Beovision MX 3500 appeared so light that to think of it hanging on the wall would have been quite logical. In fact, like other MX TVs, it could (and still can) be done. TV could then be watched from any angle; the set could be turned horizontally and adjusted vertically. You could also place the MX 3500 directly onto the floor. Or on one of the specially designed stands, which fully complimented such a handsome TV.
Beovision 3500 was born with perfect razor-sharp pictures colours and automatic contrast regulation. As well as quick-search Teletext. And stereo decoders that let you receive concerts in the finest stereo sound, regardless of the stereo system transmitted.
As with every Bang & Olufsen TV, you could connect Beovision 3500 to video recorders, extra loudspeakers, headphones, decoders, personal computers, TV games consoles and amplifier loops for those with hearing impairment. And if you wanted, you could also have Bang & Olufsen’s satellite receiver built into the cabinet.
You could choose from five different, clear colours for Beovision MX 3500; from the outright daring to the highly discreet.
Beovision MX5000 marked a high-point in the development of the MX series of televisions. The MX5000 was a fully-fledged 66cm TV, housing everything that technology had to offer in the area of TV pictures and sound.
The television had a 66cm flat-square picture tube, together with automatic adjustment of the colour balance 50 times every second, so you always obtained a crystal clear picture in lifelike colours. The set could also cope easily with variable light conditions thanks to the built-in contrast screen.
Beovision MX5000 also offered a unique feature in operating comfort – a motorised swivel platform which was operated by the same Beolink 1000 remote control as the television. The whole set could be turned 35 degrees either side for better viewing. And when you turned off the set, it automatically returned to the centre position. This was the first Bang & Olufsen TV set to employ a motorised base/stand.
Beovision MX5000 was designed specially be use in conjunction with Beocord VX5000 video recorder when, together, you could pull in a live picture from another channel on the screen while you continued with the programme you were already watching. Very handy when you were waiting for a specific programme on another channel to start. Much the same could be done in later years with the advent of Picture-in-Picture – a module bought as an accessory for fitting into your television.
Like all of Bang & Olufsen’s TV range at the time that Beovision MX5000 was produced, you could also have a NICAM decoder installed for the reception of stereo TV broadcasts. It came prepared with a Teletext decoder fitted with the four most-used pages stored in memory so that you could call them onto the screen very quickly. The MX5000 also automatically chose the right Teletext alphabet when you switched to a foreign TV station.
Another feature was that of satellite broadcasts in that you could have a Beosat RX satellite receiver connected to the television in order to receive satellite television programmes. The Beosat RX unit fitted snugly under the set in much the same way as the Beocord VX5000 video recorder.
Beovision MX5000 won I.D. magazine’s I.D. Award for its design in 1990.
Beovision MX5000 US
Bang & Olufsen’s first television in the the US market was a variant, the MX 5000 US. But, because of sales factors and market conditions at the time, it was not a great success.
Beovision MX6000 delivers the same uncompromising picture quality as the MX 7000. The only difference is the loudspeaker system which has conventional amplification using built-in passive speakers.
The MX television range was the first to bring the TV out into the open and it continues to show alternative ways of living with television. With the current MX range, the TV finally becomes a discreet part of your interior decoration. Choose between a 51cm or 66cm screen, 6 different colours and a versatile range of stands and brackets – with or without motorised turning. What comes as standard however, is an uncompromising sound and picture quality that has set the reference for modern television.
The Beovision MX series has become a classic. Designed by David Lewis in the 1980s, this television set has gradually developed through the years to become the most well-known TV in the world today. Much has happened however, since the first version. Today the Beovision MX6000 is equipped with the latest in picture and sound technology. This is the first, and probably only, TV with an built-in active speaker system. By using the same technology as used in all their stand alone active speakers, Bang & Olufsen have managed to provide sound quality that is hard to believe. The MX6000 is really the same machine as the MX7000 but without the active speakers. It features a passive system instead.
When it comes to the picture, the current version features a 28 inch BlackLine S CRT along with the contrast screen and the other VisionClear components. The MX series can, of course, be equipped with built in satellite receiver/Positioner and a Picture-In-Picture (PIP) module. For those wishing to use the Teletext subtitles when a programme is using them the MX sets automatically turns them on and, in conjunction with a Beocord VX7000, it can also record a TV programme with subtitles. All versions can be connected to the motor stands giving the possibility to adjust the viewing angle remotely.
With two colours and five placement options to choose from, the MX 6000 will suit almost any purpose and room environment. The Beovision MX6000 is basically an MX7000, but with a conventional speaker system instead of active loudspeakers.
