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
I am looking into getting a Beogram 4500 CD but wondering if it can be controlled directly with the Beolink 1000 remote or does it have to be connected to the Beomaster? I've looked everywhere for this question but can't find a direct answer.
I'm afraid that it has to be connected to the Beomaster, which is where the IR receiver for the remote is situated.
Regards Graham
Graham is correct; you have to have it connected to a Beomaster 4500.
However, not to worry, they are a WONDERFUL combination! I have the pair and it is quite remarkable. I adore my Beomaster 4500/Beogram 4500 CD player in the extreme.
Trust me, you will love the combination.
Failing that, find a CDX, it will work independently of the Beomaster series of amplifiers. I use mine with my much loved McIntosh 2255 with extraordinary results!
Jeff
Beogram 4000, Beogram 4002, Beogram 4004, Beogram 8000, Beogram 8002, Beogram 1602. Beogram 4500 CD player, B&O CDX player, Beocord 4500, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 8004, Beocord 9000, Beomaster 1000, Beomaster 1600, Beomaster 2400.2, Beomaster 2400.2, Beomaster 4400, Beomaster 4500, Beolab 5000, Beomaster 5000, BeoCenter 9000. BeoSound Century, S-45.2, S-45.2, S-75, S-75, M-75, M-100, MC 120.2 speakers; B&O Illuminated Sign (with crown & red logo). B&O grey & black Illuminated Sign, B&O black Plexiglas dealer sign, B&O ash tray, B&O (Orrefors) dealer award vase, B&O Beotime Clock. Navy blue B&O baseball cap, B&O T-shirt X2, B&O black ball point pen, B&O Retail Management Binder
The CD4500 is controlled over the 'datalink connection'.
You can use and (ir-)control it from any B&O AudioMaster with this kind of connection.
And yes, if you just need a CD player, go for the CDX.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Thank you guys for the helpful answers. I may eventually get a Beomaster 4500 but in the meantime could I connect the Beogram 4500 CD to a non B&O amp/receiver using a Din to RCA adapter and at least play CD's? Also can a subwoofer be connected to the Beomaster 4500? I like the look of the CD player which is why I'm really interested in this but I don't want to go backwards on technology 25 years just for it to work.
Yes you can, I acquired my Beomaster 4500 system in stages from graham who posted above, I used the CD for a few months connected to the auxiliary input on a surround sound system, then the cassette player and finally I acquired the amplifier so you can enjoy it now
you will need a 5 pin din to RCA connector which you can get from Steve at sounds heavenly one of our sponsors or just on ebay, enjoy
The Beogram 4500 CD player is a stunner, no doubt about that…. and I love mine, use it every day.
However the CDX makes more sense not wanting to go back in time with technology.
And do keep in mind; IF you find a nice Beomaster 4500, with its age, it will no doubt need to be rebuilt sooner rather than later. There is no cheating the advancing years of those B&O capacitors and aging power supply.
Moving forward you might consider buying a BeoCenter 9500 or 9000….. everything the 4500 series has in one GORGEOUS package; and all functions: turntable, CD, cassette, and radio are remote controllable.
You won't need a Beomaster to control your BGCD4500.
Just get an MCL2 AV with IR eye and 15V power supply, connect the CD4500 to CD socket,
and you will be able to control it with Beo4, Beo5/6, BL1000 and even BL5000/7000 in two way mode.
You can get an MCL2 AV on ebay, they are not expensive.
Good thing is, it can be hidden away, you can connect connect two additional sources (and control them)
and you can directly connect Beolabs via Powerlink sockets.
Stefan
How do you connect the MCL2AV to a non B&O amplifier?
//Bo.A long list...
You don't need an additional amp.
MCL2AV IS the amp (volume controled preamp). Originally meant as an active linkstation in an MCL linksystem,
you can use it standalone with Beo- or/and non Beo sources. You need active speakers like Beolabs,
or an MCL2P poweramp with passive speakers like Beovox, or a non Beo poweramp with passive speakers, or non Beo active speakers.
Stefan is the man
He is absolutely right - did not think of that myself.
Enjoy your CD4500.
I know this thread is a few days old, but I wanted to weigh in and cheer you on to go after the BeoMaster 4500 to pair up with your BG CD 4500.
Currently I am listening to a CD haul from earlier this evening on my BM4500, BG CD 4500 and BeoLab 5000s. The sound is what is compelling me to type this - it is simply amazing. Extremely resolving and full of finesse but also moderately warm. Pure B&O.
One of the most captivating listing experiences of my life was with another BM4500 connected to a pair of re-capped BeoVox RL 60.2s playing some ALAC albums on my iPod. Let's just say I can't wait to get my hands on another set of RL60.2s.
