I'm in love with B&O first and foremost for the visual and interface design.  That said, I've never owned anything.  I'm interested in a good amp/tuner section, I want to get the most of my vinyl, and I'm interested in a good CD player as well.

I have an offer from a friend to sell me a Beomaster 3000.  But I really want to know which one is best: most sturdy, reliable over time.

From what I understand the 4500 has a protection circuit that is lacking in earlier models? 

What about the 5000 components?

Any guidance would help, thank you.

I think you need to decide on the design you like most. Also you need to work out what you will be using it for the most. If vinyl,

then one of the earlier systems would be the best - either an 8000 system or a 4400 system. However if CD is going to be a big part, I would get a 7000 system with active speakers. Also consider the Beocenter 9500 which is the Beosystem 4500 in a single box. 

Are there any specific models to stay away from? What about the "stackable" components- the 5xxx and 6xxx? And who in the US services B&O?

Hi there, welcome to the forums!

If you want to enjoy analog / vinyl, you couldn't go wrong with the 6500 thru 7000 series components. Beomaster 6500 / 7000, along with the Beogram 6500 / 7000 linear tracking turntables. Though many would argue that the better turntable is the Beogram 8000.

The build quality of those stackable models as well as the 4500 series (not stackable) was phenomenal!

The 5000 series maybe easier to find than the 6500 / 7000 series, but I have found that used 6500 / 7000 components used tend to be for some reason in better condition that the 5000 series, maybe their owners treated them better, I don't know.

I used to own the set of 7000 components (with a 6500 turntable, which I still own), and they're fabulous.

if you have room on the wall or on a long table, the 4500 series, or even the Beocenter 9500 connected to a turntable (with an inbuilt RIAA) would work.

All that to say that in my humble opinion, you may want to piece together a stackable system starting with a Beomaster 6500 / 7000, then a 6500 or 7000 turntable. They're built like tanks.

As for servicing. I sent my 6500 turntable to be serviced to "the Soundsmith" in Fishkill, NY. They also make wonderful cartridges.

Sal

The Beomaster 3000 is mid '80s to begin with. Its the remote controlled version of the Beomaster 2000.

It has its own remote. The experience I had with the Beomaster 2000 also mid 80's were it was a defect unit. It got fixed by a dealer and it worked flawlessly the next 3 years when I sold the complete 2000 system.

It depends on room size and how loud you can play. Avoid using Beovox X series speakers which were the recommended once. They do not sound good and anyone here would agree on that fact.

The Beosystem 4500 is also around 1986 in age so do not expect to find it working without trouble the next 3 years or so. This system is great. Killer design but cost is still on high side and takes alot of space.

The simpler the Beomaster the easier to service.

The Beosystem 5000 has its own remote system. You can't use the Beolink 1000 unless you find a complete rare IR converter kit.

No powerlinks and linking is posible with the old MCL82 which is rare to find. The CD50 sometimes with this system will need service and a a tech guy would say the lazer is dead which is not true. Many of them has been scrapped.

Good news is the Beomaster 5000 is among the best of the 5000/5500/6500/7000 series acording to this sites members.

Most sturdy, reliable over time?

This is a hard one.

The Beosystems you have mentioned are all great. One thing is that they are from mid '80s and have played great until they get sold for whatever reason.

I was able to get a cheap Beosystem 6500 which is properly from 1991 and while it works great the Beomaster have minor right channel output noise.

Other Beomaster I had and still have some of 1900, 2000, 6000, 8000 were more or less defective in one way or another so much that a qualified service was required before I could even hear how it sounded.

The more highly technically the Beosystem the more goes wrong at some point. Mid '80s seem to be the grey area were service is needed here and there.

My Beomaster 2000 worked for 3 years and so have my white Beomaster 6000 (Around 1982 I guess) which had a burned powersupply.

Pick the design you like the best. As long as you have a qualifed service done if there are faults then it will work for a very long time regardless of what you have.

It's more like they work for 25 odd years and then need service to last another 25. This goes for Beovox too.

 One thing on the stacking Beosystems 5000/5500/6500 and 7000.

The 2 later ones have the full options like powerlinks for Beolab speakers. If you find a 6500 or 7000 then the Beogram 6500 is costly so make sure you get one that comes with it.

The price is double the Beogram 8002 in most cases.

 

 

I can recommend the 6500 stackable series ... fabulous machines.
Less expensive than the later 7000 series but every bit as good, however the turntables are hard to find and fairly expensive.
Added advantage is that it still can integrate with newer B&O items through powerlink and datalink. Something to consider if you decide to add to your B&O setup. Another advantage is that it can be controlled by the beo4 or BL1000 remotes.
Even if you do not want to invest in active speakers yet, it's still plenty powerful to power some good passive speakers.

Also a good option is the beocenter 9300/9500 series. More compact with cd-player and tape deck integrated and wonderful design.
However made to be used with active speakers primarily. The internal amp does an ok job to power some passive speakers. But not in the same league as the Beomaster 6500 series. This is my personal opinion.
However, having powerlink and masterlink this unit can still be integrated in a more modern B&O setup. and controlled by beo4 or BL1000.
There are also the BL5000 and BL7000 remotes, but those are always full of problems in the long run.