Design
Filling a television with every conceivable gadget that technology offers is easy enough. What’s more difficult is identifying what really improves the overall experience of watching TV and eliminating the things that don’t. That’s the philosophy behind the MX range. In both form and function, it’s a clear-cut case of less being more.
Features
With 2 colours and 5 placement options to choose from, the MX 6000 will suit almost any purpose. Optional brackets are available; Beovision MX6000 is available in glossy black and glossy white only. The TV is controlled by the provided Beo4 remote control. It is a 66cm TV with VisionClear; stereo loudspeakers; improved Teletext; Beo4 remote control; connections for Beolink® VCR and headphones; BeoStand and motorised stands are optional.
The MX range was the first to bring the TV out into the open and it continues to show alternative ways of living with television. Beovision MX7000 was Bang & Olufsen’s first television set designed with active speakers.
Beovision MX 7000 comes with the same Active loudspeakers technology that’s found in the BeoLab range of loudspeakers. By building the amplifiers directly into the speaker cabinet we’re able to ensure a sound performance that’s second to none. With the MX 7000 you have a full range of 6 colours and 5 placement options. Whether you prefer blue to red or a motorised stand to a non-motorised stand, the MX 7000 will give you a number of possibilities: 66cm screen with VisionClear, active loudspeakers, improved Teletext, Beo4 remote control, connections for Beolink®, VCR and headphones, optional module for satellite, BeoStands and motorised stands and available in pearlescent shades of: blue, green, red, grey, black or glossy white.
The Beovision MX series has become a classic. Designed by the famous David Lewis in the ’80s, this television set has gradually developed through the years to become the most known TV in the world today. Much has happened, however, since the first version. Today the MX7000 is equipped with the latest in picture and sound technology. This is the first, and probably only, TV with an built-in active speaker system. By using the same technology as used in all their stand alone active speakers, Bang & Olufsen have managed to provide sound quality that is hard to believe. The MX6000 is really the same machine as the MX7000 but without the active speakers. It features a passive system instead. When it comes to the picture, the current version features a 28 inch Backline S CRT along with the contrast screen and the other VisionClear components.
The MX series can, of course, be equipped with built in satellite receiver/Positioner and a Picture-In-Picture (PIP) module. For those wishing to use the Teletext subtitles when a program is using them the MX sets automatically turns them on and, in conjunction with a Beocord VX7000, it can also record a program with subtitles. All versions can be connected to the motor stands giving the possibility to adjust the viewing angle remotely. The MX7000 is available in the same colours as the Avant, namely pearly red, blue, black, green and grey.
With the MX range, the TV finally becomes a discreet part of your interior decoration. Choose between a 51cm or 66cm screen, 6 different colours and a versatile range of stands and brackets – with or without motorised turning. What comes as standard, however, is an uncompromising sound and picture quality that has set the reference for modern television.
Design
Filling a television with every conceivable gadget that technology offers is easy enough. What’s more difficult is identifying what really improves the overall experience of watching TV and eliminating the things that don’t. That’s the philosophy behind the MX range. In both form and function, it’s a clear-cut case of less being more. Beovision MX 7000 is controlled by the Beo4 remote control.
Beovision MX 7000
With the MX 7000 you have a full range of 6 colours and 5 placement options. Whether you prefer blue to red or a motorised stand to a non-motorised stand, the MX 7000 will give you a number of possibilities.
Bang & Olufsen have a long lasting commitment to the principle of Active Loudspeakers, i.e. the idea that each loudspeaker unit is powered by an individual amplifier with a specific crossover network, to ensure perfectly natural sound reproduction. The principle has definite advantages in the field of television sound.
Despite critical operating conditions, Beovision products succeed in providing sonic performances which surpass those of many hi-fi systems. The active loudspeakers in Beovision Avant, for instance, reproduce a sound quality equal to a pair of BeoLab 2500s.
And if your demands exceed those of the average viewer, the speakers’ modularity allows you to enhance the sound performance with any choice of loudspeakers in the BeoLab range.
In October 2002, Beovision MX7000 was replaced with Beovision MX8000.
BeoVision MX8000 – original concept endures while technologies change
“Whereas the MX TVs we produce today look the same on the outside as those we produced in the mid-1980s, they are completely different on the inside”, states Torben Ballegaard Sørensen, Bang & Olufsen President and CEO.
BeoVision MX8000 is a 66cm (viewable screen) television and was introduced in October 2002 as a replacement for BeoVision MX6000 and MX7000.
