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 designing my system, based on already having some Beolab 6000's and wanting to play a [new] project turntable. I need an amp to put in the middle, and am looking at options. I dont really need the CD function, dont need it to stream, dont really need it to do anything besides allow the turntable to play. I have looked at the Sonos, but am not overly keen about having to use a phone to change volume, and the general reviews aren't great.
so, long story short, I am looking at using one of the following:
beosound 3000
beosound 3200 (I dont need the HDD and this adds to the price)
beosound ouverture
beosound 9000- this is what I want but I cant really afford it. Love the look, dont need any of the cool features!
I am a fan of design, which draws me to the models above, plus the fact that they have powerlink and are wall mountable.
Are these powerful enough amps for a turntable? I dont pretend to know what I am talking about but the amp is a fairly big lump of a separates system and I dont know if it is comparable to what is on these. My living room isnt huge and I am not planning a disco in there- I just want to listen to vinyl at normal volume and drink whisky.
Interested in thoughts and opinions- anybody done similarly?
Low-brow, non-B&O solution: If you are using the Pro-Ject turntable, why not just buy one of their "Phono Box DC"? (This box, a phono pre-amp, will bring the turntable cartridge signal up to standard Line-In voltage, which is what the Line In jacks on the BeoLab 6000s expect. The question about amplifiers "powerful enough" is moot, because the speakers are amplified themselves.) The sole reason for using B&O equipment in the middle is to force Powerlink power-ups rather than using the speakers' Line-In auto sound trigger, which has proven sub-par on BeoLab 6000s in the past:
https://archivedarchivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/925.aspx
But note some B&O equipment does not have a direct phono input, thus you need the phono pre-amp anyway! E.g. the Beosound 9000 you mention works that way. Not sure which of the 3000/Overture systems have built-in phono preamps, but someone with more experience hopefully will chime in soon...
Thank you. Forgive my question, but dont I need some way of controlling the volume- if I use your low-brow solution (which would otherwise be ideal) I have nothing with a volume knob on it and I read that this was a major issue and could blow speakers. That is why I assumed that I need something in the middle.
I have just read the thread about the sound trigger. I will worry about that later since I already have the speakers here but I appreciate you pointing it out because I hadn't seen that before.
I note that I may need the phono pre-amp anyway. I think that I probably will, and if so will probably go for the sounds heavenly one when I get some cables.
Hi John,
I'm always happy to help with cables (and a suitable pre-amp if required) once you have chosen your turntable and system. Yes, you will need a volume control between the turntable and the speakers - any of the Beosound systems that you mentioned are ideal for this.
The Ouverture is quite a special system in this setup, as if you choose a later Beogram turntable (3500, 4500, 6500 or 7000 models) then the Ouverture can control the Beogram via remote control...
Kind regards, Steve.
Steve.
www.soundsheavenly.com
Founder of Sounds Heavenly Cables and Brand Ambassador for Bang & Olufsen
Sounds Heavenly are proud to sponsor BeoWorld!
Please check out my YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/soundsheavenlycables
The low brow solution would be to connect your Project Turntable to a phono preamp (assuming it doesn;t have one built on. You can then connect a passive volume control between the rca out of the preamp and the rca in on the Beolab 6000's - set the switches underneath to RCA input. When you play something on the turntable the speakers will switch on and they will switch off after a few minutes of silence.
Here is a link to a passive volume control
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fostex-PC-1eB-Stereo-Control-Speakers/dp/B0058B1T5G/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3HF5YLA4SQ3UQ&keywords=passive+volume+control&qid=1642015617&sprefix=passive+volume+control%2Caps%2C67&sr=8-5
Another option would be to but a phono preamp with a built in volume control or a preamp with a phono input.
Sorry, foolish oversight. (Not the"sole" reason, oops.) There are phono preamps with volume controls like the ART "DJ Pre II" -- and even Pro-Ject brand boxes that are much more expensive and almost as ugly. But a Schiit "Sys" (again with the lowered brow!) is a simple passive volume control in a sleek box: $49, and switches a 2nd input.
The reason I mentioned the Pro-Ject box is because you said you had their turntable, and didn't specify whether you had moving-magnet or moving-coil cartridge type. If yours is MM, you're fine with most any phono preamp, including the one from Sounds Heavenly. (All the B&O phono inputs are made for a moving-magnet type of cartridge -- actually their MMC, Moving Micro-Cross, but similar output.) Because this adding-on of little mini-boxes gets un-clean (now the volume control must be accessible), and doesn't support a cool remote control, choosing some B&O system in the middle starts to seem appropriate. At that point, though, as Steve points out, wouldn't it be fun to have a B&O brand turntable that can be actually controlled with that same remote?!! (Of course if that isn't what you got for Christmas... All the Pro-Jects are fine turntables IMO, and a single visible volume knob isn't too horrible.)