Beogram 6000 – Type 5751 – was a fully automatic record player with one-touch operation.
Put a record on the turntable, touch START and let Bang & Olufsen technology do the rest. The lightweight, low inertia tone arm was fitted with the MMC 20EN pick-up cartridge. This had a naked elliptical diamond and a low Effective Tip Mass which, together with the lightweight arm, secured excellent tracking performance and minimum record wear.
The patented spring suspension system effectively prevented external knocks and vibration from affecting tracking and sound quality. This later radial 6000 model was fitted with Datalink and was really a Beogram 2402 with new electronics in the same design. It really did not match the Beomaster 6000 and was a short lived and frankly unpopular model but was offered as a cheaper alternative to the tangential tracking and tangential drive Beogram 6006. These decks were both replaced by the Beogram 6002. This deck had the newer MMC3 cartridge and was a strange amalgam of the two earlier decks in that it had a simplified tangential arm but belt drive for the platter
Beogram 1500 combined ease of operation and advanced technology in a simple, straightforward way. All its operations were controlled via a single button.
Another advantage of this totally integrated design was its immunity to external shock and vibrations. The electronic servo drive system ensured correct turntable speed at all times. The low-mass arm had built-in bias compensation, and the MMC 20S pickup tracked at only 1,5 grams.
The unique pendulum spring suspension helped make the Beogram range of record players immune to the external shock and vibrations which would cause most other record decks to mistrack and damage the record groove.
Beogram 1500 could be made up as part of the Beosystem 1500, when linked together with other compatible Bang & Olufsen products.
This deck was the basic model of its time but the inherent design of this deck meant that the performance was extremely similar to the top of the range radial decks. Very easy to set up and simple to use, a true bargain buy in later years.
Beocord 1900 equalled Bang & Olufsen’s top-of-the-line cassette deck (Beocord 5000) in terms of specifications and performance, but it but it did not have the same wide range of facilities and operational refinements.
This does not mean that the Beocord 1900 was difficult to operate. On the contrary, the slanting front panel which contained all the operational facilities made the set’s controls handy and easily accessible. The cassette eject mechanism was air damped so that delivery was gentle and controlled. Two large VU meters enabled accurate setting of recording levels.
The microphones socket was placed discreetly under a sliding panel together with a balance control which enabled signal level adjustment in both channels. All the features which characterised high quality and high performance levels in cassette decks were incorporated. These included a combined recording/play-back Sendust tape head and Dolby B Noise Reduction circuits.
Beocord 1900 used precision techniques that ensured stable tape drive and the highest standards of recording and playback. Yet despite its comprehensive facilities it was easy to use and harmonised comfortably with many different Beosystems.
Beocord 1900 could be made up as part of the Beosystem 1900 or Beosystem2400, when linked together with other compatible Bang & Olufsen products.
Beocord 1700 matched the Beomaster 1700 both physically and technically. It combined high performance with easy, straightforward operation.
Ferric, chrome or metal tapes could be used. The Sendust tape head, Dolby B circuits and Peak Programme Meter all contributed to high quality recording and playback. You could switch between all modes of play without fear of tangling the tape or damaging the mechanism.
Beovox S55 was an ideal bookshelf speaker, but could also be used as a wall-mounted or free-standing model with the optional fittings available separately.
The pressure chamber cabinet contained a 21cm bass driver, an 11,5 mid-range/phase-link unit and a 2,5cm tweeter. Power handling was 55 watts RMS.
These medium-sized loudspeakers could be placed within a multiple shelving system, on an open shelf or table, mounted on the wall using the optional wall brackets or used as free-standing units by fitting the optional pedestal stands.
The two-unit configuration, with separate drivers for bass/midrange and treble reproduction, offered excellent frequency response and power-handling of 45 watts RMS.
The pressure chamber enclosures were finished in a choice of natural teak, rosewood, oak or white
Beovox S30 and S40 both used a two-unit configuration and pressure chamber design to reproduce music faithfully and clearly.
They handled up to 30 watts and 40 watts respectively and were ideal for mounting within a shelving system. Beovox S40 worked in conjunction with Beosystem 2300 if that is how you wished to use them. They featured a 20cm bass driver (woofer) and a 2,5cm dome treble unit (tweeter) offering wide frequency response and clean, clear sound reproduction.
Beovox S120 is designed to handle 120 watts continuous load and can handle temporary loud passages throughout the entire audio range.
The speaker has a built-in protection circuit continuous overload. If the speaker output significantly exceeded 120 watts sinus, the speaker is cut out and the OVERLOAD indicator on the front lights up. The speaker is cut in again by pressing the button to the right of the indicator light. This protection circuit does not react to temporary signals and does not cause clipping or distortion.
Beovox MC 120.2 would handle up to 120 watts RMS power. The 20cm woofer, 7,5 mid/phase-link unit and 2,5cm dome tweeter were protected from overload by an automatic circuit. The port reflex cabinet allowed for full bass performance despite modest size. This model could be placed in a shelf system. Alternatively, optional wall-mounting brackets and floor pedestals were available.
When you used metal tape cassettes in the Beocord 8000 you obtained the same high quality sound you were used to from a good gramophone record. Careful choice of components and materials, creative engineering and technical excellence all made this possible.
But superb sound reproduction was only one of the benefits you got from this advanced cassette deck, which replaced Beocord 5000. Of equal importance was the fact that time, through Beocord 8000, came to the cassette deck. Bang & Olufsen used it to measure tape consumption. Quite simply, instead of using meaningless digits, minutes and seconds were used instead. This allowed you to locate specific tracks of music easily and accurately for immediate replay. Just tell the Beocord 8000 where to start, in minutes and seconds and let the set’s microcomputer do the rest.
This feature also helped you plan recordings and thereby ensure maximum use of your tapes. During play, Beocord 8000 measured and displayed the exact amount of tape consumed so that you always knew how much playing time was left on the cassette. And the Beocord wouldn’t let you make mistakes: if you gave incorrect instructions, reject signals flashed on the set’s display panel. The microprocessor which made the real time counter possible was also used to provide a digital clock for timer recording. In normal use the clock did not show on the display, but it could be programmed to start the tape either playing back or recording any time within 24 hours.
The button marked ‘RETURN’ afforded great convenience during recording. Together with the automatic tape position indicator, it enabled you to edit your tapes electronically. The split-channel Peak Programme Meter eased the setting of recording levels and was extremely accurate. It indicated the actual signal that was being fed to the tape, for each channel, rather than that which was being received at input.
Underneath the brushed aluminium panel was the cassette compartment, sliders for setting recording level, an independent slider for adjusting volume level on headphones, facilities for timer programming and adjustments for secondary functions.
For example, you could instruct Beocord 8000 to make recordings of radio programmes while you are out. In short, everything was done to ensure total listening pleasure in terms of sound reproduction and convenience.
Beocord 8000 could be used as a stand-alone tape cassette recorder or as part of hi-fi systems such as Beosystem 6000 or Beosystem 8000.