Based around the BeoVision 1 chassis, BeoVision MX8000 is brought up-to-date with the following options: Master Link (either as Master or Slave), RF Modulator (if used as Beolink® master), Set-Top Box Controller (with full on-screen graphics), Anti-Reflex coated contrast screen and Dolby Digital Surround Sound (including DTS). A camcorder connection is placed below the screen where the manual control on previous MX televisions was situated.
Big sound
In 1984, when the MX range was introduced with BeoVision M20 (the forerunner of BeoVision MX2000), TV sound was produced by passive log-line loudspeakers, producing either stereo or mono sound. Whether coming from a television programme or VHS, Betamax or Video 2000 VCR, it was only experienced as coming from the TV itself. Today, multi-channel surround sound systems provide enveloping sonic experiences in the home. Back then the user listened to two 7-watt speakers in the TV itself. Today six powerful active speakers are becoming more and more popular.
In 2002, important dialogue emerges from the powerful active loudspeakers which, following the original MX design, are sill located directly below the screen. Thanks to Bang & Olufsen’s active loudspeaker technologies, BeoVision MX 8000 delivers a sound pressure level capable of equalling many hi-fi systems. Multi-channel sound experiences covered too, as the build-in multi-channel digital surround sound module allows the connection of several external BeoLab loudspeakers, such as the BeoLab 8000 or BeoLab 6000. Big bass effects remind you of a trip to the cinema once you’ve connected a BeoLab 2 subwoofer, an 850-watt low-frequency producer to highlight the thrills and spills of a large-screen auditorium.
Features & placement:
“With the BeoVision MX range, television becomes a versatile feature that assimilates into your home and lifestyle.”
BeoVision MX makes TV a discreet part of your interior decoration. Uncompromising sound and picture quality come as standard. With the BeoVision MX range, television becomes a versatile feature that blends into your home and lifestyle.
BeoVision MX TVs fit where they’re wanted. BeoVision MX 8000 is ideally suited for standing alone or being used on a motorised stand.
Sound Quality
TV sound is driven by powerful 40 watt active stereo loudspeakers.
Surround sound
The Dolby® Digital surround sound module is a new optional feature that allows the MX 8000’s existing speakers to act as centre channel in a surround sound setup.
Connections
Connections to Bang & Olufsen’s DVD 1 and Beocord V8000 VCR are undertaken simply and easily; BeoVision MX 8000 also features the ability to serve as a Beolink® master, distributing sound and picture throughout the home. Operation takes place via the Beo4 remote control.
There are three placement options – a stand (with optional shelf for DVD 1 or Beocord V8000 – as in above picture), a motorised floor stand and a motorised base. It also has its own in-built stand to tilt back the set (as in BeoVision MX4000/4002).
BeoVision MX8000 Press Release – October 2002
Bang & Olufsen launches 18-year old TV – Original concept endures whilst technologies change
“The device appears as a well-formed cabinet from the front. From the rear, the encapsulation of the picture tube is so well done that the device may be enjoyed from all angles. The stacked-build of the device makes it possible to place it in a corner… Technically it contains many new functions, including the integration of a contrast screen that reduces disturbances from incoming light.”
So wrote The Danish Design Council when presenting their 1986 ID prize for exceptional design to David Lewis and Bang & Olufsen for the BeoVision MX 2000. Launched in season 1984/85 as BeoVision M20, the basic conceptual elements of the BeoVision MX exist virtually unchanged today.
Now in 2002, many similar words could be used when describing the 30th member of the BeoVision MX family, BeoVision MX 8000. The 28″ model features the latest technologies of today within sound and picture reproduction; including an optional 5.1 channel digital surround sound module and Bang & Olufsen’s own VisionClear system.
Sharp picture
On the screen, the blue waters and green rainforests of the tropics appear as truly blue and green, rather than shades of a similar colour. Bang & Olufsen’s patented picture quality elements, known collectively as VisionClear, ensure your visual experience contains the correct balance of sharpness, brightness, saturation and black level, allowing you to enjoy the programme instead of fiddling with the settings. The optional anti-reflection coated contrast screen, mounted in front of the picture tube, reduces the amount of incoming light by up to 99%, ensuring that you’re not disturbed by unwanted shadows or reflections.
Possibilities provide freedom
Another central element to the MX concept is modularity. Numerous placement, connection and build-in possibilities combine to offer a large degree of freedom within the same concept. Either standing freely on the floor, placed on a dresser or on a motorised stand, your BeoVision MX 8000 can show up where you prefer, rather than dictating where it should be placed.
