Bang & Olufsen’s second television in the North American market was a minor upgrade of the previous MX 5000 NTSC. The major difference was a different CRT tube and a software upgrade to allow bidirectional Infrared communication with the BeoLink 7000 and BeoLink 5000 remote controls.
This remote was used for the delightful Beocenter 7000, 7002 and 7007. A simple one way remote, it allowed source and volume selection as well as basic control.
” Picture this. The perfect picture “
BeoCenter AV5 was, at first glance, merely a television set. However, what you saw was just half the picture. The AV5 was in fact a fully integrated, compact digital home entertainment system, comprising a CD player, FM radio and powerful loudspeakers… as well as a television!
On top of the AV5 a CD player elegantly lifted open to allow you to drop in your CD and listen.
BeoCenter AV5 therefore offered the best of both worlds and allowed you decide. At the touch of a button, two motor-drive loudspeakers stretched silently out to each side of the TV set. It was a simple, welcoming gesture but one that also ensures a special performance every time you switch on. The extra width allowed the loudspeakers to combine with the ear-shattering centre bass to produce optimal stereo sound in its full perspective. It was something you could hear – and feel – every time you watched a movie or listened to the in-built radio or played a CD. Indeed, BeoCenter AV5 was so versatile that at the time of its introduction, it could also play CD-i discs.
Devoting efforts in creating the perfect sound didn’t mean that Bang & Olufsen had forgotten what they knew about creating the perfect picture. On the contrary. The AV5’s 63cm super flat picture tube, combined with the contrast screen’s anti-reflective coating, delivered a sharper picture, with more depth and perspective, than you had ever seen before. So when the AV5’s electronic curtains glided open you could be sure that what lay behind them was pure entertainment.
Another original Bang & Olufsen feature added to daylight viewing comfort. It was a small electronic sensor that registered the prevailing light conditions in the room and adjusted the picture, so that it was always sharp, no matter whether a reading lamp was lit or sunlight suddenly poured through the window.
Touch CD on the Beo4 remote control and the AV5 moved on its motorised stand to face the viewer’s favourite viewing position. And active speaker stretched out from each side. On top, a CD player elegantly lifted open to allow you to drop in your CD and listen. The superior sound of the AV5 was made possible by the creation of a ‘soundscape’ that widened the perspective of the sound to make each individual instrument clear and distinct. Combined with an inbuilt, ear-shattering centre bass, the AV5 delivered a sound so rich and true that the effect was remarkably similar to a dedicated surround system.
Like every other Bang & Olufsen product, Beovision AV5 was designed and crafted with the greatest care. To ensure that the powerful centre bass unit didn’t interfere with the steadiness of the picture, it was mounted on an intricate suspension system, which in turn was anchored to a special aluminium chassis. The CD unit was perhaps the most robust then, on the market, to allow it to cope with the demanding environment – electronic noise, hot air and interference – in which it had to perform. And on top of all that, the entire unit was ‘torture tested’ hundreds of thousands of times to make sure that it could cope with the rigours of daily use!
The rear of the AV5 is removed by undoing four screws. It may have taken some 150 tools and six construction engineers to make the parts and components, but as far as possible, one size of screw was used to assemble the AV5. The result was, up to 1999, the most advanced piece of electronic design ever to leave the Struer assembly line. Yet everything follows a strictly modular pattern, making maintenance and servicing logical and straightforward.
How can 15 centimetres make a world of difference if you’re already sitting in front of the television, ideally positioned between the stereo loudspeakers?
If you want the full perspective of, say a symphony and you want to be able to identify each instrument in the orchestra, a distance of 80 centimetres is the absolute minimum. You must also make sure that the loudspeakers deliver exactly the same performance and have the same harmonic balance. This can only be obtained by the painstaking measurement, trimming, and pairing of every single tweeter and baffle that goes into the AV5 (or into any other Bang & Olufsen loudspeaker for that matter). Some manufacturers obtain “spatial effect” by reversing the signal phase on one side. This creates a broader perspective, but makes it impossible to locate voices or single instruments.
The picture tube was a new 25″ ‘super-flat state-of-the-art’ tube. It delivered excellent focus, which, combined with the anti-reflective coating of the contrast screen, was experienced as a sharper picture with more depth and better resolution.
The fact the loudspeakers disappeared into the front wall, calls for a special bearing structure. In the AV5, the heaviest component was the picture tube, which was fixed to a set of aluminium “antlers”, a moulded aluminium space-frame which also carried the loudspeakers and most of the wiring. Cast in two pieces, it was custom-designed to hold wiring and fixtures that traditionally, would have been mounted with additional clamps and screws. Aluminium has the advantage of being light, but rigid and non-vibrating. It will not conduct sound or allow oscillations that could affect sound or picture reproduction.