If you decide to keep your system as a stand-alone setup I can fully recommend the 5000 stackable system. It has a decent amp and a good cd-player. Also finding turntables for this system is alot easier and cheaper. Great if you only want to use passive speakers.
These are the older units and yes they have been built like tanks. Also easier to have them repaired by non B&O specialized repair service.
My Beomaster 5000 in my office works for around 12 hours a day/ 6 days a week going on 6 years without a hitch. 
You can connect plenty of components (B&O or non- B&O) through the din and rca connectors. 
This has no powerlink so will not integrate with newer B&O systems. That is one of the reasons they sell really cheap in the US.
Also remote control is possible through the MCP. A chunky tabletop remote. (there exists a small more usefull remote, though hard to find...) 

What can I recommend if I had to say a model?

It depends on what you want to do and what design of B&O you like. Age and faults is less important as you allready have found Beoworld. You can type in the unit in the search box and see what comes up. Typical questions, faults etc.

I began with Beosystem 2000 (mid 80's) by acident. Needed to be fixed but worked and sounded great for the next 3 years. I had the Beogram and Beocord. I had a discman plugged in for cd's. No remote or link option but one touch for whatever you would want to do. 7 pin data link was standard and worked great for the 3 units to connect to each other. Do not use Beovox X series speakers! They sound horrible! I can recommend it for not a very large volume room. On a technical side its simple for less experienced reapair guys.

Then I moved on to Beosystem 6000/8000. Everyone here says its classic for the BM8000 that came out in 1981. I had the Beocord 9000. If you are into recording cassete tapes this machine is B&Os Nakamichi. Playback is very good too but so is alot of other B&O cassete players. Belts go and lights drop out, DIN plugs get loose but owerall Beocords are the hidden gems as they sound very awesome with the right tapes!

Long story short. Beogram 8002, Beomaster 6000 in white, CDX cdplayer, white Beogram 6006 and Beomaster 8000 were all defective and serviced by Dillen here on site. Technically it takes somebody who knows what he is doing. Once its up and running its great. Sounds, looks and everything. It takes a bit of space. The BM8000 is more wide than a BM6000 so don't fit the normal B&O stands. The right ones are rare.

Beovox for these 6000/8000 are S/M/MS and usually rare without foamrot. Once fixed ready for 20 odd years or more. Great sounding as always.

The list of reapairs are long on my stuff. I knew Dillen's work, was on a budget but once there you get a really powerfull system in the BM6000 and BM8000. It can play loud and clear so it needs room for volume.

As it was mid '80s before a B&O cdplayer came out Beosystem 6000 and 8000 + 2000 were BM,BC and BG. A Cd can be connected like the CDX which is a great one and highly recommend anywhere but you loose remote option. Linking can be done for the 6000 and 8000. The parts are hard to find second hand. They do have their own remote which works great. On a BM6000 it was optional so not always in place but can be done.

I can recommend these systems highly too. Just be aware of who to do proper service when it needs it.

As I was moving into a big apartment with more rooms I was thinking how to link and finding the MCL82 units are posible but a Beolab kit is also needed and I have yet to even see one. One day last year there was a Beosystem 6500 online and since it was advertised with defective speaker outputs it did not go for high cost in the auction. A search here on Beoworld did no give this as a typical fault or at all.

Typical Timer out was what the Beomaster 6500 said. This turn the speaker outputs off. Simple fix as mentioned in the manual (download as silver or gold member) hold right and push left. That's it and it gave sound again.

I have been using this Beosystem 6500 nearly on daily basis since I got it. It came with the CD6500 and Beocord 6500. I found Beocord 5500 one day and its used as tape 2. Its got alot of options. I use it with MCL link so far to the kitchen. I got 3 2047 Xtra speaker kits and 1 tvkit to be put up. The AUX goes to the Beovision AV9000 through a 1611 converter and its really wonderfull to have the linking. You can control the system from every place in the house. You can even connect Beosystem 6500/7000 to the latest Beovisions made in 2010!

Remote wise you get MCP 65000, Beolink 1000, Beolink 5000, Beolink 7000 and Beo4.

The best amps are in the BM6000 and BM8000. The best options are in the late '80s early '90s such as linking and powerlink for Beolab speakers.

The sound of the Beosystem 6500 is great even through Beovox S series speakers. I personally use the Beosystem 6500 95% of the time.

 

 

 

I think the eventual choice is up to your own taste.

The flat systems (Beosystem 2000 and up) have very distinctive design, and the older systems are quite common. The Beomaster 2000/3000 is quite easy to get for a fair price, but it still looks the part and has OK sound quality.

If you're really into the vintage units, try to look for a Beomaster 8000 or 6000 based system. Although they're more rare than the 2000, they were the top of the range in the early 1980's and most still sound crystal clear today.

The major downsides of the earlier systems are that they don't support CD players 'out of the box', and they don't work with the newer Beolink 1000 or Beo4 remote controls.

If you want a stack system, either one of the series is good, just try and look for a set that gives you the best deal. The 5500/6500/7000 are not all that different, each one is a slight upgrade in features from the previous type. All support the newer remote systems, except the Beosystem 5000.

Beocenters are a good choice if you need a more space-saving option, the CD-based 8500, 9000, 9300 or 9500 are all pretty fair priced these days as they pass the 10-15 years of age mark. You might even be able to find a Beosound (Century or Ouverture) for a good price.

Ultimately, the only advice is, just take a look around depending on your budget. And listen -- a good combination of Beomaster and speakers can make a great difference. I actually got my system for zero budget, as I actually saved my Beomaster 2000 from someone's dumpster and fixed it. Eventually I completed the system with a Beocord and Beogram, bought a new cartridge, and I'm enjoying the sound daily.