Beomaster 1700 was an AM/FM receiver in a class of its own. It was defiantly different when most high fidelity components still tended to look alike. Different in its design, its use of technology and the benefits it offered.

The FM section had facilities for presetting 5 favourite stations which could then be tuned instantly by pressing a button. The AM section covered both the Long and Medium wavebands. Hybrid filters were used to achieve high selectivity (the tuner’s ability to discriminate between the desired station and unwanted stations adjacent to it)The stereo amplifier was rated at 2 x 30 watts RMS with high quality sound reproduction up to the last watt. The tone control circuits were designed so that they could not limit or distort the quality of the reproduced sound before the amplifier’s maximum output level was reached.

All in all, the quality and performance levels of Beomaster 1700 were beyond reproach. As they should be, with the best technology. But what was most interesting was the creative use Bang & Olufsen made of technology – a (then) new operation system which afforded sharp, precise settings that were easy to locate on the scale. Two flexible slider controls formed the centre of this operation system. One was used to regulate volume level, bass, treble and speaker balance. The other was for the precise tuning of stations on Long, Medium and FM wavebands. The sliders had a sensitive, ridged surface that prevented the finger from slipping during operation.

The set’s large glass-covered communication surface, with its clear graphic indications aided easy operation. During use, response was light and immediate. Illuminated markers – light emitting diodes – kept you informed of the set’s operational status at all times. The surface was easy to clean with no irritating dust traps.

A Beogram 1700 and two Beovox C40 hi-fi loudspeakers complemented Beomaster 1700 in creating the well-balanced Beosystem 1700.

Well the above is the official line seen in the brochures. What could not be denied was the design of the 1700 which was innovative to say the least. I some ways it resembled the Beomaster 6000 quad except that it had a manual mechanism and clutches instead of the electrical control of the 6000. It gained a decent glass panel instead of the perspex of the 6000 but was let down by very poor quality plastics in the clutches, tractor drives that slipped and broke and an amplifier which was indirectly coupled compared to the direct coupled 1500 which it had replaced. Although it looked better than the 1500, it could not get close to the performance. Perhaps the beginning of a range designed more for looks than performance.

Beomaster 2000 at the time of its introduction in 1974 was an all-new model. The FM/AM stereo receiver was constructed to facilitate simple, logical operation.

Five FM stations could be pre-selected. Secondary controls which are not used daily were hidden under sliding panels. For example, the five FM pre-selectors, controls for AFC and muting (silent tuning), were discretely hidden away from view until such time as you needed them.

The construction of the stereo decoder was based upon a phase lock system which ensured constant high separation of channels. Manual tuning on the large FM/AM tuning scale was by means of a plain circular disc which was flush-mounted into the control panel. The tuning scale was illuminated and a light indicator assisted accurate tuning on an FM station. The AM section, (long and medium waves), had ceramic filters which enabled good separation between stations.

The newly developed automatic volume control effectively achieved a good balance between the weak and the strong AM stations. Darlington output circuits in the amplifier section produced 2 x 40 watts RMS or 150 watts total music, with less than 0.1 % harmonic distortion. One of the TAPE connections facilitated AB monitoring. It was possible to copy from one tape recorder to the other without having to fiddle with cables and sockets. There were sockets for two pairs of loudspeakers and for stereo headphones.

Two tape recorders could be connected and could be switched to enable copies of tapes to be made, in either direction. The set was housed in a large flat cabinet of a similar style to the Beomaster 1200 range, though the ‘slide rule’ pointer was replaced with a conventional dial, operated by a large flush aluminium wheel. A flywheel beneath this made manual tuning very smooth and the large diameter of the control, coupled with the now familiar dual light tuning indicator, also made it very accurate.

To complement slim appearance of the cabinet, a wire prop at the rear could be folded down, tipping the whole machine forward slightly enabling the controls and lights to be viewed more easily.

FM room aerial

Within a certain radius of the FM transmitter you could use the Bang & Olufsen room aerial, type 8902010. The aerial was easily fitted and the telescopic elements positioned as required.

This is one of the forgotten Beomasters. It utilised an amplifier design that would prove to be the most successful for B&O. It formed the basis for all the great amplifiers to follow in the range. Wonderful control of bass and plenty of reserve.

Beomaster 2400 together with Beomaster 1900 were two advanced FM stereo receivers. They had identical technical specification and performance. Both were easy to use and easy to live with.

Beomaster 2400 had the additional convenience of a cordless ultrasonic remote control module by which you could operate radio, amplifier and Beogram 2400 or 4004 record decks from a distance. Both receivers had touch-sensitive controls for operating the features and functions you used every day. All the secondary switches and adjustments were protected beneath a hinged lid, but an illuminated readout panel showed you the set’s operational status at a glance.

Equipped with the slim remote-control module you could select between four pre-set radio stations or record player input, adjust the volume up or down or put the System into Stand-by. The illuminated panel with its large display allowed to to easily see the state of play from anywhere in the room. The phase-locked loop decoder ensured a wide separation between stereo channels and remained stable over a very long lifetime. When a stereo broadcast was received, a symbol ‘S’ lit up automatically on the fascia of the set. Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) kept the selected radio station spot on tune, and a muting circuit cut out inter-station noise during tuning.