‘Dance steady’ is a term that B&O takes dead seriously. It refers to a product’s ability to perform effortlessly, no matter how animated the surroundings. The company’s secret remedy is rubber suspension. Inside the AV5, almost every vital unit was isolated from the bearing structure by little rubber sleeves. The transformer, the CD print card, the CD drive and last but not least, the centre bass, since it was the source of a sizeable proportion of the vibration pattern. Dance steadiness is measured on a vibrating table to determine the design of each individual rubber sleeve.
Imagine that you’d turn the AV5 on and off maybe 10 times a day over the next ten years and multiply that by 5 for safety. That’s equivalent to turning it on and off 180,000 times over 10 years. In B&O’s torture chambers in the dungeons in Struer, the loudspeakers on the guinea pig AV5 were stretched well beyond the first 500,000 times!
Buffers, shielded cables and a couple of brave hearts went into one of the most challenging technical solutions in the AV5. To make room for the CD player in the upper corner, it was necessary to separate the drive from the control unit. In an environment as compact and loaded with “electronic noise” as the AV5, a lot of sources could create interference and laser is a fragile technology. Servo signals have to travel a longer distance and streams of hot air will not make working conditions any more stable. As a result, the AV5’s CD player was one of the most robust on the market at the time of the AV5’s production.
Another incarnation of the lightweight B&O tangential turntable, this one was designed to match the Beomaster 3500 with it’s ‘battleship grey’ trim on the dust cover and was supplied with an MMC4 cartridge. A RIAA was built into this model.
A mildly updated VHS82 designed to work with the new range of MX televisions.
Beocord VHS 82 was Bang & Olufsen’s 1987 addition to the stereo video cassette recorder line-up with up to four hours of video playing time and eight hours of hi-fi quality stereo sound on just one video tape!
In terms of design, colours and uses, Beocord VHS 82 was created to harmonise with Beovision MX2000. And the same remote control Video Terminal could be used to control both units. Control was so integrated that the TV screen acted as an open instruction manual for the video cassette recorder.
All of the functions on Beocord VHS 82 were described and stored on ‘menus’ that were brought to the screen with the assistance of the Terminal. This step-by-step instruction ensured fast, faultless operation. So even things like presetting channels, time programming and picture search were as easy as was possible. And although the special menu operation was only possible in connection with the latest TV generations from Bang & Olufsen, Beocord VHS82 was an ideal video supplement for ant TV.
The fact that Beocord VHS 82 could take its place as a technically superior audio tape recorder in any music system emphasizes just how outstanding this stereo video recorder was.
Beocord 3500 was part of Beosystem 3500, a budget-priced system for those who wanted to get onto the Bang & Olufsen bandwagon but could not afford, or did not want to have, the extra features that say, Beosystem 4500 had to offer.
It included specifications such as Dolby B Noise Reduction and a Sendust head for longer life of the recording/playback head, otherwise the features were identical to the Beocord 4500. Its only difference was the grey finish instead of its more expensive brother’s polished surfaces.
You had the benefits of the very latest technology with this cassette recorder when it was first introduced. Such as the patented HX Pro recording system which enriched the sound image by giving vastly superior reproduction of the treble range.
You were certain to approve of the wealth of useful features too. For example, if the record finished while you were recording, the tape stopped automatically and restarted automatically when you turn the record over.
When you pressed STOP after a recording, a four-second pause was inserted between tracks with the automatic search system. Clever stuff – all designed to make life easier and more fun. Beocord 3300 was part of Beosystem 3300 although it could also be used as a stand-alone item.
One of B&O’s first mobile telephones was created in partnership with Ericsson. The basic design was Ericsson’s while B&O contributed its expertise within sound reproduction. Technically identical to Ericsson’s own model, the B&O version had its own special design feature in the shape of its inclining buttons.
” Always there for you but never a burden – BeoCom 9500. Because of its extremely small size and low weight, you could easily forget that you were carrying around an extremely powerful communication tool in your pocket. The pressure chamber loudspeaker gave an extremely clean sound when you received calls.”
Designed for GSM systems the BeoCom 9500 had a pressure chamber loudspeaker; display, including status indication, a high number of numbers in memory dependant on the SIM card, redial function, volume control, microphone mute, adjustable tone ringer, keypad lock, phone lock, intelligent security lock, battery low warning, SMS, call hold/wait function, CLI (Caller Line Identification), call forwarding and DTMF tones.
Batteries: Standard battery giving 100 minutes talk time or 20 hours stand-by. Plus battery giving 180 minutes talk time or 30 hours stand-by. Light battery giving 80minutes talk time or 15 hours stand-by. Charging time: 1 – 2 hours depending on battery types
Weight: approximately 225g depending on battery types
With BeoCom 6000 you are able to combine the extended possibilities of a cordless phone system with the most advanced answering machine in the world – BeoTalk 1200 – and put yourself in command of all your daily communication needs. With BeoCom 6000 is B&O’s first digital and cordless phone. There is also an ISDN version.
