B&O Turntable a risky buy?

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Hi all,

After some opinions :)

I have a Beocenter 3200, been mounted on the wall for the last decade but getting less and less usage. I'd like to inject some new life by moving back to vinyl (get thee behind me, Spotify!) so I need to add a turntable to it. I only want a basic, entry level player. There are some nice B&O models on eBay but I'm worried about spares etc given B&O don't make these things anymore.

So my question to you lovely people is: with a budget around £250, would you go for something new (Audio-Technica AT-LP120 is well reviewed), or is a B&O table still worth a punt?

Thanks!
 
Ok I'm no turntable expert but my FiL was offered a B&O turntable and asked for my advice. It was almost impossible to get a new cartridge for it so in the end that was the reason he decided against the idea. It was a lovely looking thing though.
 
No. I would spend the 250 on a CD olayer. The only and ONLY argument financial or cultural is if you already have a large collection of vinyl . There is no High Fidelity improvement to be had. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
 
No. I would spend the 250 on a CD olayer. The only and ONLY argument financial or cultural is if you already have a large collection of vinyl . There is no High Fidelity improvement to be had. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

I'd strongly disagree with that. CD's generally have no worthwhile resale value while vinyl in many cases will sell for more than you paid for it new. For the most part I've been collecting cds for the last 30 years while a close friend has been buying vinyl. His collection is now worth many tens of thousands while I would struggle to give most of mine away, despite the fact that we've been buying mostly the same stuff for years.

In terms of sound, I die a little inside when I hear someone tell me they only buy vinyl as it sounds so much better when I know their turntable is a small step up from Fisher-Price kids toy but those that have a reasonable set up may well prefer the sound to that of CD and no amount of technical mumbo jumbo/scientific fact can change that opinion.
 
I've no idea why people are talking about CD players OP asked about a turntable.

No, I wouldn't buy a B&O turntable. I'd buy a Rega, assuming the Beocenter has a phono stage.
 
The OP can still purchase vinyl (and not play it like 70% of vinyl purchasers) and allegedly watch it increase in value, at the same time picking up worthless CDs to actually listen to. As I see it, that is a win-win. As for buying the B&O TT, give B&O of Wilmslow a call. They have always been really helpful with older B&O components. If it were my money though, I'd take @dannnielll 's advice and buy the CD player.
 
I'd strongly disagree with that. CD's generally have no worthwhile resale value while vinyl in many cases will sell for more than you paid for it new. For the most part I've been collecting cds for the last 30 years while a close friend has been buying vinyl. His collection is now worth many tens of thousands while I would struggle to give most of mine away, despite the fact that we've been buying mostly the same stuff for years.

In terms of sound, I die a little inside when I hear someone tell me they only buy vinyl as it sounds so much better when I know their turntable is a small step up from Fisher-Price kids toy but those that have a reasonable set up may well prefer the sound to that of CD and no amount of technical mumbo jumbo/scientific fact can change that opinion.
Old Dinky and Corgi cars in their cardboard boxes ,sell very well also. Same concept
Obviously you cannot know how much pleasure and enjoynent your friends derive from their vintage collectibles. .. but it may actually be a case of " the lady doth protest too much " and a desire to vindicate a prior decision. . There has been enough talk of mumbo jumbo elsewhere...
 
Hi all. Very interesting replies - thank you! Sounds like what you're saying is that the current vinyl revival is probably based more on the desirability of a vinyl LP as an artefact, over any genuine difference in sound quality when compared to a decent CD?

My unit does indeed have a CD player although, like many of us, I haven't played or bought a CD in several years. Hmmmm - I shall have to ponder that one. They're just not so nice to own/hold/display, are they...

Anyway - thanks again.
 
Hi all. Very interesting replies - thank you! Sounds like what you're saying is that the current vinyl revival is probably based more on the desirability of a vinyl LP as an artefact, over any genuine difference in sound quality when compared to a decent CD?

No, vinyl sounds better. Assuming you aren't listening to them on a turntable in a suitcase like what HMV sell :)
 
No, vinyl sounds better. Assuming you aren't listening to them on a turntable in a suitcase like what HMV sell :)

I'm not sure you can say it sounds better but no one would argue that it doesn't sound different and of course, no one can say what sound any particular person prefers. For the most part I prefer my CD's but I know some of my friends prefer the sound of their vinyl and I have no doubt it's nothing to do with being retro/hip etc. They just like the sound better, simple as that.
 
