Thanks for all your comments. I was slow getting back due to the time difference: I am in London, UK. I'll let you know how I get on with opening up the cassette player and doing a spot of cleaning etc.

Hi Peter, I know I'm getting on a bit, after all I bought this kit when it came out eons ago, and I need glasses for everything and I have fingers like bananas, but I never thought that I was losing it so completely as to plug cables into the wrong sockets: but I am and I did. Thanks a million for pointing out the first thing I should have checked

I have a Beosystem 5500 + Beocord 6500 + the Master Control Unit. Having finally decided to retrieve these items and set them up once again, not all is well. Both the Beogram and Radio on the Beomaster perform with no problems, volume adjusts properly and all dials etc light-up. However both the tape recorder and CD player have the same problem, namely