.  The CD50 seems to pull more detail out of the music and gives better micro dynamics.  The latter is noticeable when climaxes in music are played which conveys emotion.  The only thing that perhaps the CD50 does not do quite the same is bass but I am unsure if this is more an inaccuracy in the younger CD player than the CD50.  It is not a clear case of being bass light.  All in all a very nice sounding CD player.

Considering what I paid for the 5000 system I am very happy.  It is now my everyday system and is used everyday for most of the day as I work from home.

But why should that old CD player sound so good?  It does not seem right.

Cheers

Richard

I always liked the CD50 too.
Note that the Beomaster 5000 only mutes locally.
That means that only one speaker pair is muted if you press mute on the Beomaster (or local remote control).
The other pair can be Beo-linked to other rooms and will mute locally in those rooms.

Martin

Welcome to BeoWorld

Glad you like the 5000 series - I agree they are fabulous

Do you live in Oz? 

We are holding a Beoworld Melbourne event in July and you are more than welcome to join us for pizza

The 5000 system is a good one - worth getting the Beocord working as the 5000 is excellent. Probably needs new belts now. The internal components are also good and can be got at very easily! The CD50 is the most disorganised mind you as they all seem different! It does have a very high quality DAC in it and in common with the first of the line of B&O products, will be over engineered. Later models are got at by the bean counters so will often suffer in some ways - the later 5500, 6500 and 7000 systems are excellent and do have enhancements but are not as sturdy as the 5000.

The Beogram 5005 is in my view the weak link - the original 5000 radial deck is better built with a far superior lid. The 8000 is much more substantial though not without a few failings of its own and will not match the system. I would however stick with what you have and enjoy it!

Peter :

The CD50 is the most disorganised mind you as they all seem different! It does have a very high quality DAC in it and in common with the first of the line of B&O products, will be over engineered. 

But the upside down CD loading tray gives it character.  They dont like cigarwette smoke.

Yes I am in Australia but S.A.

Unfortunately I doubt if I can get to Melbourne in July.  Thanks and I will need to keep it in mind.

RofOz:

Yes I am in Australia but S.A.

well that makes two Beoworlders from SA so you have quorum !!!!

Seems like a round of drinks are in order