BeoCom 1400 and BeoCom 1500 were the first in the ‘new’ series of Bang & Olufsen telephones after the classic BeoCom 2000. The 1400 and 1500 series had a keypad integrated into the handset and not within the base like BeoCom 1600 and 2400.
This made the phone very compact. However, the sound quality was just as high as the more expensive phones because the two phones featured the same type of bass reflex speaker. Since everything is integrated in the handset, Bang & Olufsen offered no less than five different holders. Three different holders for wall mounting, one simple, and one with a built-in notebook.
There was also a version with an infra-red module to control the volume on main Bang & Olufsen equipment. Two table bases were also available, with and without the above-mentioned infra-red module. The main difference between BeoCom 1400 and 1500 is that the 1400 didn’t have memory capabilities or volume control.
BeoCom 1000 was similar to BeoCom 2000 but it was not fitted with a loudspeaker or an LCD display. This lowered the cost while at the same time offering the usual high quality sound There was a choice of four colours: black, blue, green or red.
Bang & Olufsen did not invent the telephone. They just developed it a little further Bang & Olufsen’s Telecom Vision is to “constantly question the ordinary in search of surprising, long-lasting experiences”
Loudspeaker quality
Earphone coupling loss factor, receiver loudness rating value and acoustic leakage are technical terms that mean little to most telephone users. They are just some of the things that Bang & Olufsen test for to determine the sound quality of a BeoCom telephone.
The enhanced sound of the BeoCom telephone range is the result of Bang & Olufsen’s long-standing specialisation in the miniaturisation of high-performance loudspeakers. Every BeoCom handset contains a built-in pressure chamber loudspeaker that ensures optimal natural sound reproduction while minimising distortion and sound leakage.
But Bang & Olufsen telephones are not only the result of theoretical calculations and complicated acoustical analyses, the final test is the human ear itself. A listening panel made up of people with an extraordinary sense of hearing provides the most crucial evaluation of BeoCom telephones.
Telephone competence: even good telephones have bad days
Telephones are used a lot more than other electronic equipment and sometimes under tougher and more hazardous conditions. Design and technological features mean little if your telephone lets you down when you need it most, so the anticipation of what can happen to a telephone has been turned into a fine art at Bang & Olufsen.
Our telephones are exposed to extremes of heat and cold, we spill coffee over them, blow dust at them, step on them and subject them to a whole series of bumps, vibrations and falls.
And it’s not only the unexpected that’s tested for, a robot assesses daily wear and tear by methodically lifting and replacing the handset of a telephone 100,000 times, while a mechanical finger dials telephone numbers over and over again. In a space of days, we simulate the life of a telephone and everything the modern world may throw at it.
BeoCom 1 – introduced October 2003 for the North American market – follows the classic BeoCom 6000 line and was launched in October 2003. The phone represents the best features that a DECT telephone can offer. With its GAP capabilities up to eight handsets can share the one base; the phone may easily be used to create a complete telephone and intercom system around the home or small office. Like BeoCom 6000, BeoCom 1 is available with both a table top charger as well as a wall- mounted version.
Its features include an LCD screen readout as well as a comprehensive 200-name and telephone number memory phone book. If your telephone company offers you caller ID (available as a chargeable option), the telephone number is given together with a name, if this is stored in the phone book.
BeoCom 1 has a full two lines’ capability which enables the user to hold a 2-line conference call or a three-party telephone conversation. Ear Set 1 may be used with the telephone to offer privacy.
You can use BeoCom 1 with the dedicated EarSet 1 Home hands-free kit. By connecting these earphones and mouthpiece to your phone you can enjoy total hands-free flexibility. EarSet 1 has the same exceptional sound quality of any Bang & Olufsen telephone and can be adjusted to the most comfortable individual fit. There are both left and right ear versions available and one for your mobile phone as well.
