Are Bang and Olufsen turntables any good?

My first post here so be gentle...

I am in the process of matching a phono pre with my B&O Beogram RX... which supports a MMC2 cart. Yup, nice match, no? The story is that I bought the RX on ebay; more or less a local sale. The unit had a broken lid hing and came w/a MMC5 cart. $80. After getting a new belt at the local shop (Needledoctors) I was ready to play my first side. It sounded like I was dragging a nail across sandpaper.

The internet being the marvel that it is soon enlightened me to what had and was happening. 'My fault in not inspecting the stylus closely as it was obviously nonexistent, even to the naked eye. I felt so stupid.

It seems that without regular/annual use, the MMC5 stylus simply oxidizes away to nothing, which is what had happened in the seller's closet over ten years. Normal and somewhat regular play of a MMC5 "dusts off" the micro sized oxidized particles of the titanium-bonded elliptical diamond. You eventually have to replace it but you won't be surprised when it comes to that.

I got him to give me the table for $20 and found a dealer selling off old stock MMC1 & 2 carts so I jumped at a MMC2 for I think $189 or some silly number like that. It has a nude multi-radial Contact Line diamond stylus and apparently is not subject to the ravages of air and time.

So if the story is based on a MMC5's tendency to oxidize and disappear, then yes, I'd say a B&O setup is capable of damaging a nice vinyl side.

As others have said, it's not the best system around any longer, but it ain't the worst, and matched with the appropriate cart should do fine by you till your ears start controlling your spending money.

Now I need to find a not too expensive phono pre to make a decent match for the MMC2 and my HK AVR 135. Anyone have any thoughts?

Dear Dpaulku: I own the MMC2 and can say that is truly a very top performer but to achieve the best on it you need a phono stage not only " decent " but the best you can get and with facilities to make capacitive and impedance changes, better if that phono stage permit to use 100K on load impedance where that MI cartridge shows at its best.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Raul,

Thanks for that vote of support for the MMC2. I'm afraid that if I spend top dollar on a proper grade preamp, that the short comings of the RX will simply be amplified. Might you have a recommendation that would be a best fit, indeed a compromise? I'm in no position to start rebuilding a system around this cart and it's quality level as I'm just back to work. Any reasonable solution would be gratefully considered.

Indeed, enjoy the music!

Dave

They are excellent turntables. With proper care and maintenance they will last a lifetime. I bought a B&O 4002 turntable, new, in 1978 and it performs like new. They need periodic servicing performed by an expert technician. They have a very sophisticated and unique pendulum suspension that isolates the platter and tone arm more effectively than conventional designs. The tangential tracking versions are marvels of engineering excellence and design. The B&O moving cross phonograph cartridges it uses have lower mass than MM or MC designs. For best results it needs a high quality phonograph amplifier.

It has problems with bass. It is kind of a lightweight. If you have it now, don't fear for your records, it will not harm them. It just won't be terrific. If you are a bass-head then dump it and try others.