Connecting to Bang & Olufsen’s DVD 1 and Beocord V8000 videotape recorder takes place simply and easily, and BeoVision MX 8000 also features the ability to serve as a Beolink® master, distributing sound and picture throughout the home in B&O’s popular distribution system. Operation of all products takes place via the Beo4 remote control.
ACCESSORIES – TV/Video Stand/Brackets:
BeoVision MX8000 motorised base (Part no 1407311)
ACCESSORIES – TV/VIDEO:
BeoVision MX8000 DSS module (Dolby Surround Sound) (Part no 1400501)
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.
Bang & Olufsen’s Beosystem AV 9000 was a complete home theatre system introduced in 1992 and was designed by the company’s chief designer, David Lewis. The superlative system – in production for seven years – comprised a Beovision AV9000 TV set, a pair of BeoLab 8000 speakers, a pair of BeoLab 6000 speakers, and a Master Control Panel AV9000, similar to a BeoSound Ouverture. In addition, Beovision AV9000 contained not just the television, but also a Dolby Surround Sound processor, a modified Beocord VX7000 and an active centre speaker.
Beosystem AV 9000 was, in the early 1990’s the most advanced combination of sound and vision from Bang & Olufsen and was the B&O approach to complete home entertainment. The TV, video and music system used the same set of loudspeakers, so the sound always comes as close to reality as possible. AV 9000 gave you the freedom to choose one of five different sound-settings for every audio/video source – ranging from Dolby Surround Sound to monologue newsflash. Surround Sound was built into the AV 9000 monitor-unit, while the CD, radio and cassette was handled by BeoSound Ouverture, all seamlessly connected to each other. The whole system was surrounded by two set of loudspeakers: tall, slender BeoLab 8000 in front and BeoLab 6000 at the rear. A fifth source was the central loudspeaker in the triangular bottom-half of the television set. The whole system was controlled by one remote control, the Beo4.
Today it is relatively easy to build a television. But at Bang & Olufsen the company is more committed to bring customers the best possible experience. VisionClear is a simple name for a list of advanced electronics which the viewer experiences, but hardly notices, simply because they work. Automatic picture control, current colour balance correction, automatic cut-off and fine tuning of the aerial signal and a contrast screen.
If you often watch television during the day, you will recognise the problem of carpets, furniture and other home furnishings reflecting in the screen. The solution to this problem is an ultra-thin coating on the contrast screen, which reduces reflection by 90% and makes the black areas appear pitch black.
The anti-reflective contrast screen is standard on the Beovision Avant and was supplied as standard on the Beosystem AV9000. On the AV 9000 even the picture tube was coated with anti-reflective material to ensure 100% reflection-free viewing comfort.
A small electronic sensor in all Beovision TV sets registers the prevailing light conditions in the room and adjusts the picture, so that it’s always sharp, no matter whether a reading lamp is on or the rays of the sun suddenly breaks through the window. Automatic Picture Control is part of the VisionClear concept and only available on televisions available from Bang & Olufsen.
Bang & Olufsen’s products are enchanting! And the magic, the good idea, often comes into being in the course of finding a solution to some practical problem. The practical problem here was that there was a short time lag between pressing the button and a picture appearing on the screen. So you would sit and wait expectantly for a little while.
The experience of waiting reminded designer David Lewis of a theatre before the curtain went up! Behind the curtain, preparations were being made for the performance. The lighting and sound were adjusted and the actors took their places. The curtain only went up when everything was ready. The first television to have a curtain was Beovision AV 9000. The curtain was a thin steel sheet that was slid to one side by a clever mechanism when the stage was set. Bang & Olufsen’s wide-format television, the Beovision Avant, is equipped with an electronic curtain. From the moment you press the button until the curtain slides away, the technology is busily working unnoticed. No pop from the loudspeakers, no random flash of light from the screen. Only when the sound is ready and the picture is in place can the performance begin!
A brilliant problem
We all know the frustration of trying to watch television in daylight when the brilliance of a window reflection on the picture tube makes it impossible to see a part or all of the picture. This also happens to a smaller degree when light-coloured furniture or a lamp is reflected. In general, reflections lower the quality of the picture on a television screen and reduce the pleasure of watching a TV programme.
The optical process of what happens in such a case is that the contrast of the picture is effectively reduced. The Bang & Olufsen solution to the problem has traditionally been to incorporate a contrast screen. Ensuring that ambient light (which creates the reflections) travel twice through a light absorbing contrast screen whereas the picture formed in the picture tube travels only once, the brightness of the reflection is substantially reduced.
