Beogram 3000 linear tracking worth resurecting?


I'm not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination. I have a cheap circa 1991 Kenwood turntable and amp that I use to listen to my LP's.

I just found a Beogram 3000 with the linear tracking arm (circa 1986?) from Bang & Olufson being thrown out on the sidewalks of the upper east side of Manhattan. It looks spotless. I''ve yet to try and turn it on, let alone try and play anything on it. I won't be able to even fool around with it for awhile. But in the meantime...

I was wondering what anyone could tell me about the quality or value of this thing. Is it worth trying to get up and running?

I read the thread on linear tracking, and it makes it seem as if the cheaper linear tracking tables are problematic. What might I expect from this table if it's in working order? What kinds of things go wrong with it? Is it serviceable by me, etc.

Steve Zerby
mmoogie
I sold that table- It's very good for a non- audiophile table. B&O invented developed linear tracking with laser feedback to keep the cartridge in the center of the groove. It's much better than your kenwood. The problem is getting new cartidges, because you have to get the B&O cartidge. If you can get a new cartidge you will love that table.
Steve - part of your resurrection will be buying 2 new rubber belts for the table. It will be worth it if everything but the needle works.
Okay, now you guys don't all start pummeling me at once here...

I recently sold my [IMHO very wicked, once properly set up] Nottingham Analogue Studio Horizon/RB300/Grado Ref. Plat. in order to purchase something I had basically pop into my head - a B&O Beogram TX2 in literally new condition, with an MMC3 cart.

I know, I know - what was I thinking!? Well, I'll tell you: nostalgia. I was 14 when I first saw a TX2 at Sherwood Audio in Houston and, as with all B&O's stuff, fell in love with its design.

So, now 17 years later I decided to go for it, figuring I would have the extra dough to do whatever with during the holidays, and you know what? I got it all set up* yesterday, and to my astonishment it sounded amazing! Yes, you heard right, "amazing!"

The sound was extremely clear, without being too bright. The imaging was, again to my astonishment, really kind of strangely 3D. And finally the bass - the bass I had been missing with the Nott arrangement - was there, and combined with the clarity of the treble, created a crisp, yet full, presentation. I was completely blown away - how could this be?!

Was the suspension that isolating? Was this tiny cart. really bettering my Grado (although sometimes I don't think it would be so hard to)? Was this linear tracking really a superior design? As with The Eight Ball, "All signs point to yes."

So, anyhow, if I were you, and you know who you are, I wouldn't knock B&O's tangentials until you've tried them. If you've tried them and dislike them, so be it, move on with your vinyl-loving selves and find what you like - remember that means what sounds the best to you...be it a Transrotor or an old Dual.

Cheers to you guys,
Mark

*It's playing through a Musical Fidelity X-LPS phono pre, into a Lexicon processor, amplified by Bryston, feeding a pair of Klipschorns, all running over DH Labs Silver Sonic cabling.
@ballywho Happy for you.
Pretty similar thing happened to me lately but I had to pay $60

Great thing about linear tracking - I can let my kids play records without being afraid they scratch the record. Let the young generation learn to appreciate the good music played the right way... And I can assure you - they do, once they get a taste of it.