Are you saying the Beocenter 3200 doesn't come with a CD player?

Assuming OP got the name right :)
The Beosound has both a correct reference number and a CD player, a Beocenter would have been an earlier generation device ,but I could not see one with a reference number 3200. Anyway, the OP has stated that his unit does have a CD player, so the point is moot.
 
Pro-ject sell different turntables based on your available budget and they're quite decently priced and well reviewed.

If you've already got a CD player then why not add a new turntable? You've got access to both formats then and can make a decision on which one to purchase when you buy your music.
 
Hi all. Very interesting replies - thank you! Sounds like what you're saying is that the current vinyl revival is probably based more on the desirability of a vinyl LP as an artefact, over any genuine difference in sound quality when compared to a decent CD?

My unit does indeed have a CD player although, like many of us, I haven't played or bought a CD in several years. Hmmmm - I shall have to ponder that one. They're just not so nice to own/hold/display, are they...

Anyway - thanks again.
Just a point of clarification, I would claim that the CD is sonically superior to vinyl, but other factors including the ones you refer to, all affect a person's preference. B&O make very desirable products, of at least adaquate to high performance, and commendable longevity . So it may well be possible to source replacement parts.
 
Hi all,

After some opinions :)

I have a Beocenter 3200, been mounted on the wall for the last decade but getting less and less usage. I'd like to inject some new life by moving back to vinyl (get thee behind me, Spotify!) so I need to add a turntable to it. I only want a basic, entry level player. There are some nice B&O models on eBay but I'm worried about spares etc given B&O don't make these things anymore.

So my question to you lovely people is: with a budget around £250, would you go for something new (Audio-Technica AT-LP120 is well reviewed), or is a B&O table still worth a punt?

Thanks!

I'd post a query on the Beoworld forum - there are bunch of guys on there with B&O turntables. Even if you don't post a question there, browse the forum and I suspect you'll find a few threads on the subject. Should leave you some the wiser. - I remember seeing turntable threads popping up over the last few months.

Some of the models of B&O turntables will be better than others, again the forum will guide you.

I have a Rega 6 with my B&O setup - sounds excellent, particularly on vinyl recorded 20/30 years ago.
 
Are you old enough to have been a vinyl user first time around or is this a new venture?

Sounds like what you're saying is that the current vinyl revival is probably based more on the desirability of a vinyl LP as an artefact, over any genuine difference in sound quality when compared to a decent CD?
I'd say that's a fair assessment although generally speaking, a TT could sound very different to a CD. Do I miss sitting with a newly bought gatefold sleeve on my lap, taking in artwork, reading liner notes & lyrics without the aid of a microscope? Yes.

Do I miss the pops, clicks & scratches? No, my TT hasn't seen the light of day since 2002.

As always, my recommendation would be go have a listen to a TT spinning a vinyl version of a CD you know well & make your own decision. Possibly also consider how much time you have available to enjoy the hands-on experience. One thing sitting down in a quiet house to focus solely on the experience, quite another if it's just background music while you're performing 101 other tasks.
 
For me, it’s a new venture. I think my parents probably have a box of my old LPs in their loft somewhere but I’m not sure how many of them I’ll want to dig out :) I think your final point is spot on - having dedicated listening time will probably be a rare luxury... i probably need to find somewhere I can listen to some vinyl and see if it is worth the investment.
 
I have a very old Rega Planar 3 that gets very little use. I think vinyl scores with the interaction with the user, but it is also very inconvenient. I always think of a record deck as the steam engine whilst the cd is diesel and streaming an electric train. The last two are boring but much more efficient. To answer the question unless the seconhand B & O is very cheap I would be looking at the likes of a Rega Planar 1, think there is one with an improved cartridge fitted these days.
 
RUMBLE FILTERS with a little bit of wow and flutter. We live in an age where we are nostalgic about vinyl and how good it sounded, yet no one ever mentions the above, which were part and parcel of that oh not so hifi sound on many systems.
 

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