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
Ricardo: I already have one
I understand your like of the 901, mine was playing very good until I shorted it, but it will come back again, if you have 2 BM 2000, that is one to much, I have the space to place one, so write me, and dont think about what we have going, that has nothing to do with this. I do see that it has a lot of red drops, and the wood need some more work , and what is Milsec ?
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Søren Mexico: Ricardo: I already have one I understand your like of the 901, mine was playing very good until I shorted it, but it will come back again, if you have 2 BM 2000, that is one to much, I have the space to place one, so write me, and dont think about what we have going, that has nothing to do with this. I do see that it has a lot of red drops, and the wood need some more work , and what is Milsec ?
Milsec is a type of furniture polish/cleaner. I like it better than Pledge or Murphys. Ideal for parched woodwork the oil soaks in and It leaves a nice sheen and doesnt have the perfume smell. It will also clean the metal and plastics and will add a sheen to them as well.
I am not sure the red drops are really a problem aside from their age. Depends on what you want to do Soren. What i can tell you is that if you pull them and replace them with audio grade electro's like i did on my other 2000 you will re-colour the sound. Nothing really wrong with how the other 2000 sounds I like it very much as well but it is a different sound. A bit sweeter and more delicate and probably a bit more detailed. The current one has a warmer more ambient feel to it.
Think of it this way, restoration vs renovation or dry nutty flavored red wine vs sweet fruity white wine. I liked them both but for different reasons. More to the point if you make too many upgrades you will change it from what it was suppose to be into something else.
I blew up a Beamaster 5000 doing probably the same thing you were doing with your 901. I was adjusting for no load current. Blew the right channel . I have all the assorted parts to fix it in a box but have yet to get around to it. That was 6 years ago.
I have a 3400, 1001, in the pipeline plus some other odds and ends that need sorted in one way or another. I really need to stop buying this stuff. I have run out of storage space.
OK by me Soren you get first dibs on it. I know it will be appreciated and well cared for if you have it.
Thank you Richard, lets just leave it there, I too like to keep it original, but I have heard various times that the red drops are prone to fail, and you taught me years ago, when restoring do it all. Out of Mexico city doing hard work.
I believe the main reason B&O used tantalum caps (which were/are expensive) back then was physical constraints. Similar spec regular electrolytics were much bigger and may not have fit in the space that was available. Also, tantalums were ideal for upright installation when most other electrolytics were axial or just guised as radials, the other lead going round the case. In many circuits you want to keep the wiring as short as possible.
Nowadays aluminum electrolytics are much smaller than they were 30-40 years ago. If I were to replace the red drop tantalums, I believe I would just use decent 105°C electrolytics instead of some fancy-pansy audio grade caps or film caps, which probably will alter the sound somewhat. They should last for as long as anybody of us cares.
The red drops aren't the most reliable type of component (they can short circuit or do other funny stuff), but I'm lazy and I have zero free time - therefore I usually only fix what's broken. But for the same reason, I will reconsider when a particular circuit board takes three hours of disassembly to get at.
--mika
Speaking of fancy pantsy my package from Vitor in Portugal is waiting for me at the post office.
I am mulling over an "as is right now" price for you Soren. You can also make me an offer.
What i read on the tants is they dont like large current surges and to never install them direct in a power rail. On the other hand if you place them in a regulated low volt circuit they can live long happy lives.
But what do i know I am just a pool guy.
Ricardo:Speaking of fancy pantsy my package from Vitor in Portugal is waiting for me at the post office.
I've got one of those as well - has been very useful!
Ricardo:What i read on the tants is they dont like large current surges and to never install them direct in a power rail. On the other hand if you place them in a regulated low volt circuit they can live long happy lives.
Probably true.
....... and I already like it. come with a handy scale printed on the faceplate. In the first photo you see one of the new 100uf 50V caps I use in the 901. right on scale.
The next photo shows the reading of the most wasted looking of the 100uf 40V caps I replaced. It is nearly 6 times the scale average. very handy little tool especially if you think you have a bad replacement cap installed somewhere.
Ricardo:and I already like it
I have an Anatak blue esr meter and have been using it for about 3 years, even useful when measuring on board. My experience is that only about 30% of the old caps needs renewal but many of the rest are at the limit of going bad
Søren Mexico: Thank you Richard, lets just leave it there
Thank you Richard, lets just leave it there
I know someone in Orlando that would give it a great home, provided S40s would be a good match.
Listening to a Bossa Nova mix on it right now with S35's and it sounds great. but I would think a better match would be the P45's.
Rich:I know someone in Orlando that would give it a great home, provided S40s would be a good match.
I have heard that people in Orlando gets influenced from the Orlando Dream factory, Disneyland, ( I know it would be a good home for it Rich)
Richard,
You are amazing.
I interact with you guys (Rich, Søren, Martin, Jacques, and Peter) and I admire you beyond words.
I share your interest and love of “vintage” B&O electronics absolutely, but alas, I am, as I have often said, just a tinkerer. Mechanicals I get, but show me a schematic, and I doze off.
Keep up the extraordinary work! You are a credit to us all.
Jeff
P.S. If you are a man of prayer, pray for me as I am over my head with this Beomaster 1600. (Yet too stubborn to give up,)
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
Piaf: Richard, You are amazing. I interact with you guys (Rich, Søren, Martin, Jacques, and Peter) and I admire you beyond words. I share your interest and love of “vintage” B&O electronics absolutely, but alas, I am, as I have often said, just a tinkerer. Mechanicals I get, but show me a schematic, and I doze off. Keep up the extraordinary work! You are a credit to us all. Jeff P.S. If you are a man of prayer, pray for me as I am over my head with this Beomaster 1600. (Yet too stubborn to give up,)
Thanks Jeff, but I am just a pool guy, I make no claim to be an electronics. wiz.
