Vintage Products

Re: CDX / Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

j0hnbarker — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 07:10:36 GMT

AdUk:

Thanks everyone for the input! I am rather fond of the CDX having worked in a B&O dealer when it was launched. I know it's only 14bit, but I had a CD104 when they were around and it was surprisingly accomplished! I have an MF Nu-Vista 3D in my main system and Im not expecting it to compete with that ;-)

Am I correct in assuming the CDX2 is a full 16bit machine - BUT that it seems to be much less reliable? A CD50 could be a good alternative - although how would one control it? I have a beosystem 6500 and there are no controls (to speak of) on the Beogram CD6500. . . .

thanks,

Adam

If you can find a CD50 with an IR board fitted, you can use it as a standalone CD player (if you look at a CD50 you'll see there's a window where the IR receiver fits up against). There's a remote too that looks very similar to a Terminal 5000. Alternatively, these do come up on eBay from time to time, and you could get a CD50 and hope to add these at a later date, though you may have a long wait!

Re: CDX / Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

wirralsimon — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:45:52 GMT

If you have a look at the write-ups on Beocentral it explains it all, but the main conclusion is that the CDX2 is less reliable and doesn't sound much better considring the two extra bits!

Simon

Re: CDX / Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

AdUk — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:31:51 GMT

Thanks everyone for the input! I am rather fond of the CDX having worked in a B&O dealer when it was launched. I know it's only 14bit, but I had a CD104 when they were around and it was surprisingly accomplished! I have an MF Nu-Vista 3D in my main system and Im not expecting it to compete with that ;-)

Am I correct in assuming the CDX2 is a full 16bit machine - BUT that it seems to be much less reliable? A CD50 could be a good alternative - although how would one control it? I have a beosystem 6500 and there are no controls (to speak of) on the Beogram CD6500. . . .

thanks,

Adam

Re: CDX / Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

j0hnbarker — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:54:04 GMT

I'm fond of my CDX too, but agree about the hinge mechanism. When I have people round who don't know what a BM 8000 or a CDX is, they're always impressed by the huge LED readouts on the BM, or the sensi-touch controls (not bad for a 20 yr old bit of kit) on the CDX. Then it's time to load a CD....pressing the eject button....clunk...whirr....graceless opening of CDX lid...clunk!

Going back to the original thread though - what about a CD50 with a BM 8000? I've got one as part of my Beosystem 5000, so wanted something different to use with my BM 8000. I like the way the CD50 sounds, and it has that unusual internal architecture with the single DAC and the cool trick-your-friends upside down CD loading arrangement. I reckon the brushed aluminium finish and the similar LED readouts would make a CD50 an ideal partner for a BM 8000 if you were that way inclined.

Re: CDX / Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

auric — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:47:03 GMT

I love my CDX. It is a beautiful piece and the first to have the sensi-touch controls.

About the only thing that I don't like about it is is the door mechanism. I find it a bit primative (noisy and motion not very smooth); clearly B&O hadn't quite perfected the smoother mechanisms of later units. Otherwise it is an exceptionally well built piece.

Has anyone figured out/tried how to tap the digital output from the laser pick up so that a more modern external D/A can be used?

Derek

Re: Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

lnerell — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:52:53 GMT

For 14k I would certainly hope it would! I should have mentioned that I have not heard either the CDX or CD104 I'm basing this mainly on specs and real world experience I had back in the mid 1980s while working in a recording studio. We compared a Nakamichi 14 bit pcm recorder with a Sony 16 bit one, recording the same material in both. Side by side their was a difference. Maybe the 4x oversampling helped it to over come the 14 bit limitation.

In anycase it certainly is a nice looking CD player, they seem to be popular here in the states judging by the amount they go for on ebay.

Re: Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

Peter — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:33:31 GMT

Theoretically you are probably correct. However I took my CDX to compare with a modern Musical Fidelity CD player and it compared pretty favourably. The CD104 is a very highly thought of machine and is of course 14 bit 4X oversampling rather than 16bit twice oversampling. A Naim CD555 blew it away though! Only £14,000 to you sir!

