It certainly says something about the enduring appeal of a turntable when the company that made it buys up examples that are over 40 years old and sells them on to a new generation of buyers. It sounds remarkable, but this is precisely what Bang & Olufsen did recently with its 'Recreated Limited Edition' Beogram 4000c. Although offered as a revival of the Beogram 4000 [HFN Jul '14], it was actually the later Beogram 4002 that formed the basis of the project.

On A Tangent
The Beogram 4000 was a revolutionary turntable in that it incorporated important innovations in every aspect of its design. It may have been derided by traditional hi-fi hobbyists, but the 4000 was taken to heart by wealthy music lovers who appreciated its superb styling and excellent performance and were not put off by its hidden complexity and high price.

The deck featured – for the first time – a properly resolved tangential tracking arm controlled by an electronic servo. Electronic control was also applied to the turntable motor, and the whole arrangement was made completely automatic by digital electronics. The cartridge, meanwhile, fitted directly into the end of the stubby, rigid tonearm and was a miniaturised version of B&O's successful moving-iron design. As the parts were so small, it was decided the cartridge and stylus should be sold as a sealed, factory aligned assembly. The public was not used to the idea of a non-replaceable stylus so to begin with B&O offered replacements at half price. As well as being a top performer, the Beogram 4000 was an instant design classic, raising the bar in terms of style for its rivals at a stroke.

Typically stylish B&O instruction manual employed pictograms and minimal text to help owners get setup and running. The Beogram 4002 was very easy to operate

Good though the Beogram 4000 was, it was not without its challenges, not least in the complexity and expense of its assembly caused by the large amount of electronic circuitry. In addition to the drive systems, the functions of the 4000 were sequenced by an array of digital integrated circuits, this deck representing a very early adoption of 'computer' technology.

Key Decisions
The deck was also originally built with a bi-directional tracking servo, meaning that it could, in theory, play a record whose spiral groove started in the centre and finished at the edge (even though no such thing existed at the time). What was well designed were the mechanical parts, the plinth and the balanced lid mechanism.

As a result, when it came time to replace the Beogram 4000 with the Beogram 4002 all the major alloy castings and most of the cabinet were left unaltered. The only obvious external change concerned the control keys, which were restyled to match those of the Beomaster 6000 4channel receiver [HFN Sep '21]. Inside, however, the changes were more profound. The quantity of circuitry was more than halved without sacrificing performance or flexibility.

The Beogram 4002's key feature was a new control panel designed to match that of the Beomaster 6000 4channel receiver

Plastic Fantastic
The way this was achieved was remarkable in its simplicity. It fact it's a wonder the original version was not designed in the same manner in the first place. Instead of digital logic the arm was controlled by a transparent strip of plastic marked with patterns of black paint. These were detected by a lamp and a photocell, the patterns carefully designed to generate signals which the simplified control system could easily interpret and act upon.

The original version of the Beogram 4002 (types 5501/5502) retained the Beogram 4000's electronically controlled AC motor. This was run from an internal oscillator and power amplifier to ensure both accurate speed stability and provide an easy way to vary the pitch – many B&O customers were professional musicians who especially valued this feature. In 1976 a new version was introduced, the type 5514/5515. The only external change of note was the addition of a mains switch on the rear of the cabinet – a welcome addition since previously it had only been possible to put the deck into standby mode unless one was willing to unplug it from the mains (the same was true of the 4000). Also added was a small red LED, mounted under the front lip of the plinth, to remind the owner that the turntable was switched on.

More significantly, a new motor was fitted to drive the turntable. Made by Matsushita, it was a DC type with a built-in FG servo system. The motor came with a dedicated control chip, meaning that the speed control system of this later version was greatly simplified. The new motor's improved characteristics allowed a much lighter platter to be fitted with the result that the suspension was also lightly revised. At the same time, the ability to run the platter without the tonearm moving (for record cleaning) was reinstated. As with the Beogram 4000, this was activated by pressing the 33rpm key while the deck was in standby mode.

The tangential tracking arm with its tiny integral MMC20EN cartridge. Note the beam of light beneath, used for record size sensing

The cueing system was also improved. In all of these models the arm was raised and lowered by a solenoid coil and a pneumatic cylinder. Since more power was required to pull in the solenoid than to hold it in place once engaged, a switch was attached to the mechanism to reduce the current once the arm was lowered. This proved unreliable in service and was replaced by a simple electronic timer.