If it were possible, a better solution would be to reduce reflections directly. One method is to make the surface of the picture tube rough, either by sanding or etching the front surface of the tube or spraying a matt coating on the glass. This type of treatment does not actually reduce reflections, but by making reflections more diffuse, reduces their visibility. However, it also makes the picture itself fuzzy and less sharp, so that the overall quality is reduced.
A more attractive method is to use coatings. Coatings for glass surfaces have been used for a long time and for many purposes. The first use was probably for camera lenses, where coatings corrected for optical faults in the lens. Later, coatings were used to reduce reflections and also to correct colour reproduction when colour films became available. Most people will know of coatings from the more expensive spectacles, where coated glass is used to reduce reflections.
Anti-reflection coatings can reduce reflections to between 5% and 10% of their original brightness. They work by what is known as destructive interference and use the fact that light travels in waves of specific wavelengths. By coating the picture tube or other glass surfaces with a transparent layer of a thickness of one quarter of the wavelength of light, the light failing on the surface is reflected twice – once from the front surface and again from the rear surface of the coating. The two reflections are now half a wavelength apart and therefore in opposite phase and thus virtually cancel each other to destroy the reflection.
Of course, this happens perfectly for just one wavelength of light (or light of a single colour) and to lesser degrees for the wavelengths close to this. By adding more than one coating of different thicknesses, a more broadband removal of reflections can be achieved. Thus, for example, three coatings are used for the front screen of the Beosystem AV9000. One of the reasons that antireflection coatings are not used more often is that currently the manufacturing process is extremely expensive for large screens, allowing its use only in high-end television sets. However, as it is considerably less expensive for small screens, especially where only a single coating is used, it is a reasonably popular feature for computer monitors.
One of the features of coated picture tubes is that although reflections are drastically reduced, the coated glass appears to have a residual colour. This happens because some light is still reflected from the surface, the colour of which depends on the number and thickness of the layers. The colours that are not perfectly removed result in the colouring of the glass. This does not affect the colours of the picture, which is viewed through the coating and does not depend upon its thickness.
Also, the effectiveness of the anti-reflection coatings falls off at an angle to the screen, as the effective thickness of the coating changes. Seen from an angle, the colour of the reflections changes for the same reason.
The AV9000 also uses another coating, a thin layer of chrome on the back of the contrast screen. This is an anti-static layer, which is earthed to prevent the build-up of static charge, which can give problems with electrostatic shock. An appealing side effect of the anti-reflection coating of the AV9000 is that when the black curtain behind the contrast screen is closed, the effect of the coating is apparently considerably reduced, so that the whole screen surface appears to reflect. As soon as the curtain is removed, the anti-reflection coating takes full effect, forming a window in which the brightness of reflected light is reduced.
“There was a time when people bought TV and radio in order to keep informed. Today, TV and radio have developed into entertainment media, and here at Bang & Olufsen, we are convinced that this trend will continue. At any rate, that is the reason for what is perhaps our greatest innovation yet.
Beosystem AV 9000 is not just an independent video system and independent music system. It is an epoch-making combination of picture and sound options contained within an exciting Dolby Surround System. What is Dolby Surround anyway?
You have probably had the experience of sitting in a cinema, where the film was so real you almost ducked at the sound of horses’ hooves approaching your seat. That is Dolby Surround. With Beovision AV9000, you can benefit not only from film, but also from the many televised recordings and sports events that are produced and transmitted today with Dolby Surround.
Technically, Dolby Surround is created with the help of three front and two rear speakers. By delaying the sound in the rear speakers relative to the front speakers, you get a three-dimensional sound picture, and suddenly you are in the midst of a giant soccer stadium, a concert hall, or the action of a film. I am not exaggerating when I say that even in smaller rooms, Dolby Surround is incredible.
However, it is one thing to have cinema experience at home in your living room. The other side is that when we developed AV9000, we wanted to make sure that your living room wouldn’t look like a cinema when no one was using the system. Every element is designed to be a beautiful part of the rest of the decor of the room. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be Bang & Olufsen.“
Movies no longer have to be seen in the cinema. With Dolby Surround and Bang & Olufsen active loudspeaker technology it is possible to create a sound environment that even surpasses that of cinema. The technology makes sound so pure, that it can be called natural – just the same that you would hear in a concert hall. With the AV9000 Bang & Olufsen achieved the goal of perfect sound. But, this was only one half of the secret of reproducing cinema in your living room. The other half is gained when you give Bang & Olufsen’s engineers free hand in pursuit of the perfect picture, achieved in the monitor of Beosystem AV 9000.