Beo4 'til I die!
Hi Evan,
When it comes to amplifiers, it seems that everyone has a divergent opinion.
Ages ago Peter said something to the affect that amplifiers are or should be neutral and that the major differences in sound quality vis-à-vis our personal preference is the speakers.
Well that just didn’t “compute” with me because at the time I had sent my 500 watt McIntosh 2255 amplifier back to the factory to be rebuilt and was using the Beomaster 4500 as a home theater replacement.
The difference in sound quality was staggering in that the McIntosh sounded cold and impersonal as compared to the incredibly rich and WARM sound of the Beomaster 4500.
When McIntosh returned my 2255 I was really disappointed at the sound quality comparison and I talked at great length about this surprising situation.
What I didn’t know at the time was that stunning WARM sound was the collective result of failing capacitors/resistors in a badly over-driven amplifier which subsequently failed. Once rebuilt that glorious soft sound was gone.
Anyway, back to honest differences of opinion, when my Beomaster 4500 failed I received a private message from a fellow BeoWorlder who told me flat out I was a “fool” for rebuilding a “throwaway amplifier.” I am sure he had his reasons for saying that, but I disagree, I think the Beomaster 4500 is superb.
Then when I was rebuilding (not personally like Søren, I pay to have my amplifiers repaired); the Beomaster 2400 I was told “It sure sounds better than it has any right to.” So I asked why and was told what a simple unit the Beomaster 2400 is and when pressed to hit a wide range of notes, unlike the Beomaster 8000 that would hit all note presented to it, the Beomaster 2400 doesn’t even attempt the “full range” presented.
Even if the above comment is accurate I really enjoy the Beomaster 2400, limitation notwithstanding and don’t have a preference between the 2400 and the 4500.
I was also told by a technician that any Beomaster 2400 is better than a Beomaster 4500. So the “simple” 2400 is better than the more advanced 4500?
Personally, I’ll let the “experts” duke it out as I enjoy my collection of amplifiers….. “simple,” “throwaway,” or otherwise.
I may be able to get this system soon if all goes as planned but I have a few more questions. Throwaway or not I love the look of the Beomaster 4500 and would want to keep it for many years. With that said, who and where would I go in the event that it breaks? How much is it to refurbish? I would want to pair Beolab 8000s up with this and I know they made them for a long time. Will any set of them connect or do I need an older pair? In the meantime I would get an adapter to connect the passive speakers to this. My tv has 2 audio outs: a 3.5 headphone out and a digital optical out. Is there any kind of adapter to connect this to the Beomaster. Sorry for so many questions.
Also can you connect a subwoofer to this system?
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Wow, that is a “laundry list” of questions, but I’ll give it my best shot.
As you appear intent on purchasing this Beomaster 4500, I say follow your heart. In truth I am the wrong person to dissuade you from this purchase as I sincerely LOVE mine….. and the Beogram 4500 CD player too.
Where you have it repaired depends entirely on where you live. If you reside in Europe; Martin is the guy to see.
If however you are in North America; Benny is your man to just outside Atlanta, Georgia. (I have all the contact info for either should you need them.)
Cost? That’s a good one, but cost depends on what is actually wrong. The Beomaster 4500 is in many ways easier to repair than the earlier models of the 1900 family. No pesky lamps to replace and IC’s instead of lots of capacitors and resistors.
My Beomaster 4500 had a good deal of heat related damage (worse than normal) and I believe it cost about $300 to repair in US dollars. Please forget the comment that this is a “throwaway” receiver….. it ISN’T! (Just one person’s view.)
The Beolab 8000 speaker is an elegant speaker built at the same time as the Beomaster 4500 and intended for use with the BeoCenter 9500, which is essentially a BM 4500, so that combination should work.
The Beomaster 4500 was planned for passive speakers, so no adaptor is required. The perfect match for the BM 4500 is S45.2 speakers…. not remotely as stunning as your choice of Beolab 8000’s but a very, very happy combination.
Personally I prefer S75’s with mine, but that is strictly a matter of personal taste. (I like the bass available in the S75 speakers as opposed to the keen accuracy of the S45.2’s.)
You should be able to connect your TV to the Beomaster 4500 as I did when my big McIntosh went in for service. Of course do NOT be temped to push the BM 4500 as I did, or you will do all kinds of damage.
Sub-woofer….. I am afraid not, the BM 4500 was not designed with a sub-woofer in mind.
Guys, with several of these questions I am just hoping I am right, if I have made errors please feel free to correct me, I will not be offended, because we don’t want to give this gentleman incorrect advice.
