Beogram 1700 - Help needed identifying problem - Distorted Sound

Hi All, 

Very useful forum, read a lot of the archives before deciding to purchase a Beogram 1700 with an MMC 20S (tried to get the whole 1700 set but unfortunately only the TT was left when I got to the shop..shame!)

 

It's connected up to the Phono input on my trusted Pioneer integrated amp  (which has a built in pre-amp) via a 5pin-Din to RCA cable I bought from BeoCables, 

I've spent hours upon hours floating the needle as it seems to want to either slide forwards or backwards, and I've got it about set, but the problem is the sound is horrific. It's heavily distorted, every now and then the stylus seems to 'grip' and it sounds great for 1/2 a second then slips and I lose nearly all sound.

I've tried different LPs, new and old, different speakers, a different amp, and even using a dedicated pre-amp just to cover all bases, I can only assume it's got to be the stylus has worn out. Can anyone comment on what they can see in the below videos to let me know if I just need to spend a few more hours calibrating the arm and stylus to sit flush, or if it does seem like I'm just getting no traction from the stylus.

(and therefore poor quality sound, and skipping - I'm aware there's an echo to the sound which makes me think it's not following the record properly and replaying the same groove a few times over before moving on down the record)

Video 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwcqgptltuI

Video 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYhn-vYDdvY

I've been enjoying a very basic Bush MTT1 for a few months now, and am very much out of my depth with a much more sensitive, but much more beautiful, piece of kit, with much more audiophile potential!

Any help greatly appreciated, 

 

 

What do you mean you got it to float? That's only for setting the tracking force to zero.

The cartridge needs to track at 1.5g

Sorry for the confusion, I meant the process of setting to zero and then calibrating the tracking for my stylus.

Well if the tracking force is correctly set to 1.5g and it still sounds like that then the cartridge suspension has gone. You can get it repaired if you send it to Axel in Germany. He will be able to rebuild it to any specification you want. http://www.schallplattennadeln.de/B-O-MMC-Reparatur-Repair/MMC-Repair-English/

appreciate the help, It sounds like it can only be the stylus as the problem. 

 

I was assured the stylus was in full working order when I bought it... 

 

Thanks for all the help

The stylus could look fine but the cartridge may have problems with drying out and such of the suspension that's hard to see. Old cartridges are problematic, fortunately there are rebuilders for the B&O cartridges.