BeoCom 6000 is the complete digital telephone system with up to 6 cordless handsets for each member of the family to use. it is a direct challenge to the traditional concept of how a telephone should look and function. In setting new standards in design, BeoCom 6000 offers individuals a flexibility and freedom never-before experienced. The use of DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) technology allows the telephone to form a complete, internal telephone system for the home and office.
Up to six handsets, needing only individual chargers, can be linked to one base unit. ‘Cordless freedom’ may be obtained as no cables are needed to link the individual handsets, and only one telephone socket is required. Each unit has a display with access to a 200-number memory with Caller ID shown by name if it’s already stored in the telephone book. Entries made in a handset are automatically reproduced in other handsets within the system, which will also remote control the volume of Bang & Olufsen televisions and music centres.
Cordless
With an eye-catching form that just invites you to pick it up, BeoCom 6000 is everything you could ask for in a cordless telephone and then some more
Multifunctional / Easy Operation
BeoCom 6000 is also much more than just an exercise in shape and innovative design. It’s easy to use, comfortable to hold and offers a sound quality that can only be Bang & Olufsen
Easy Access, The Wheel
There’s no point in filling a telephone with useful features and functions if they’re difficult to access and complicated to understand. The wheel at the centre of BeoCom 6000 is designed to put everything directly at your fingertips and bring unrivalled simplicity to everyday communication
Volume Control A/V
Adjust the sound on your Bang & Olufsen audio-video products directly from your BeoCom 6000 handset. Simply press ‘A’ for audio or ‘V’ for video and rotate the wheel to turn the sound up or down
Caller ID
Caller ID lets you see the phone number, date and time of the latest 24 calls made to you – and lets you return the call with a single press of a button
Phone Book
The Phone book holds up to 200 name and number entries and is built up automatically as you make and receive calls
The redial function gives you instant access to the details of the latest 24 numbers that you have dialled. 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. B&O telephones are exposed to extremes of heat and cold, they have coffee spilled over them, dust blown at them, they’re stepped upon and subjected 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 100000 times, while a mechanical finger dials telephone numbers over and over again. In a space of days, the life of a telephone and everything the modern world may throw at it is simulated many times over!
‘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.
Whether it’s a matter of business or pleasure, you will always find a Bang & Olufsen telephone that matches your needs when it comes to intelligent features and placement options. But why stop there? Bang & Olufsen want to make sure that the telephones that bear the B&O logo are just as much a pleasure to look at as they are to use. That’s why a whole new range of living colours has been developed that span from a cool blue and grey to a bold red and terracotta.
Regardless of whether you’re looking for a telephone to match with your surroundings or one that will stand out and make a statement, the choice is yours. With seven strong colours to choose from, BeoCom 6000 spoils you for choice. Mix the colours of the additional handsets so that they blend in with the decoration of your home.
Complete telephone system for the family or a small business, with up to 6 cordless handsets, each has a wheel with access to a 200 number memory with caller ID, shown by name if it’s already in the directory. It also gives you remote control of the volume of the latest Bang & Olufsen televisions and music systems.
BeoCom 6000, Bang & Olufsen’s most successful telephone concept to date, makes a more colourful expression this season in new colours including yellow and blue. On the technical side, additional degrees of flexibility in placement are added with the introduction of new charging station possibilities.
After less than five years on the market, BeoCom 6000 has been sold in over 375,000 examples, making it far and away the best selling telephone from Bang & Olufsen in Struer, Denmark. The popular cordless telephone concept, characterised by its striking form and innovative “wheel” operation, features a built-in electronic phone book, which may be shared by up to six handsets. BeoCom 6000 provides you with four opportunities to add a splash of colour to every conversation. Regardless of your preference for the subdued hues of the new yellow or blue, the understated elegance of light grey or always fashionable black, the choice, as always, is yours.
Two new charging stations also see the light of day, both highlighting Bang & Olufsen’s highly developed aluminium competences. A stylish triangular wall charger, available in brushed aluminium, complements the distinct pyramid-formed table charger, which made its entrance already with the introduction of the telephone concept in 1997.
Both chargers may be freely placed around the home, requiring only a mains connection. The transmitter / receiver functions found in the original base station have been repositioned in a separate, third component, which may be placed near the telephone outlet.
“BeoCom 6000 is a proven success, be it employed in the home or office sphere. This new colour palette and charger programme will undoubtedly give our customers additional degrees of flexibility when choosing the solution which best suits their personal needs, states Peter Eckhardt, Managing Director of Bang & Olufsen Telecom. “