The built-in video tape recorder had the same capability and operations as Beocord VX7000. The VCR was PAL/NTSC compatible and discreetly hidden from view, unlike a normal free-standing recorder. Together with the active central loudspeaker, it was positioned in the triangle below the 66cm 4:3 screen. The location of the speaker enhanced the impression that the voice came directly from the screen. To direct the voice to face your sitting position, the monitor could be turned 33 degrees to both the left and right by operating its motorised stand with the Beo4 remote control. As all B&O motorised stands, movement of the monitor was entirely soundless.
Perhaps the first thing that the viewer noticed upon looking at the set, was that there appeared to be no screen! Just like in the cinema, the screen was only revealed when the mechanical curtains parted. When the TV was turned on, a black, completely light-resistant curtain glided to the left and right to reveal the picture, creating further the illusion of a small cinema screen. At the same time the monitor turned toward you to its pre-set position. The picture was incredibly sharp, with deep and clear colours.
Beosystem AV 9000 was more than a music system and more than a video system. It was an integrated approach to home entertainment, which fitted unobtrusively into any living room. The polished aluminium surfaces of the active BeoLab 8000 and BeoLab 6000 speakers took on the colours of their surroundings, while the black cloth covers blended in with outmost grace. In regard to sonic qualities, the loudspeakers are still second to none.
Carlton Sarver, a writer specialising in audio and video, with life long experience within the development of electronic media in Europe as well as the USA concluded that “I feel free to give unrestrained opinion of the Beosystem AV9000 in the larger context of integrated audio-video systems. Which is, that somebody finally got it right”.
The Master Panel AV9000 – or MPAV 9000 – was the ‘audio source module’ designed especially for the AV9000 system and was very similar in appearance to the BeoSound Ouverture. The earlier types of AV9000 were sold with the module and used four active speakers to create a full surround system. It used the Beolink 5000 or Beolink 7000 as a remote and was a two-way system. This was replaced when the system was updated to use the Beo4 remote control and the Master Panel was replaced with the Ouverture.
Besides its ability to play music sources, the Master Panel – as its name implies provided the user with a control interface for the entire Beosystem AV9000. This meant, for example, that it could be used to search, play and rewind all the sources in the system. At the approach of a hand the tinted glass doors automatically slid open and the panel lit up. For CD play, a touch of a button caused the CD player’s motorised clamp to lift upward for convenient loading. At another button touch the clamp moved into place, holding the CD in precise position for play. Tracks could be programmed to play in any sequence, using a Beolink 5000 terminal.
The cassette deck offered the same playback convenience as a CD. Sequential track numbers were automatically assigned to selections on a cassette. Any track on a cassette could be quickly located, simply by entering the track number. Playback in any sequence could be programmed. HX-Pro – a headroom extension system developed by Bang & Olufsen and licensed to Dolby Laboratories – was standard. It secured that high music frequencies were optimised during the recording process.
Bang & Olufsen’s microcomputer-based Auto Record Level controlled the recording level more accurately than would be possible manually. Because it subtly reduces recording level when required, never increasing it, its action is virtually undetectable.
The FM/AM tuner incorporated Bang & Olufsen’s developments that increased sensitivity, selectivity and tuning stability. Its use was exceptionally easy. Touching a station preset button – on either the Panel or the Beolink 5000 terminal – caused that station to instantly start playing, even if the system had previously been turned off. With an optional RDS decoder, FM station identification was automatically displayed on the Panel. Users could also manually name individual FM or AM presets.
” BeoSound 1 is maximum expression. Simple, elegant and easy to move around. Use it in your home, in the office, or bring it with you on holiday. Sleek and sturdy the BeoSound 1 fits in wherever you have a desire for great sound “ B&O Catalogue 2001 – 2002
With a tough, robust construction, BeoSound 1 is constructed to be moved and used anywhere. From the home to the work place, and everywhere in between, it offers you CD and radio with the simplest of plug-and-play functionality. And hidden behind the compact design lies a set of exceptionally powerful loudspeakers, capable of producing a dynamic sound far beyond the modest dimensions of the cabinet.
Sound
From intense rhythms to laid-back listening – the impressive three-way loudspeaker system hiding behind the cool aluminium front will handle the deepest bass and highest notes with ease. With its integrated handle, BeoSound 1 is easy to pick up and move around. It’s small enough to fit in anywhere, but still big enough to power a party with a sound that’s true, pure and clear. With its integrated handle, BeoSound 1 is easy to pick up and move around. It’s small enough to fit in anywhere, but still big enough to power a party with a sound that’s true, pure and clear.
