Bang & Olufsen Beogram 5005 Automatic Turntable

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General:

This B&O is perfect for someone looking for a semi-automatic turntable that's a notch above the rest. 

Gorgeous in design and execution, the 5005 is also a pleasure to use. 

It will lift and queue up records at the touch of a button without the need to ever touch the tonearm.

It also automatically detects 33 RPM versus 45 RPM sized records.

Best of all it has a linear tracking tonearm!

It's fitted with a lightly used MMC4 type phono cartridge and was fully tested. 

Plus the outputs are conventional RCA so no fussing around with proprietary B&O adapters.

Condition is good but has some staining and discoloration in the aluminum finish, likely from cleaning with a chemical.

More from B&O:
The Beogram 5005 was the first model in the series that would be the last new Beogram design. In both technology and appearance it was basically the same as the Beogram 7000 that was deleted from the range nine years later. This series of compact tangential tracking turntables would become very popular, and would eventually encompass 12 separate models. When launched, it fitted into the range between the various derivatives of the Beogram 1800 and the top-line Beogram 8002.

The Beogram 5005 was introduced as a replacement for the Beogram 5000. The main change was of course the use of tangential tracking, a desirable feature in the Beosystem 5000 for which it was intended as it enabled the arm to be moved easily by remote control. The keys and software to do this already existed within the Beomaster 5000/Master Control Panel 5000 as this function also worked with other, earlier models, such as the Beogram 8002. In keeping with other Beosystem 5000 components, the Beogram 5005 used the same cabinet style, size, colours and finishes as the Beomaster, allowing for many visually pleasing placement options.

The only slight discontinuities were that the lid “open” function, and thus the front panel legend, had been removed as the lid now was on a simple counterbalance spring and had no release catch, and that the orange “standby” dot had been removed because the new software removed the “standby” Datalink function from the machine. This was a great improvement as it was now possible to stop and change the record mid-way during play without using the remote control or switching the system off, something that had not been possible with the Beogram 5000. The Beogram 5005 lacked the elegant light that had been fitted inside the lid of the Beogram 5000, but instead had a tiny spotlight at the back that was focused on the pickup area. This was switched on automatically when the arm was under manual control, though was in practice too dim and at too shallow an angle to be of any real use.

The Beogram 5005 carried forward all the important styling cues from previous tangential-tracking Beograms. The simplified nature of the construction rendered the important ones redundant however, reducing what had been engineering necessities to simple decoration. For example, the radial bars on the platter, which had previously been used in other models for record size detection, now served no purpose as record sizing was done by weight, as it had been in the Beogram 5000.

This also meant the second arm was also not needed, but it remained all the same, and served only to carry a speed indicator light. Because the second arm now had no record detection function, it was moved to the right of the tonearm proper. Inside, it also appeared that the designers had lowered their standards somewhat compared to previous tangential tracking Beograms like the 4000 and 8000. For example, the Beogram 8000’s “tangential drive” direct-drive motor was not fitted, instead a simple belt drive arrangement and DC servo motor, as had first been seen in the Beogram 1902, was used. The precision lead-screw that had previously been used to move the arm in the other models had gone too, to be replaced with a cord-drive setup using plastic pulleys and nylon-covered steel wire. Many of the working parts were now moulded plastic, and the tracking motor was no longer a precision ironless-core servo type but a far simpler, cheaper design of a very similar construction to the one that was used in the Beocord 5000 to drive the tray in and out.

The designers had even arranged to use gears driven from the turntable shaft to drive some of the mechanical functions, something not normally associated with top-quality models, though this did allow some mechanical functions, such as the returning of the arm to its rest position after the end of the record, to work far more quickly than had been the case with the previous tangential tracking models.

The Beogram 5005 finished the Beosystem 5000 off nicely, making multi-room operation of the turntable a practical possibility. As often happened with B&O, what had been a mid-range model would, in later forms, graduate to the top of the range as the more complex and expensive models above it were discontinued. The Beogram 5005 was replaced by the almost identical Beogram 5500.

Brand Background:

Bang & Olufsen (B&O) is a Danish high-end consumer electronics company that designs and manufactures audio products, television sets, and telephones. It was founded in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, who designed a radio to work with alternating current, a product of significance at a time when most radios were still running on batteries.

Ownership:

Second Owner

Connections:

Single set of RCA outputs plus captive power cable.

General Sound:

Neutral sound with little to no coloration 

Cosmetic Condition:

6 - Moderate Signs of Wear

https://skyfiaudio.com/pages/our-rating-scale

Working Condition:

Working perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room. 

Included:

Just the 'table, installed phono cartridge, and captive power cord

Packing:

Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials. 

Dimensions:

W x H x D = 42 x 7.5 x 32.5cm 

Weight:

10 lbs.

Age:

1986

Reviews:

https://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=298

Link to Manual:

https://beomanuals.com/manuals/Beogram/Beogram%205005/Beogram_5005-Owners_Manual.pdf

Testing Process:

First we try to identify any mechanical issues, particularly in the tonearm bearings.  We check for freedom of movement or any resistance on both the horizontal and vertical range.  There is a quick test for this which involves placing the table on its front edge and allowing the arm to swing freely like a pendulum.  We then make any adjustments necessary to achieve minimal resistance and sometimes adjust the bearing pressure.  On gimbal tonearms we inspect the cone tip with a magnifier.  

We then asses the platter speed by using one of several methods, the most accuse is a playing a test tone on a test record and measuring the frequency out put with a frequency counter or oscilloscope.  We also utilize test equipment to measure the wow and flutter to ensure its within spec.  We do this for all speeds available for that particular model.  Adjustments are then made to achieve proper speed which will vary depending on table drive design.  Some require an adjustment of an internal or external potentiometer, some will require a pulley or motor adjustment.  We also inspect the platter bearing to ensure its properly lubricated keeping in mind that some don't require lubrication at all.

We then inspect the power supply and address any issues with overworked capacitors particularly on Linn and later Thorens machines which tend to need attention.  

On fully mechanical vintage tables like the Thorens TD124 and Garrard 301/401 we will go thought the entire mechanism, replace any worn parts and lubricate all components necessary to ensure smooth operation, speed change and low mechanical noise. 

When fitting a new cartridge we will go through our detailed calibration process which can involve as many as 12 steps depending on the arm design.  We perform this work on our custom turntable calibration rig which was developed in-house.  

Some of these steps include:

Pivot to spindle adjustment

Tracing force

Anti-skate

Tonearm height

Lifter height

VTA

Azimuth

Stylus Distance and Overhang

We then do a critical listening test using our test records and our test system to ensure proper sonics.  

Specs:

Types: 
5921 1985 - May 1987) 
AUS 5925 (1985 - Sept 1985) 
J 5924 (1985 - Feb 1987) 
USA 5923 (1985 - Jan 1987) 
Pickup: MMC 4 
Tracking force: 12 mN / 1.2 g 
Wow and flutter: DIN < 0.06 % 
Rumble DIN weighted: > 80 dB 
Rumble DIN unweighted: > 55 dB 
Speeds: 33 - 45 rpm 
Speed deviation: < +/- 0.2 % 

Patented Pendulum suspension 
Anti-static platter 
Repeat and search functions 
Automatic registration of record size and speed 
Power supply: 
5921: 220V 
5923: 120V 
5924: 100V 
5925: 240V 
Power consumption < 10 W