World Record
The final incarnation of the B&O Beogram 4002 turntable appeared in 1978. Type 5524/5527 was little changed from its predecessors but it came fitted with the company's MMC20EN cartridge in place of the original MMC4000. The main reason for the change was to make possible the introduction of the Beogram 4004 – a specially adapted version that could be operated by remote control when connected to a Beomaster 2400-2 receiver.

In its earlier two versions, the Beogram 4002 was available with a quadraphonic decoder built-in, in order to play JVC CD4 records. This was sold as the Beogram 6000 and came fitted with a special MMC6000 cartridge. The geometry of the tip was designed by B&O's Subir Pramanik and set a new world record for a claimed effective tip mass of just 0.22mg.

The Beogram 4002 may not be quite as beautiful to behold as the original 4000 but it still looks discretely futuristic. Its cosmetics have certainly aged far better than many of the 1970s attempts to push turntable styling forward, most of which, to these eyes at least, now look like vulgar fads. I'm not convinced that the new keys, made from a slitted sheet of stainless steel, are a complete success – they lack the simplicity and tactile feel of the design they replaced. The two illuminated scales indicating manual speed adjustment are an improvement, however.

These occupy a space previously filled by a seldom used track-logging dial (above the function keys), replacing the complex strobe optics of the original model. As ever, the arm has to lumber some distance before it reaches the playing position, so start up is frustratingly slow. More importantly, the mechanism still works with the brand's trademark silky precision just as the Matsushita DC motor fitted to our Beogram 4002 should be considered an improvement. It is quieter and also has greater torque than the earlier AC type.

In common with all the other big B&O designs, the Beogram 4002 has a sound of its own. Auditioning this deck made me realise that, very often, the cherished 'sound of vinyl' is as much a function of the the turntable as the medium itself...

Tim Listens
Enter the room when this turntable is playing and you might well find it difficult to determine whether the source you are hearing is vinyl or CD. To be more precise, the 4002 doesn't quite have the detached, ethereally poised sound of the later Beogram 8000, with its single crystal sapphire cantilevered MMC20CL cartridge. But this example, fitted with the correct MMC20EN, came pretty close. The most striking feature was the absence of surface noise, yet there was also no 'sting' or undue sparkle to the sound. Rather, the top end sounded smooth and ever so slightly clipped, just like an old Philips CD player.

Given the fact that everything on the deck lay flush it's perhaps remarkable that the deck was capable of class-leading performance

It's worth noting B&O recommended a minimum operating temperature of 18oC for these cartridges – run them too cold and they sound dull. In the lower registers, the sound was warm and plump yet the bass showed tight control with no sign of bloom or other forms of unruliness during even the loudest of passages. The short and stiff arm coupled with the top-drawer subchassis isolation are probably what makes this possible. Compared with the Beogram 4000's AC drive the new Matsushita DC motor seems to give a brisker presentation – the change is a small one but I'd say that the improvement is certainly worthwhile.

The Beogram 4002 isn't perfect though. It could have been a tad brighter in the treble, for example. Yet the most obvious drawback is a swishing noise that can be heard during quiet passages if the record you are playing isn't completely flat.

Great Escape
This effect is a result of a warped disc not sitting uniformly on the hard black plastic ribs that form the turntable's 'mat'. The depth of the lid and design of the hub precludes the use of a clamp, so there's little that can be done should you encounter this issue, beyond a more obsessive approach to record care.

I couldn't resist playing Boney M's Nightflight To Venus [Hansa K 50498] while evaluating the 4002. It was like escaping the grinding drabness of 2023's winter and popping up in the hedonistic 1970s. The big mixes on this LP revealed the Beogram 4002's exceptional bass quality – it is just so well defined and taut without ever sounding bland and dry. A large, solid soundstage was also projected, one with strong vocal centre presence and an explicit sense of space around the performers and their instruments.

The die-cast alloy floating subchassis can be seen once the platter has been removed. Also note the oversized housing for the bearing and the electronic control system

Fun though this all was, I did find myself feeling slightly guilty that I wasn't making the best use of this most refined of tools. Swapping the Boney M disc for a recording of Beethoven's Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No 1 Op. 15 [Deutsche Grammophon 2532 103] created one of those rare experiences where it is possible to completely divorce the enjoyment of the music from what is being used to play it. The delicate piano line in the Largo was just exquisite when rendered by the 4002 – a real 'close your eyes and be there' moment. It isn't easy to describe, but if you know what a real piano sounds like, be assured that the 4002 nails it.