The stereo amplifier produced 2 x 30 watts RMS of high-fidelity output and had DIN sockets for the connection of two pairs of speakers, a record-player and a tape or cassette recorder.

A headphone connection was provided beneath the front edge of the unit. Controls not needed every day were situated beneath a hinged lid. These included tone and balance adjustment, FM pre-setting, loudness, AFC and MONO/STEREO switches, and a switch for selecting a basic initial volume level. This facility allowed you to choose the volume at which the amplifier began to play each time it was switch on – no matter how controls were left the previous time. On its primary control panel Beomaster 2400 had no knobs or buttons. The panel functioned electronically and needed only the contact of your finger to activate it. However, the ultrasonic remote control would have proved more useful. The set’s sophisticated indicator system would tell you instantly that your commands had been obeyed.

Beomaster 2400 was superceded by Beomaster 2400-2 in 1980.

Beomaster 2400 together with Beomaster 1900 were two advanced FM stereo receivers. They had identical technical specification and performance. Both were easy to use and easy to live with.

Beomaster 2400 had the additional convenience of a cordless ultrasonic remote control module by which you could operate radio, amplifier and Beogram 2400 or 4004 record decks from a distance. Both receivers had touch-sensitive controls for operating the features and functions you used every day. All the secondary switches and adjustments were protected beneath a hinged lid, but an illuminated readout panel showed you the set’s operational status at a glance.

Equipped with the slim remote-control module you could select between four pre-set radio stations or record player input, adjust the volume up or down or put the System into Stand-by. The illuminated panel with its large display allowed to to easily see the state of play from anywhere in the room. The phase-locked loop decoder ensured a wide separation between stereo channels and remained stable over a very long lifetime. When a stereo broadcast was received, a symbol ‘S’ lit up automatically on the fascia of the set. Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) kept the selected radio station spot on tune, and a muting circuit cut out inter-station noise during tuning.

The stereo amplifier produced 2 x 30 watts RMS of high-fidelity output and had DIN sockets for the connection of two pairs of speakers, a record-player and a tape or cassette recorder.

A headphone connection was provided beneath the front edge of the unit. Controls not needed every day were situated beneath a hinged lid. These included tone and balance adjustment, FM pre-setting, loudness, AFC and MONO/STEREO switches, and a switch for selecting a basic initial volume level. This facility allowed you to choose the volume at which the amplifier began to play each time it was switch on – no matter how controls were left the previous time. On its primary control panel Beomaster 2400 had no knobs or buttons. The panel functioned electronically and needed only the contact of your finger to activate it. However, the ultrasonic remote control would have proved more useful. The set’s sophisticated indicator system would tell you instantly that your commands had been obeyed.

Beomaster 2400 was superceded by Beomaster 2400-2 in 1980.

Beomaster 3000-2 was a solid state FM stereo receiver. The receiver was the kind of product you wanted to both look and to listen to.

It delivered 2 x 40 watts RMS at 30-30.000 Hz and whose distortion was less than 0.5%. With additions to the receiver like Beogram 3000, a fully automatic record player whose operating functions were executed by one master control, and two Beovox 3800 pressure chamber loudspeakers, Beosystem 3000 formed a complete high-fidelity system which deserved to be included in serious evaluations by those who felt that a quality hi-fi system must be chosen in separate units.

The unit was a high fidelity stereo amplifier in which emphasis was placed on specifications, frequency correction and connection facilities. The LOUDNESS feature permitted switching between an objective or a subjective linear reproduction and the LOW and EH filter controls gave a sharper regulation of frequencies, in addition to the normal bass and treble controls. The LOW filter helped reduce rumble resulting from a poor or defective record. At 80Hz its slope was 12dB per octave. There were sockets and push buttons for two pairs of loudspeakers. The headphone socket was situated on the front of the receiver. The tape connection facilitated AB monitoring and there were two record-player inputs: a high and a low impedance. All input sockets could be adjusted from the receiver’s base so that all signals had the same sound level. This was an extra convenience because one needed not adjust the volume control on the amplifier when it was switched between programme sources. The FM section had six pre-set stations. A light indicator assisted accurate tuning and the indicator registered the signal strength of a station. The FM section was extremely sensitive (better than 1.4 uV, I.E.C.) and harmonic distortion was only 0.4%. Field effect transistors, ceramic filters and integrated circuits were used.

In 1972 the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) chose seven Bang & Olufsen products designed by Jacob Jensen to be included in their Design Collection as representing excellent examples of the Museum’s criteria for quality and historical importance; design, in fact, which had influenced the twentieth century. Beomaster 3000 was one of those seven products. Two years’ previously Beomaster 3000 won the iF Design Award.

Beomaster 3000-2 was introduced in 1972. Both units could be used as part of Beosystem 3000. The two models were visually indistinguishable except for the model number, but the Beomaster 3000-2 contained a few minor technical improvements. The effect of these was not visually or aurally evident; the improvements were seen as Bang & Olufsen’s desire at that time to offer the customer the best components and aural experience.