Beogram 1200 – Types 5213, 5214, 5216, 5217 – was Bang & Olufsen’s first ‘designer’ system. The design ‘kinship’ which emphasised the interdependence between B&O’s various products, became a characteristic of B&O for many years. Beosystem 1200 was one of the first products selected by the Museum of Modern Art for the museum’s permanent collection (not exhibition) in 1972. The system components were designed by Jacob Jensen.

In 1969 the Danish Society of Industrial Design awarded Bang & Olufsen and Jacob Jensen the ID prize for the Beomaster 1200 radio/amplifier, Beogram 1200 turntable and Beocord 1200 cassette recorder for unusually beautiful and user friendly design. The jury emphasised in particular the Beomaster 1200 receiver which pointed in a new direction for the design of radios.

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. Beogram 1200 was one of those seven products.

The 1200 series represented the logical continuation of the line of development and design which put B&O at the forefront of manufacturers of entertainment electronics.

From an audio point of view, this was an advance in some ways – isolation from vibration was slightly better though still not up to the later decks. The peg support for the records was however not so clever as the excellent mat of the 1000 and 1800 offered far better cushioning. It did however look wonderful. Close inspection of the studs reveal that the inner studs are slightly shorter than the outer ones. They do remove for cleaning so do make sure you put them in the right places!!

Beogram 1102 was a fully automatic, hi-fi stereo record player with electronic servo-drive and high specification level. Operation was easy and straightforward. All functions were controlled by pressing the rectangular operating panel and if dissatisfied with the pitch of the record, speed could be adjusted by depressing the panel and rotating the little thumbwheel.
The pickup was an MMC 3000 with a spherical diamond. It tracked records at a stylus pressure of 1,2 grams. In order to fully exploit the pickup’s outstanding qualities, B&O constructed an extremely light magnesium pickup arm which, together with its unique suspension, ensured low inertia and thereby good conditions for correct contact between stylus and both walls of the record groove – at all times. Even warped records could be played satisfactorily.

Despite high specification levels, Beogram 1102 and 1902 automatic record-players are extremely easy to operate. All the technicalities are hidden under the surface.

Bang & Olufsen’s Electronic Servo Drive ensures that the rotatory speed of the Beogram 1102 and 1902 was always correct despite variations in the mains current supply. This is so because the system has a special feedback circuit which effects automatic corrections to compensate for these inherent variations

Beogram 1102 could be made up as part of the Beosystem 1100, together with other compatible Bang & Olufsen products

Beogram 1102 UK price in 1978: £97.00

These decks are beautifully made and offer super sound quality for almost no money. Much easier to maintain than the tangential decks simply because they are very simple! Excellent isolation from external vibrations – strongly recommended – and they were when new by Hi-Fi Choice! Simpler than the earlier 1100 – and better for that! A DC motor replaced the AC motor fitted to the 1100 and was electronically regulated with speed adjustment done through a potentiometer as opposed to the complicated measures used in earlier decks. This method would roll out across the range of Beograms.

The most basic of a new range of beograms, this model was amongst the first to use the new MMC range of cartridges.

In the case it used the bottom of the range MMC3000 and was designed to be partnered by systems such as the Beomaster 1100.

Much more slim and elegant than the 2000 that it replaced, it featured the triple leaf spring suspension that was a feature of all Beograms from that point onwards. As one of the earlier models in this range, the 1100 used a belt and idler wheel drive mechanism. This would be replaced in the later 02 models with a simple belt drive.

These decks are beautifully made and offer super sound quality for almost no money. Much easier to maintain than the tangential decks simply because they are very simple! Excellent isolation from external vibrations – strongly recommended – and they were when new by Hi-Fi Choice!