Beosystem 5500: Speaker Connection Advice

I have been searching for a 'white' Beosystem in good condition for the past year or so, and today I finally got my hands on an immaculate white Beosystem 5500, including a Beogram 5500 and MCP5500.

Unfortunately I don't have any Beovox speakers, but I do have a pair of BL4000s and a pair of BL18's in the same room.  I was going to try connecting the 'Line Out' sockets to the BL 4000s, but I note there are 'links' between the  Line In and Line Out sockets on the back of the Beomaster.  I've tried gently pulling on these, but I'm reluctant to pull too hard in case they're firmly secured for a reason - I don't want to ruin it after so long a wait!  Does anyone have a view on why these links would be there, and if they are likely to come out if I just give them a really good tug?!  

I note that there is also a 'pre-amp' L/R available on the Beomaster, and I wondered if this could be used instead?  I only really have experience of using Powerlink cables, so I'm a little nervous about connecting things wrongly on these older systems, so any advice would be appreciated.

I've tested each component through the the headphone socket and it does sound amazing for a nearly 30-year old system.  Although the cassette deck works a treat, the Beocord tray itself doesn't open automatically - which I hope is just a belt issue.  Also I'll need a stylus for the MMC4 cartridge, but apart from that the system looks and sounds spectacular.  Whilst I was testing it out today I was playing music through my Moment in the same room, and I was astonished to find that the MCP5500 was actually controlling the volume on the Moment - quite incredible really, and one of the reasons why I love B&O!

Any advice/comments most welcome.

J

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are reading the connections upside down.

The plugs with the links between them is for use with a preamp, the signal goes out to the external device then back into the beomaster.

You can just plug your RCA cables into the line-out (the one you think is preamp out). The volume control works on these. But do lower the volume and store it before connecting your Bl4000's.

Hi Leo,

Thanks for coming back so quickly...

There is a schematic beside the RCA sockets on the Beomaster  and also shown on page 7 of the BM5500 Manual which shows the RCA connections left to right as:

Phono - Tape2/Aux - Line In/Out - Preamp

The links are definitely between what are marked as the 'LineIn and 'Line Out' sockets, and the manual describes these as "for use with an equaliser",- it actually shows the links in place in the diagram.  The RCA sockets (L&R) for 'Preamp' are available, and are described in the manual as sockets for a power amplifier.

I can try the preamp sockets in the morning, but I just want to be sure I'm not going to blow my lovely BL4000s in the process!

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, don't take my word for it.

I had the same unit, and I used that output to active speakers.

Better wait for someone with slippers to confirm.

But your BL4000's are active so they are a power amplifier.

I am wearing slippers and I can confirm what leosgonewild says, use the RCAs closest to the speaker jacks. I've used this with my S8s. Also, as he said, watch your preset volume level.

congrats on the purchase!  you should use the pre-outs.  Check with Steve at Sounds Heavenly for the proper adapter cable of high quality.

Hi All,

Thanks for your input on the outputs...

Yes, Leo, I was thinking that the pre-amp out should be OK with the active BL4000s, but I just wasn't certain; I once completely blew a pair of BL6000s by thinking I knew what I was doing!

I'll try the preamp outputs shortly, and let you know the outcome.

 

 

 

A quick update:

Just plugged the Beomaster RCAs marked 'Preamp'  into the BL4000s, put my fingers in my ears, closed my eyes, grimaced, and pressed CD Play, and...  Music!

Thanks all for your advice - and sorry to have doubted you Leo!

Regards,

J 

 

 

High five!

Beocat47:

A quick update:

Just plugged the Beomaster RCAs marked 'Preamp'  into the BL4000s, put my fingers in my ears, closed my eyes, grimaced, and pressed CD Play, and...  Music!

Thanks all for your advice - and sorry to have doubted you Leo!

Regards,

J 

 

 

Hi J,

Glad to hear that you got everything working!  I was just about to post to confirm that this will all work well when I saw your update

For future readers of this thread, it is worth noting that there are two versions of Beolab 4000, each of which need different cables.

If your Beolab 4000 speakers are the mk.1 versions (up to 2007, Serial no. 1xxxx), you need this cable to connect two speakers to the Pre-out sockets on the Beomaster 5500:-

http://soundsheavenly.com/line-in-connection/6-av-processor-pre-amp-sonos-to-beolab-rca-line-in.html

If your Beolab 4000 speakers are the mk.2 versions (Serial no. 2xxxx onwards, from late 2007), you need this cable instead to connect two speakers to the Pre-out sockets on the Beomaster 5500:-

http://soundsheavenly.com/powerlink-8-pin-din-connection/105-av-processor-pre-amp-sonos-to-beolab-using-the-powerlink-din-sockets.html

For either version of speakers, you will need to set both speakers to "Line" mode using the small switch on the back panel.

Kind regards, Steve.