Re: Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

lnerell — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:04:32 GMT

AdUk:
think I'll check out a CDX.

From what I have read the CDX is based upon the old Philips CD 104 player. That unit is not a true 16 bit CD player, its only 14 bits. What does this mean? It means you loose some dynamic range of the CD, I suppose if you only listen to contempary rock music where they smash everything to make it as loud as possible you might not notice, but if you listen to classical music or anything that has a decent dynamic range then you might find it lacking a bit. Just an FYI so you know what you are getting into.

Re: Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

Peter — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 14:29:47 GMT

It works a bit like a STB-C in that it converts one set of codes to another. It is however a bit more complicated than that as it will also allow the 8000 to be part of a link system. Gave mine to a friend!

Re: Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

AdUk — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 14:19:30 GMT

Hi Peter,

thanks for those wise words - think I'll check out a CDX. I am planing on replacing the caps in the 8000. Glad you think the Sonus will be a good match, although as I write this the 7007 isn't doing a bad job ;-) but the Signums will happily soak up any power thrown at them!

The converter box you mention - if this enables it to work with the Beolink 1000, presumably it would work with the Beo4 too? What is it - a datalink to master control link converter?

Adam

Re: Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

Peter — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:52:11 GMT

You can possibly but it will take some searching!! You will need the IR converter box which allows a Beomaster 8000 or indeed the BC7700 to be used with a Beolink 1000, and you will need a CD50 with integrated IR board. Even then you will need to use the code converter to work that as well - and I am not sure if it can! I would use a CDX!

I think the Sonus speakers will be a good match for the 8000. Have you replaced the capacitors in the 8000?

Re: Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

AdUk — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:14:13 GMT

I had thought of pentas. . .hmmm I wasn't thinking of using the CX50s with the 8000!, they would be for the 7007 - although I think I might get CX100s - I thought I would use the Sonus Fabers on the 8000 unless there is a reason not too ;-)

I'll have a look for a CDX. Is there anyway to integrate (control) any B&O CD player with the 8000? like a converter box??

Adam

Re: Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

j0hnbarker — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:05:28 GMT

They're not small, but I use Beovox Pentas with my Beomaster 8000. They're the only ones (apart from M/MS150s/RL140s and possibly M100s) that can really hack the pace when the 8000 is cranked up. Beware if you use CX50s and accidentally wind the amp up as I don't think they'll last for long!

As for a CD player, as datalink won't work, why not try a CDX? I use one and you can plug the RCA jscks straight into the 8000. You can pick them up very cheaply, and apart from the hinge mechanism, they're pretty reliable. I know some other members on here swear by them (I'd include myself here too), so others might want to speak in favour of the good old CDX :)

Re: Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

yachadm — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:11:07 GMT

Keep an eye out on Fleabay for the 1970's vintage Sonab OA-series vertical speakers by Carlson. Absolutely stunning sound.

Many of them now have foam rot on the bass-driver, but it is a simple fix.

Speakers & best B&O CD player for Beomaster 8000

AdUk — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:46:59 GMT

Hi,

I have recently aquired a beomaster 8000, 8002 and 9000 which I want to use as a system but it needs to live with my other B&O bits whcih include a beocenter 7007 and beosystem 6500.

I have a good pair of speakers, Sonus Faber Signums, that at the moment I'm using with the Beomaster 6500 but it seems to run out of steam a bit! - my thought is to use the Signums on the Beomaster 8000 as they're 4 Ohm impedance - a good match for the Beomaster 8000, yes?

If that makes sense then I need to get some speakers for the other two systems so they're complete. Something not too big would be good, and I'd like to use B&O if possible so was thinking about the CX100s or 50s, despite working in a B&O dealer when I was a teen I can't really remember what they sound like - I seem to remember not that good?

As far as the CD player for a Beosystem 8000, what would work - I take it Datalink wont work?

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks,

Adam