Which BeoGram

I currently have a Beocenter 7007, which is great but i don't really utilise the radio or tape deck. Further to this I am thinking of replacing with a BeoGram turntable. I mostly listen to 60/70s rock and would be looking for advice on which product would suit best. Also would i need an amp or could my B&O speakers plug directly into the turntable? Many thanks, Miles.

Hi Miles and welcome to Beoworld.

Not many of the older B&O TT's had a built in amp/pre-amp.  However, there are some and this is one of them, the BG1500:

BG1500: http://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=271

And another, the BG1800:

http://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=276

Those two you can just plug in your B&O speakers (what do you have?).

For the majority of other B&O TT's, you will need an amplifier and if the TT does not have a pre-amp (RIAA) installed, the amplifier will need an inbuilt one for the phono stage or an external pre-amp will also be needed.

Most B&O TT's are very good at playing vinyl.  What you buy will depend in part what your budget is and what style/type of B&O TT suits your tastes.  If you use the 'Main Site' , then the 'Products' tabs at the top of the forum, you can search under 'music systems', 'Beogram record decks' and see the list of TT's B&O made.  Look through them and see what you fancy.  Radial deck or Tangential deck?  Wood trim or Aluminium everywhere?

Be careful where you buy from.  Older TT's will most likely need some work - cleaning, relubrication etc and depending on which type of TT and hence which proprietaryy B&O cartridge it has, you will need to consider the cost of cartridge replacement or repair - and it's not cheap.

The BC7007 does take a lot of space.  If yours has an MMC1-5 cartridge in good condition, you may be better buying a TT with the same type of cartridge which could save a bit of money.  Something like a BG5000 (radial) or BG5005. (tangential), both of which will need amplification.

Dave.

 

 

Dave,

Many of the Beogram 1800 models actually don't have the pre-amp. Mine doesn't for instance. I believe they were an option.

ben

Hi and welcome to BW!

If you are satisfy with the quality of the sound of your BC7007 I would stay with that. It is very nice and good sounding center. In any case you would need an extra amp except if you can find the old Beogram 1500 (Type: 5208) which was in my opinion the only one B&O TT with build-in amplifier. In that case you can simply plug your speakers directly to the BG1500 and you would save some space.

The Beogram 18000 mentioned by Dave unfortunately does not have built-in amp and you can not plug the speakers to it directly.

Beogram 1500 is not easy to find but if in good condition, it is a good sounding TT. Even more rare is this TT in white. I am still looking for it...

Regards,

Theomaster

 

 

Theomaster, 

Off topic, but do you have any pictures of a white Beogram 1500? I have never seen one!

My 1500 is in immaculate condition but with a seized motor at the moment so waiting to be repaired. It is a lovely thing though!

Ben

I'd keep the 7007. Excellent record player and one of B&O's best amplifiers. Remote control and the radio is always useful even if rarely used. To better this system, you need one of the serious B&O hi-fi systems which will be expensive and hard to find in good condition. As B&O made almost no simple amplifiers, you would end up with a radio anyway!

Ben_S:

Theomaster, 

Off topic, but do you have any pictures of a white Beogram 1500? I have never seen one!

My 1500 is in immaculate condition but with a seized motor at the moment so waiting to be repaired. It is a lovely thing though!

Ben

It was recently on Ebay, I was to late ...

 

Sorry Miles for going off-topic ...

Why not a Beocenter 3500 or Beocenter 1800?

Welcome!

My choice : a Beogram 4002 and a Beomaster 4400. A devastating combo. 

Alright, let's make it a Beogram 4000 and an SMMC20EN or CL. 

I use a Bluetooth thingy for Spotify and the lot really sounds terrific.

Peter:

I'd keep the 7007. Excellent record player and one of B&O's best amplifiers. Remote control and the radio is always useful even if rarely used. To better this system, you need one of the serious B&O hi-fi systems which will be expensive and hard to find in good condition. As B&O made almost no simple amplifiers, you would end up with a radio anyway!

+1

Don't even think about a Beogram 1500 unless you have efficient speakers and never listen to your rock at high volume (8 watts/channel)

Of course, I'd keep the 7007 too! 

MediaBobNY:

+1

Don't even think about a Beogram 1500 unless you have efficient speakers and never listen to your rock at high volume (8 watts/channel)

OK, lets go back to the first post, OK?

Yes, the BG1500 is not the best device ever produced by B&O. But...

The guy was teling us, he does not want the radio and he already has a Beocenter and want to change! It is a BC7007 and it works. So why would he buy BC3300 or BC1800??? The set with BG4002 connected to BM4400 is of course nice and superb but again, he does not want a radio...

I said to him also: keep BC7007... But if he realy does not have a space and does not want radio and tape, than he can think about BG1500 (he want to plug the speakers and drive!).

So guys, please read what the guy want to say to us.

Regards,

Theomaster

 

Theomaster, 

Very nice white 1500, completely missed that too!

I guess we can present him with a number of options and it is up to the OP to decide which is best for him. The great thing about B&O is there are plenty of choices in this regard!

Ben

the_o_master:

MediaBobNY:

+1

Don't even think about a Beogram 1500 unless you have efficient speakers and never listen to your rock at high volume (8 watts/channel)

OK, lets go back to the first post, OK?

Yes, the BG1500 is not the best device ever produced by B&O. But...

The guy was teling us, he does not want the radio and he already has a Beocenter and want to change! It is a BC7007 and it works. So why would he buy BC3300 or BC1800??? The set with BG4002 connected to BM4400 is of course nice and superb but again, he does not want a radio...

I said to him also: keep BC7007... But if he realy does not have a space and does not want radio and tape, than he can think about BG1500 (he want to plug the speakers and drive!).

So guys, please read what the guy want to say to us.

Regards,

Theomaster

 

Yes, but he has not heard a Beogram 1500. I doubt if used to a fully automatic turntable and remote amplifier that he will entertain a manual turntable with a first generation transistor amplifier. I like the 1500 as it is beautifully built and for its time performed nicely. But is sound quality terms, it cannot be compared to a BC7007. Finding a good one which will keep speed on the record player will be difficult as well. If he does not want a receiver but just an amplifier, maybe a Beogram coupled with a Quad amplifier would be a better solution.

I agree with the comments about the 7xxx series Beocenters - I have just given my 7007 to a friend who has been amazed at the performance of what he originally thought was 'just another music centre'. But if the OP really just wants an amplifier and would like to keep to B&O there is another option - the Beolab 1700.

Whilst not the finest example of B&O's output of the 70s, it is OK and matches well with, say, a Beogram 1202. I owned a 1700 back in the mid 70s which had, coincidentally, replaced a Beogram 1500. It was certainly a better amp than than the one in the 1500. I used it with Rega's first turntable - the Rega Saturn - which was a very strange device. But that's another story.

Cleve

Cleviebaby:

I used it with Rega's first turntable - the Rega Saturn - which was a very strange device. But that's another story.

Correction  - it wasn't called the Saturn, it was the Planet and came fitted with an Acos Lustre arm.  A few years later the deck was further developed to become the famous Planar.

Cleve