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Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment. |
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6th Oct 2015, 9:02 pm | #1 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Caro, Michigan, USA.
Posts: 3
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BSR 4800 Question
Hi everyone.
I just bought a BSR McDonald 4800 turntable at an auction. It looks near new. Everything works as expected but the sound is horribly distorted. I was looking at sites for new needles and suchlike and one of them stated that if I am experiencing distortion from one channel (mine is both) that I need to replace the cartridge. I've never run in to this type of problem before and wondered if anyone out there has and it was corrected with a new cartridge. I paid $40 American for it and don't really want to stick another $40 into it unless I really have to. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time. Last edited by Station X; 6th Oct 2015 at 9:45 pm. Reason: Email address removed. |
6th Oct 2015, 9:52 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Hello and welcome, Dennis.
First, check that the tracking force (weight) is right. Normally, roughly 5g is OK for this kind of deck. But it sounds like your stylus (needle) needs replacing. The cartridge is probably OK. BUT... what cartridge is fitted? Many of these low-end autochanger (stacker) decks had ceramic cartridges, which will sound horrendously distorted if fed into the sensitive input of hifi amps which expect the tiny signal from a magnetic cartridge. N. |
6th Oct 2015, 9:53 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
Posts: 7,484
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Distortion can mean many things. If you mean overloaded, unclear sound, then your deck may be fitted with a ceramic cartridge and you have it connected to the Phono input of a hi fi amplifier. In that case you may have to replace it with a magnetic type made by the likes of Stanton, ortofon or Shure. But that is pure guesswork on my part. Post some photos - of deck, cartridge and the amp - so we can advise. I don't know what model number that is either, are there any stickers under the deck?
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Regards, Ben. |
6th Oct 2015, 10:01 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Ben, seems to be a standard 70s autochanger probably with ceramic cart: http://www.cbsmart.com/images/BSR%204800_5_400.jpg
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7th Oct 2015, 2:07 am | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
Posts: 7,484
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Thanks Nick. Looks like we were writing at the same time!
That deck pictured is a c-123R, fitted with SC12 cartridge. So yes, it is ceramic. The OP could try adding a couple of resistors in the audio output to enable this deck to be used with a magnetic cartridge input.
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Regards, Ben. |
7th Oct 2015, 4:15 am | #6 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Caro, Michigan, USA.
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Thanks for the input folks. I really appreciate it. The cartridge is a TC8-H0. And yes I do have it hooked to a newer Sony Surround Sound Receiver so I suspect your right in stating that the distortion is caused by a ceramic cartridge being played by a hi fi amp requiring a magnetic cartridge. I will do a search and see if any of the makers Ben suggested make a replacement for it. I am not skilled in this area so I don't mind mentioning that I have never seen the likes of Stanton or Shure ever making a cartridge that would fit this turntable. But I'll check. Again, that you so much for your input. I really appreciate it.
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7th Oct 2015, 8:09 am | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Good point. ISTR Dynatron recommending a 100K resistor in the "hot" connection of each channel to enable a ceramic cartridge to be used on their music centres which had pre-amps for magnetic cartridges.
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7th Oct 2015, 12:42 pm | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,528
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
That suggestion sounds plausible- the ten times lower load R on the cartridge will clobber its bass response which will get jacked up again by the RIAA comp on the mag input and the 3:1 pot down will drop the level further still to help stop the overloading.
HiFi it ain't but it could sound quite reasonable and it's dead simple to do.
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7th Oct 2015, 1:33 pm | #9 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Caro, Michigan, USA.
Posts: 3
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Just wanted to thank everyone again for their input. I did check with several sites that sell cartridges and no one knows of any manufacturer that makes a magnetic replacement for the BSR 4800. I'm not skilled enough to be adding inline resisters and such so this thing is going back to the auction. But I did learn something here and I appreciate it. And that is never buy a turntable that will not accept any standard mount or p mount cartridge. Best of luck to all of you.
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7th Oct 2015, 1:45 pm | #10 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,788
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Before giving up, try connecting the cartridge to a line level input rather than the phono input. It may not be perfect but is likely to sound much better.
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7th Oct 2015, 2:52 pm | #11 | |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Fleet, Hampshire, UK
Posts: 1,764
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Quote:
It attenuated the signal with some resistors, and rolled off the bass as such that the resulting output from the preamp was pretty good, I was impressed Ill try and dig it out |
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7th Oct 2015, 3:44 pm | #12 |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Fleet, Hampshire, UK
Posts: 1,764
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
OK, this is what I was thinking of, worked very well for me.
Last edited by PsychMan; 7th Oct 2015 at 4:00 pm. Reason: Created In Paint |
10th Oct 2015, 4:09 pm | #13 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8,302
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
If the cartridge really is a BSR TC8H (is it?) then this is a mono crystal cartridge giving a massive 1 volt output. Not only will this overload any Line-Level input stage, it will need around 8 grams tracking weight and cannot play a stereo record without ruining it! Evenso, these are currently selling at £40 on ebay....Edward
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10th Oct 2015, 5:15 pm | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
Posts: 7,484
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
If this deck is indeed the one linked to by Nick, it is a mid 70s autochanger with sc12 cartridge in slim headshell. Not only would the TC8 have been out of production for around a decade when this TT was made, there is no way it could be fitted there without some serious modification / botching!
Since the OP has decided to give up on it this discussion is sort of moot anyway.
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Regards, Ben. |
11th Oct 2015, 8:24 pm | #15 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Suffolk Coastal, UK.
Posts: 603
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Re: BSR 4800 Question
Quote:
Straight 'transfers' of these old 'pop' master tapes of singles especially to digital for modern consumption doesn't always work for me, but play the original records on ceramic cartridges loaded somehow correctly and the music takes on a different and to me, much more pleasurable stature
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Best wishes, Dave |
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