Design
Life can be rough, but BeoSound 1 is built to take all the knocks. Tough, robust and solid, it’s a piece of musical freedom that’s always ready for take off. Do you want BeoSound 1 to stand out or blend in? Should it make a statement or become a part of its surroundings? The perforated aluminium front comes in 5 different colours – natural aluminium, black, blue, green and russet – which lets you decide for yourself.
Operation
Just plug it in and BeoSound 1 is at your command. All the buttons are concealed behind the front panel and in a layout that’s easy to understand and simple to use. BeoSound 1 can also be controlled via a Beo4 remote control. The discreet display keeps you in touch with what source you’re listening to.
CD and radio
Press “Load” and watch the CD holder flip up to accept your disc. Or switch over to Radio and listen to one of the 60 stations that can be stored in the programme memory. And if you ever need better reception, the aerial will rise at the touch of a button. BeoSound 1 was updated mid-October 2002 with an addition of a Wake Up Timer. There is also a new colour to the existing range – violet – with jade green being discontinued.
BeoSound 1 wins Japanese design award
In late 2002, the monthly magazine Nikkei BP Design marked its 15th birthday by conferring gold, silver, bronze and special “Nikkei Design” awards. Bang & Olufsen won an impressive bronze award for BeoSound 1. In their citation, the judges emphasised the striking design and that Bang & Olufsen are challenging the market for portable music . They also emphasised that the relatively low price will appeal to young people, while the straightforward functionality will “appeal to the older generation”. (From Beolink magazine 5, March 2003) BeoSound 1 – a golden opportunity to purchase the first models on the Internet – Press Release August 2001 Reach out for BeoSound 1 on the Net – Limited edition of new movable sound system may only be ordered via Internet ” On 15 September the first ever Internet event from Bang & Olufsen will be launched. Running simultaneously with the release of a newly revised home page, this special event will feature on-line reservation of a limited edition BeoSound 1. The newest audio product from B&O integrates a CD player, FM radio and powerful active loudspeakers in a surprising design. Encased in an exclusive Internet-only russet yellow colour, these 1,000 units will be available for pre-launch reservation only through visiting the Bang & Olufsen Web site.
On-line reservation
On-line reservation of the limited edition BeoSound 1 takes place quickly and simply; the visitor only needs to click on the appropriate photograph and fill out the registration fields that appear next. Filling out his or her name, address, e-mail and the like, he or she will receive a special BeoSound 1 screen saver as well. The 1000 units will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. When they are no longer available, the special BeoSound 1 screen saver will be provided to event visitors, along with an invitation to visit their local B&O dealer to receive a product demonstration.
Choose their own dealer
One of the most important elements in this campaign is that the visitor chooses from which Bang & Olufsen dealer he or she will purchase the physical product. It is through this dealer, and not Bang & Olufsen a/s, that all purchase-related elements will take place, including delivery and after-sales service.
Certificate and individual numbering
A special welcome envelope containing a Special Edition Certificate will accompany each product, in addition to a special silver label indicating the individual production number of the product, such as 1/1000, 2/1000, 3/1000 and so on.
Delivery upon market launch
Whilst the customer may reserve a BeoSound 1 already from 15 September, the delivery will not take place until the actual launch of the product in his or her market. This rolling launch process stretches from week 45, 2000 until week 6, 2001, dependant upon market. ”
BeoSound 1 with timer: a movable music centre
“Place your BeoSound 1 where you like. The compact design enables you to bring it with you anywhere. BeoSound 1 gives you an excellent sound experience no matter how near or far you are from the speakers. The sound is optimised and no additional settings.”
CD operation:
All buttons on BeoSound 1 are located at the back of the operation panel together with the CD compartment. Press LOAD to raise the CD compartment. With the CD compartment raised, offer the CD into the slot provided. Always load the CD with the CD label facing upwards. Press LOAD again to lower the compartment or just press CD to play your CD. If no CD is loaded when you press one of the CD buttons, the CD compartment raises, ready for you to load a CD. When the CD has stopped playing and no commands have been received for 30 minutes, BeoSound 1 switches to standby.
Radio operation:
You can store up to 59 different radio stations. To step between stored radio stations, the programme number or frequency must be shown in the display. To listen to the radio, just press one of the radio buttons, the radio will start playing on the radio station you last listened to. You can extend the built-in aerial by pressing the AERIAL button.
