ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Howdy all you fellow B&O people! Had my teen dream come true just the other day when I picked up a Beosystem 4500. However, I seem to need some advice setting this beauty up decently. Sorry if this issue has plagued you a zillion times already. I tried to search for an answer but found nothing.
The problem is: I cannot get sound out of the speakers when I'm connecting them to speaker connection 1 (top). In this case I do get good sound form headphones and there is the relay click when I plug in the phones, so I'm guessing it cuts off the speakers the way it should.
I do get sound from the speakers when I connect them to bottom speaker connection (speaker 2). However, in this case the balance is really off centre - about 3 or 4 steps to the left and it's pretty good. It's the same with headphones with this speaker connection, unbalanced sound. Plus, when I turn up the volume to about 50, the beosystem shuts off. The volume here is really modest and I'd lke to really blast out sometimes...
I don't have B&O speakers, I'm using my Canton stereo speakers. I equipped the wires with 2 pin DIN connectors. I have Beogram cd 4500 connected, plus a turntable with a 5 pin DIN adapter. Any advice for the noob? Thanks so much in advance!
1. Replace the speaker relay in the Beomaster (common fault).2. Check your speakers and speaker cables.
Martin
Thanks Martin!
I'd like to clarify this: There is sound when the speakers are connected to socket 2 (bottom), but with some unpleaseant balance & volume problems. Does the relay have an effect only on socket 1? And if I need to replace on the relay, any advice on that? What to replace, where is it located and how to do it and get a replacement relay in the first place?
Speakers and cables should be ok, just used them on the other amp and they work when plugged in speaker 2 socket.Kimmo
Solved! I read somewhere here that the relay may just be stuck for not being used for years. So I clicked mute on and off maybe 20-30 times and cranked the volume up. Success!
It wasn't stuck. Its contacts are oxidized.Very soon the channels will start falling out again, often coming back intermittently when you up the volume (and burn through the oxidation).The relay is soldered in the main board, not far from the speaker sockets.It mutes only speaker set 1 (local speakers - linked speakers are muted separately in their respective rooms).
Thanks Martin, your explanations sounds technically right but I kinda meant the same: "the sound tube is clogged". After I take the headphone plug out or mute/unmute, the sound is crackly until I turn up the volume again. After that it's ok even on low volume.
So nothing was physically stuck but there was bad contact due to oxidation. But can I burn it away by listening at high volume or do I need to do some actual repairing? As a music fan and not a technician by any means, I'd very much prefer option 1...
The somewhat higher current of higher volume will burn through oxidation, but only up to a certain point.When the layer of oxidation gets to thick, there will no longer be any initial current flow and no chance of burning through.In other words, it will not get better by itself.
It's neither an expensive nor a difficult or timeconsuming repair.
Ok, I'll keep this in mind but stop worrying about it for now. Thanks again! I'm REALLY enjoying the amp now it's working.
Kimmo
Ah, not fully satisfied after all... when I turn the volume up to around 50, the bm takes it down to about 44 or 46. And that's not very loud - not nearly as loud I sometimes would like it to be. BM also shut off when I had volume at around 40 and dropped the needle on the record. The dropping sound made the "safety valve" go off I guess. Could this be related to the relay as well or am I experiencing other problems? I have Canton GLE 490.2 speakers with the impedance of "4...8 ohms" and they can take way more than I get out now with BM4500.
... I just tried cranking out My Sharona with the bass turned to -4 (awful) and reached only 56 on the volume when the BM shut off. It's just like the most annoying thing you have on an mp3 player, the hearing protection funtion that just won't let you listen loud music.
Any advice here? Service?
- Kimmo