Nobody's Fool
Whether you will enjoy the Beogram 4002 will depend largely on what you want a turntable for. If you enjoy the traditional sound of vinyl replay, with the deck itself contributing to the overall sound, or whether it's just for nostalgic reasons, this won't be the turntable for you. If, on the other hand, you want to extract as much detail from your legacy record library using a vintage player that works with foolproof machine intelligence, then this accurate and precise-sounding deck may be ideal. As B&O said at the time, the Beogram 4002 was for playing records, not for playing with them.

Buying Secondhand
The 4002 used to be considered the poor relation to the 4000, but this has changed in recent years, though condition remains a critical factor. B&O has not made cartridges for many years, meaning an original pick-up in good condition is a must. Note that B&O's top cartridges were always silver; a black one will be a replacement from a lesser model.

The power switch (the lever by the model name script) shows this is a later Beogram 4002. The cables are fixed, but the lid can be removed (with some effort!)

Internally, seizure of the cueing mechanism causes most of the problems. In early examples this can burn out the solenoid so it must be carefully checked before the turntable is returned to use. Some of the replacement belts currently on sale are slightly too small, pulling the platter towards the motor and reducing the effectiveness of the suspension. If you plan to play 7in singles it's essential to check that the record-size detector works – if it doesn't then the stylus can end up being cued into the rotating ribs of the platter, with disastrous results.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
The Beogram 4002 may not be the most coveted variant of B&O's big tangential tracking player but it's a marginally better performer than the original 4000 and sturdier and simpler than the later 8000 range. As such, it represents an ideal way to sample what these remarkable machines can do. B&O made thousands and many are still in circulation, so there is no need to settle for anything but the best examples.

B&O Beogram 4002 Turntable Lab Report

Unlike other B&O decks of the era, the 4002 did not include an illuminated strobe to assist in the fine-tuning of its speed. However, with the little adjustment dials (visible in our pictures at either end of the black strip above the function keys) set to their default position, the 4002's absolute accuracy was a mere +0.1% adrift. This is a fine result for a vintage deck equipped with an original Matsushita DC motor unit. And it's here we see the biggest difference with the older 4000 model [HFN Jun '14] whose wow and flutter clocked in at 0.12% (peak-wtd) – a mix of ±3Hz low-rate and ±45Hz high-rate components traded here for a significantly lower 0.2% peak wow and a peak flutter of ~0.05% centred around a cluster of sidebands at ±20Hz [see Graph 1]. The latter also appear on the unwtd rumble spectrum [not shown here], along with modes at 62Hz and 128Hz, but the lighter platter still helps the 4002 best the 4000's rumble by ~1dB at –68.3dB (DIN B-wtd). A through-bearing figure couldn't be obtained as the optical wand fouled the rumble-coupler.

The short, parallel-tracking tonearm may offer a very low 5g effective mass (compatible with the ~25cu compliance of the MMC20EN fixed-coil/moving-iron pick-up tracking at a mere 1.2g) but, as we saw in the Beogram 4000, its square-section tube still has a relatively low 120Hz main bending mode. This low-Q mode is broadly distributed across the bass spectrum [see CSD waterfall, Graph 2] but is accompanied by higher-Q harmonics and torsional modes at 280Hz, 360Hz and 460Hz. The elegance of the structure is reflected in the relative cleanliness of this waterfall spectrum, betraying a single, low amplitude, mid/high frequency mode at 1.1kHz. PM

Wow and flutter re. 3150Hz tone at 5cm/sec (plotted ±150Hz, 5Hz per minor division)

Cumulative tonearm resonant decay spectrum, illustrating various bearing, pillar and 'tube' vibration modes spanning 100Hz-10kHz over 40msec

• Turntable speed error at 33.33rpm 33.35rpm (+0.1%)
• Time to audible stabilisation 3sec (time to cue, ~10sec)
• Peak Wow/Flutter 0.02% / 0.05%
• Rumble (silent groove, DIN B wtd) –68.3dB
• Rumble (through bearing, DIN B wtd) See lab report
• Hum & Noise (unwtd, rel. to 5cm/sec) –60.2dB
• Power Consumption 17W
• Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 490x100x381mm / 12kg 

Review: Tim Jarman, Lab: Paul Miller 

Source: www.hifinews.com