No I am actually an unrepentant agnostic but what I will do is play some Mireille Mathieu and send send some positive waves in your direction.
Ricardo: Listening to a Bossa Nova mix on it right now with S35's and it sounds great. but I would think a better match would be the P45's.
Oh, but the P45s just love their home in my garage in Beosystem 2400! I need something to take to work when my office is finished (about a month from now). Since I don't want to hang speakers on the wall at work, I was probably going to take in my S40s and BM1900 (both idle now for over a year).
Søren Mexico: Rich:I know someone in Orlando that would give it a great home, provided S40s would be a good match. I have heard that people in Orlando gets influenced from the Orlando Dream factory, Disneyland, ( I know it would be a good home for it Rich)
Not to get all technical or anything, but it's Disney World here in Florida, not Land. I actually was a contractor there for over 2 years last decade. Maybe there was some influence on me. :-)
These days I'm more of a Universal Studios kind of guy.
Ricardo: Thanks Jeff, but I am just a pool guy, I make no claim to be an electronics. wiz.
Is that anything like just being a cave man?
Rich: Ricardo: Thanks Jeff, but I am just a pool guy, I make no claim to be an electronics. wiz. Is that anything like just being a cave man?
Sure, why not.
The one thing I hadnt done is a proper phono stage test. So what better way than to have a Rolling Stones day. Last summer i picked up a brand new remastered copy of Sticky Fingers that included a bonus LP of alternate takes from the LP plus some live stuff from 1971. I am sure Soren has a copy. Then digging thru some boxes I found my old flag so I hung it up for the first time in about 30 years.
Then later I went to the record store and bought some new vinyl
Ricardo: I am sure Soren has a copy
Sticky Fingers only on CD, very nice setup, very nice BG 1000, very nice flag.
Going to the Rolling Stones concert on March 14 here in Mexico city.
Rich:These days I'm more of a Universal Studios kind of guy.
Walt Disney World or Universal, I LOVE them both.
I have a great story from Universal. I won a contest for a Year’s Pass at either Universal Studios California, or Universal Studios Florida. Living in Florida, I chose the latter.
Standing in line at Guest Services to activate my purple pass, a Universal employee about had her eyes pop out and she rushed over to me saying, “Are you THE Mr. Girard.”
Although shocked by the query I didn’t skip a beat and responded confidently, “Yes.”
From that moment on, I was in another world. The employee said, “Mr. Girard you don’t have to wait out here in the sun, come inside. Have you and your party (my friends) had breakfast yet? We can bring you anything you like.”
We were given a private tour guide and no lines, no waiting, in fact when a ride had a boat that carried 50 people, they would have us enter through side unmarked entryways and we had the 50 person boat all to ourselves.
We are also introduced to each and every cast member individually.
Ride after ride we were given the red carpet treatment until after about 2 hours the guide said, “Mr. Girard, the staff and I are wondering are you the Producer or the Director at The Discovery Channel?”
My friends were waiving frantically for me to lie so as to keep the incredible experience going.
But I am a “boy scout” I don’t like to lie, so I said, “”If I tell you the truth will you promise to sty with us? To which the girl said, “Oh absolutely Mr. Girard.”
So I told her that I was neither a Producer nor a Director, but point in fact I had won the Year’s Pass in a contest.
There was a look of devastated disappointment in the guide’s face. Only the day before her guest was Shaquille O'Neal….. and now some contest winner.
I’ll say this for her she did stay with us another hour and a half before asking, “Is that enough, sir?” I said “yes” and thanked her for sticking with my party.
For months and months after this GREAT experience my friends who were there referred to me as “THE Mr. Girard.”
Ricardo:Thanks Jeff, but I am just a pool guy, I make no claim to be an electronics. wiz.
Hi Richard,
“Just a pool guy?” Hardly accurate as you ARE also a Bang & Olufsen enthusiast of the first order AND you are technically savvy enough to spot blown transistors from an internet photograph. How many people do you imagine could do that?
I am a jewelry salesperson who likes hand tools and is obsessed with a buffing machine. With small items, that buffer is amazing, but try larger items, as I have, and the results can be painful, and expensive.
I took the stainless steel frames off my Seeburg jukebox mirrors and was buffing them back to “new” condition. The first frame went very well, but I got cocky with the second, went just a bit too fast, and the wheel caught the frame and tore it up to shreds…. and my hands. Ouch!
No kidding Richard, I sincerely believe you are being way too modest. You may not be a trained technician, but you clearly have a good idea what you are doing. Keep it up!
Ricardo:What i can tell you is that if you pull them and replace them with audio grade electro's like i did on my other 2000 you will re-colour the sound. Nothing really wrong with how the other 2000 sounds I like it very much as well but it is a different sound. A bit sweeter and more delicate and probably a bit more detailed. The current one has a warmer more ambient feel to it.
I had a similar experience with my Beomaster 4500, absolutely the single most spectacular amplifier I have EVER had the pleasure of listening to. Yet it was aging and later failing capacitors that gave the 4500 that delightful mellow sound.
Once rebuilt the “magical” sound was gone, replaced by a very nice sound, more accurate, but just not the same.