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December 29, 2008 - 8:37pm
#1
B&O Beogram 4004 Turntable and new turntable questions
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I assume you do not presently own a 4004. If that's the case, don't buy one. They really were not a terribly good product. As I remember the 4004 was their top of the line linear tracking table just before they discontinued their entire turntable line.
The number of problems inherent in any linear tracking table are too numerous to discuss here but just consider any B&O table to be the lesser of two choices no matter what the present day competition would be. Even if you are simply taken by the B&O's looks and method of operation consider there really are no B&O cartridges to buy at this time. As they did exist when the 4004 was new, their best cartridge was hampered by the mounting system used in the B&O design. Despite what the table's bouncy suspension might suggest these are tables that are quite sensitive to placement and will require more careful set up to achieve less sound quality than a Rega table of lower cost.
$1,500 for the turntable and tonearm?
Ask about the Rega P5, Project Perspective Blue Point No. 2, Music Hall MMF-7.1, Sota Satellite w/Rega RB301 tonearm and VPI Scout. What is your budget for turntable, tonearm and cartridge?
Like Jan, I consider the B&O turntables to be "all show, no go." Plus when they break spare parts are extremely sparse and B&O offers NO support. Run, don't walk in the opposite direction. Project and Music Hall make excellent affordable turntables that are widely available. Even a $300 'table from either of these guys would best a B&O. All of their models above that would continue to raise the stakes.
It way out of date to respond, but just in case there are others with a similar question, I will put forward my $.02.
I own a Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4004 that I bought new in 1979-1980. I used it until about 2012. I had heard the phrase “you could de better with sound quality with another turntable”. I wound up buying a Rega RP40 ANNIVERSARY Edition. I immediately missed the automatic features of my 4004. In mid 2023 I got wind of B&O’s reworking of the 4000 series turntables. They bought up around 100 and completely restored and sometimes remade parts, added new features and sold out these new creations for an astounding $11,000 apiece. I decided to have mine restored. My eyesight is failing and I wanted those automatic features back. I also did my homework on whether it was worth restoration. I found out that cartridges are available from Soundsmith and from a company in Germany (tonabnehmerservice.com). I also found the usual naysayers that Bang&Olufsen were all about looks and audio quality came second. But I also found those who would tell me not to listen to the naysayers that the Beogram 4004 ‘was a great table”. This from Peter Ledermann of SoundSmith. Others would tell me that it sounded very good. I sent it off to be restored. It sounds about equal to my Rega RP40 turntable and my listener friend insisted that the base was better on the Beogram. I’m pretty happy to have the automatic features back.
As for the remarks that it is unreliable. I didn’t find it so. I had only one repair during the years I used it. Parts are available on eBay from people selling “Carcasses” of non-working tables or people selling parts. I do think it might be a concern to find people who will work on them and it might be hard to find parts easily. I’m going to enjoy my restored unit while I can and hope nothing goes wrong.