Features
the speakers will be muted when headphones are connected. BeoSound 1 presents essential audio sources in a compact and easily operated way the compact design and the built-in handle lets you to take the music with you remove the cover at the back of BeoSound 1 and connect the headphones to the socket the radio finds the first available station the first time you press the RADIO button press AERIAL to extend or retract the built-in aerial. You can also push the aerial down manually if no CD is loaded when you press CD, the CD compartment raises automatically, ready to be loaded with your favourite CD you can adjust and store the volume level at any time. The display will keep you informed of what you have chosen and you can set the display light to the level suitable for you. Also, choose the display mode you prefer for radio stations; programme number or frequency
Timer facilities
BeoSound 1 has a built-in 24-hour clock. If you wish to make use of the Wake-up Timer function, you must first make sure that the built-in clock in the BeoSound 1 has been set correctly. If BeoSound 1 has been disconnected from the mains for about 30 minutes, the clock must be set again. You can program BeoSound 1 to wake you in the morning. The Wake-up Timer is a once-only timer. Like an alarm clock it is deleted once it has been executed. While the Timer is being carried out, the time is shown in the display. When you operate or switch off your BeoSound 1, the display returns to the mode you have chosen. Once you have made one Wake-up Timer, BeoSound 1 automatically suggests the time you entered for the latest Wake-up Timer in the display when you enter a new one. Wake-up Timers can of course also be deleted again. When you choose radio as your source, the radio will start playing on the station you last listened to. If you choose CD as your source, it is essential that a CD is first loaded. If you do not choose a source, the radio, by default, will be used for your Wake-up Timer.
Beo4 operation
Although designed primarily for close-up operation, BeoSound 1 can also be operated from a distance. The Beo4 remote control operates all the primary functions in your BeoSound 1. With Beo4, you can switch on or off, select radio programmes or CD tracks and adjust sound. You can also use the Beo4 remote control to enter a Wake-up Timer. This is carried out while BeoSound 1 is in standby by pressing the MENU button on Beo4. Pressing the red button on the Beo4 remote control will show the time in the display. Note that if the clock has not been set, or BeoSound 1 has been disconnected from the mains for approximately 30 minutes, it is not possible to set a Wake-up Timer. The clock must be set first. You can call up the settings for the Wake-up Timer in the display to check the time or to delete the Wake-up Timer.
Protecting your BeoSound 1
You can choose whether or not to activate the PIN code system as a security measure against unwanted usage or theft. By activating this, BeoSound 1 is protected with a four-digit PIN code. The use of a PIN code means that if BeoSound 1 is disconnected from the mains for more than 30 minutes, the system can only be activated again by keying in your own personal PIN code. If the PIN code is not entered, BeoSound 1 automatically switches to standby after 3 minutes. If a wrong PIN code is entered, you are allowed five attempts to key in the code, after which the system is switched off and cannot be switched on for 3 hours. Should you forget your PIN code, it is necessary to contact a retailer who can assist you in receiving a Master Code from Bang & Olufsen. You need this code in order to reactivate your BeoSound 1. Note that if a wrong code is entered a second time, the cue ‘Err’ appears in the display and you must enter and confirm the code again. If you accidentally store a wrong digit, pressing STOP will delete all digits again and you can enter new ones. You may change your PIN code at any time. However, for security reasons it is only possible to change the PIN code five times within a period of 3 hours. You must enter your current PIN code before changing the code.
Changing your BeoSound 1 cover:
You can change the front cover of your BeoSound 1 to complement your new room décor by using the following tips. Like always, if you’re unsure about what you’re doing then consult a professional Bang & Olufsen technician who will be able to do this task for you easily and safely. Use the floor or some soft furnishing to avoid damaging your unit: With the BeoSound 1 isolated from mains electricity lie it down on the floor with the front panel facing upwards and the controls away from you, at the top Press firmly but gently on the outside rim of the front cover about one-third of the way down from the top; at the same time pushing the cover up, away from you This will release the mechanism and the cover will slide up and off the front of the unit To replace the cover position it onto the front of the unit- ensuring that the inner black plastic ‘screen’ is positioned in the sliders within the metal cover Gently place the cover back into its cut-out grooves on the unit, about one centimetre or so from the base Firmly but gently push down the cover towards you. The cover should gently ‘snap’ into place!
BeoSound 1 Special Edition
In 2001, before BeoSound 1 was available to purchase in High Street stores, a gold-coloured version – limited to 1000 models – could be bought only from the Internet. Needless to say, this limited edition was sold very quickly and at the time was very desirable. However, as the CD format has sadly lost it’s appeal, the value of these units has declined to the point of them only being worth what someone is prepared to pay – which isn’t much!
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!
Beovision AV5 construction
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.
Flat as a pancake
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 antlers
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.
On and on and on…
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!
“It can’t be done”
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.
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
Redial
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!
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.
Colours
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 Press Release – Spring 2002
” BeoCom 6000 – New Colours For Success
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. “