Are Bang and Olufsen turntables any good?

I'm using a Beogram 4500 with built in phono preamp and MMC-2 cartridge. Like jaybo says not as tall as some of todays models, but can hold it's own sonically. Pretty well engineered. According to Peter at Soundsmith the phono preamp design was well executed within the context of what was available during that time period and having to fit within a small foot print.

I worked at a store that sold B&O and we had a linear tracking Beogram as one of our source components, along with a Marantz 6300 with Fidelity Research MC cart w/Supex step-up transformer.

The B&O was pretty good and presented the meat of the music pretty well, but it's a bit light in the bass extension and rhythmic slam department as I remember them, especially next to a good DD turntable of the day. Their cartridges and Soundsmith's recreations of them are very good, and they don't hurt the records.

If you got a new Soundsmith cart for your B&O and later decided to upgrade the TT, I would think you could get a Soundsmith adapter to enable mounting the B&O style cart in a standard 1/2" spaced headshell.

The very good news: The TT works perfectly.
The cartridge in the TT is a MMC 20EN, the big mamma jamma from what I read.
Being the obsessive I am I bought a spare cartridge with the TT when I bought it.
Also I examined the stylus using a Zeiss microscope and I cannot believe what excellent condition it is in.
I find it is a bit light on the bass, but the dynamics!
Thanks for all your input and Soundsmith seems a great resource.
Anything else?

Although your stylus condition is critical for good sound I have found that the suspension is more prone to failure with vintage cartridges. If things take a turn for the worse that is where I would look first.

For your situation as described, I wouldn't worry too much about the debate.

As for B&O damaging records, that was clearly a criticism and rumour started by a DEALER who did not carry the line.

The really good news - regardless of higher or lower fidelity - is that the B&O equipment was very sleek and beautiful.

So good luck and have fun.

cwlondon