Best wishes with your purchase as I know you will be glad you made it.
Hi Jeff,
As an avid BeoMaster 4500 fanboy, I know your story well! I followed your original thread with great interest and I'm always dreading the same fate for my all-original, first-year 4500.
As far as amplifiers are concerned, I agree with the general technical world - they should behave like a wire with gain. However, there will still be specific response characteristics that come with such a complex system of components. Having used a few "separates" systems where the preamplifier and amplifier are separate, I was able to see that the sound signature of a device is rooted in the preamplifier section.
I drove a Yamaha P2201 (amplifier) with a Rotel RSP980, BM5500, and of course my BM4500. And there is a clear difference between all three - yet the amplifier in the system is constant! For the record, the speakers and sources were also unchanged. The only thing that changed was the preamplifier which still yielded widely different results.
While I don't have much experience with using the integrated amplifier of the 4500, I have listened to the preamp since late 2008.
I'm sorry to hear you received such a message from another BeoWorlder. One that acts that way is definitely not a fellow.
It comes down to people's ears and personal preferences. And if the BeoMaster 4500 truly is a "throwaway" unit, then it possess EXTREME value!
Beej1989: I may be able to get this system soon if all goes as planned but I have a few more questions. Throwaway or not I love the look of the Beomaster 4500 and would want to keep it for many years. With that said, who and where would I go in the event that it breaks? How much is it to refurbish? I would want to pair Beolab 8000s up with this and I know they made them for a long time. Will any set of them connect or do I need an older pair? In the meantime I would get an adapter to connect the passive speakers to this. My tv has 2 audio outs: a 3.5 headphone out and a digital optical out. Is there any kind of adapter to connect this to the Beomaster. Sorry for so many questions.
Depending on your ability and location, there are many ways to fix an ailing amplifier. Many contributing members in the vintage community (myself included) will help you out as much as we can if you are willing to do the work. It is also not uncommon for BeoWorlders to work together, face to face. Again, all depends on your location.
Any of the BeoLab 8000 iterations will work, just get the appropriate MK2 Powerlink cables.
Yes, I believe you will need a 3.5mm TRS to DIN. Save yourself the headache and frustration of attempting to get specialty cables from a dealer. Go straight to Steve at Sounds Heavenly, a link to his online store is at the bottom of this page.
Piaf:Sub-woofer….. I am afraid not, the BM 4500 was not designed with a sub-woofer in mind.
The real answer is yes - it is possible. However it won't resemble the monaural subwoofers of modern day.
The economical option would be to get a passive pair of woofers (you need to think stereo here).
If you want a modern ultra-powerful sub to accompany a BM4500 I'm certain you could connect a BeoLab 2 or 11.
Evan:As an avid BeoMaster 4500 fanboy, I know your story well! I followed your original thread with great interest and I'm always dreading the same fate for my all-original, first-year 4500.
If/when your Beomaster 4500 gives you its notice Benny Amina at Modular Electronics is the place to go. Benny did a flawless job with my ailing BM 4500, in barely a week, at a reasonable cost, and in addition, he is pleasant to deal with….. very polite.
It really doesn’t get any better than that!
Beej1989:The reason I ask is because the beolab 8000s would be using the 2 power link cables on the back of the Beomaster so I'm not sure how the Beolab 1 or any other sub could be connected. I'm not a big fan of bass so I'm sure I'd be pleased with the bass from the Beolabs. It was just something I was curios about. I attached a pic of the rear of the BM4500
Sorry its too big but if you click on it you can see the entire picture.
The Beolab series of speakers is out of my range of experience, so I will have to step back and let someone knowledgeable with these tower speakers advise you.
Evan really knows his “stuff” but I don’t know where or how one would connect a sub-woofer to the Beomaster 4500. If bass is not your thing you most likely will not require a sub-woofer.
You connect them to a B&O sub by running a PL to the sub, then from the sub to each main speaker. Only the BL19 doesn't have this return filter, so you would have to run a cable to it and two cable so the mains, but since each PL cable carries both L and R signals, you can use a splitter either at the receiver or to run to one speaker, split it at that speaker and run on to the other.
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
You guys have been very helpful. Much appreciated. So on the Beolab 2 there is a power link input and 2 outputs. Are you saying to connect the beogram to the subs input and then connect the 2 outputs from the sub into the 8000s?
Beej1989: You guys have been very helpful. Much appreciated. So on the Beolab 2 there is a power link input and 2 outputs. Are you saying to connect the beogram to the subs input and then connect the 2 outputs from the sub into the 8000s?
Yes, inside the BL2 and BL11 is a high pass crossover for the main speakers to remove the deep bass from them to remove that load off the main speakers. It also has, using the high pass for the mains and low pass filter for the sub, a crossover to make the two merge together without significant overlap.
The BL2's crossover is selectable, I believe it has three different frequencies depending on what speaker is used with it, though I'd try all of them to see which works best, plus it has the usual corner, wall, freestanding level control. The BL11 has no adjustable crossover, the freq is fixed, but it has the corner/wall/free control.
Unfortunately, the little BL19 sub has a nice low pass crossover, adjustable, for freq, level, and phase, but it lacks a built in high pass filter for the main speakers. If you get a Beotransmitter there is a high pass crossover in it, but not in the sub so to do the job better you need both. While it's possible to get the sub to mate with the mains with a lot of tinkering, without limiting the bass to the mains this job is a lot harder.
Evan:I'm always dreading the same fate for my all-original, first-year 4500.
Perceived reality is an odd duck. Because of the sleek appearance and dazzling lighted display I think of my BeoCenter 9000 as being virtually up-to-date, but case in point, it is older than the oldest Beomaster 4500 by a year or two.
Yikes can you imagine trying to do a major service on one of the newer BeoCenters? Makes the repair of your Beomaster 4500 feel like a walk in the park.
Well I won the bidding for these beauties on eBay for 525.00 including shipping. I hope I didn't pay too much. Can't wait for them to arrive.
Beej1989: Well I won the bidding for these beauties on eBay for 525.00 including shipping. I hope I didn't pay too much. Can't wait for them to arrive.
Congrats! Looks like a pristine set, even complete with wall brackets! I hope it lives up to all of the hype Jeff and I have placed upon the 4500
If you are going to mount the 4500's on the wall, be sure to re-tape the glass to its plastic bezel. It will have degraded by now and I certainly don't want to hear about another glass panel that crashed into the floor.
I saw your 4500 pair on eBay.
If you love it half as much as I love mine, you will have a winner!
Piaf: Evan:I'm always dreading the same fate for my all-original, first-year 4500. Hi Evan, Perceived reality is an odd duck. Because of the sleek appearance and dazzling lighted display I think of my BeoCenter 9000 as being virtually up-to-date, but case in point, it is older than the oldest Beomaster 4500 by a year or two. Yikes can you imagine trying to do a major service on one of the newer BeoCenters? Makes the repair of your Beomaster 4500 feel like a walk in the park. Jeff
Yes there are some major differences (and certainly challenges to repair) however I'm looking forward to vintage BeoSound 9000 and perhaps even BeoSound 4 ownership
Take my advice, find a nice BeoCenter 9500, it is the same unit as the BeoCenter 9000 just with polished panels.
Sure, the fact that my BeoCenter 9000 was literally thrown in the TRASH, as in a dumpster to be crushed adds a bit to my love/admiration/ affection for MY BeoCenter.
Let’s get by that it is an amazing survivor, it is a magnificent achievement, impressive in every way. I hope you find one!
The BeoSound 9000 is beyond gorgeous, but I hear has repair issues. (For me, it would be worth the trouble!)
What you put into life is what you get out of it. Love deeply and enjoy!
In answer to your question regarding the TV function on your Beomaster 4500 you will find that
your Beomaster 4500 is a Beolink master, which means you can control your Beolink compatible television via the Beolink 1000 remote control.
All you need to do is connect a Beolink compatible TV via a 7-pin DIN cable to the AUX/TV 7-pin socket.
Once connected the Beolink 1000 remote can turn on your TV simply by pressing TV.
With this two-way system you can listen to the TV on the Beomaster 4500 as well as hearing your music on your TV.
It came in and just as Evan warned the glass panel came off. The touch buttons were a tad faulty as well. I took it apart and removed all of the old glue and reassembled it. Everything is working perfect. Now just need to save up for those Beolab 8000's!
Your Beomaster 4500 set-up is absolutely stunning! Congratulations!
By coincidence we share the IDENTICAL TV stand.
Mine has the TV, PVR, and DVD/VCR recorder…… along with my barely functioning Beomaster 1000.
Ya done good!
And here is the photo to prove it.
The server had a hiccup and the photo didn’t post. Let’s give this another shot.
Here is the picture.
OK guys, I don’t know what is happening here, I insert the picture, I can see it in preview, I hit POST and wait and wait and wait….. then “Error Message Timed out.”
Perhaps later this evening. It is a TINY JPG so this should not be an issue.
Some technical problems at the moment ;-(
After writing your post and pushing 'post', wait for the time out, go back to 'your thread' in the browser history - and you should be able to see the post, you made.