” BeoSound 3000: the design may be a Bang & Olufsen classic, but BeoSound 3000 and BeoSound Ouverture refuse to rest on their laurels. Access to new musical sources and fresh loudspeaker options ensure that the concept remains an open invitation to make something special out of your music.
With BeoSound 3000 everything is upright and out in the open so that you can see how it works and understand how it reacts when you press its buttons. Even the simple act of placing a CD has been made part of the overall experience and enjoyment. It combines radio with an advanced CD player, and – as something new – lets you access your digital music files directly from your own PC. As well as offering radio and CD, the BeoSound Ouverture also has an intelligent tape function ” (B&O catalogue 2001 – 2002)
Both products can be put together with any BeoLab loudspeaker – which gives you the option of an impressive set up on matching stands with two BeoLab 4000 speakers, or a more compact solution between newly redesigned BeoLab 2500 speakers.
With a design that’s undoubtedly becoming a Bang & Olufsen classic, BeoSound 3000 and BeoSound Ouverture are an open invitation to make something special out of your music. BeoSound 3000 is the former Beocenter 2300 (first introduced in 199) but with a whole host of new electronics, features and look including a larger metal CD ‘cover’ and N.MUSIC. The new styling was released to the UK market in September, 2001.
With BeoSound 3000, everything is upright and out in the open, so that you can see how it works and understand how it reacts when you press its buttons. Even the simple act of placing a CD has been made a part of the overall experience and enjoyment.
It combines radio with an intelligent CD player that can name your favourite 200 discs, store your own preferred track sequences for them or skip unwanted ones permanently. With the latest Beolink® PC2 software application, you can also access your digital music collection directly from the BeoSound 3000.
Features
Bring new life to old CDs by changing their track sequence with the Random Play function. Or program it to skip over any unwanted tracks and to play the ones you want, in the order you prefer. Name your favourite 200 CDs and store your own track preferences for them in the extended memory and the BeoSound 3000 will remember it the next time you play one of the CDs. With the CD function of the BeoSound 3000 you’re also able repeat a desired passage of a CD, whether it is within the same track or stretching over a number of tracks.
There’s room for up to 60 pre-set stations on the BeoSound 3000’s intelligent AM/FM radio. You can also name each individual radio station, to give you a complete overview of your radio listening. With the BeoSound 3000 you can wake up to your favourite piece of music. The BeoSound 3000 can be programmed for the entire week and will automatically turn itself off again after playing for any length of time you choose.
Sliding Doors
Just raise a hand and watch as the glass doors glide silently aside. It’s the BeoSound 3000’s way of saying “welcome” and reveals that a special experience is about to begin. Of course, a simple on/off button would do, but then what would be so special about that? Beocenter 3000’s unassuming rubber key pad hides a contact foil, which, in turn, covers a matrix of vertical and horizontal cords. When a control is pressed, the cords connect and the microprocessor is activated.
Placement
It’s a dream come true – a music system that can fill your life with music without filling your home with equipment. The flat upright design of BeoSound 3000 means that it’s slim enough to sit by itself upon the narrowest shelf or light enough to be hung directly on a wall with any pair of loudspeakers in the BeoLab range.
Setup
It used to be that your music system was placed in one room in your home and you had to go there to listen to it. Not anymore. With Beolink®, you can place extra loudspeakers in any room in the house and access the musical options of your BeoSound 3000. The BeoSound 3000 is also equally at home in a Surround Sound setup and will give you an unmatched sound experience.
Internet Music
There’s so much good music on the Internet, but until now you had to be in the same room as your computer to enjoy it. Not anymore. With the latest Beolink® PC2 software application, you can access your digital music collection directly from the BeoSound 3000 in the living room – and send it from there to any other room in the house via the Beolink system.
How the glass doors work
The glass doors on the BeoSound 3000 and BeoSound Ouverture are opened and closed by steel wires driven by an electric motor via a gearbox. The motor is triggered by an infrared system that detects your approach.
Mounting Options
This classic design was reincarnated over a 21 year period with various mounts and stands. Floor stands were available with a pole stand or CD and tape storage, wall mount solutions allowed for the Hi-Fi only, or with BeoLab2500 speakers until these were discontinued
BeoSound 3200: the new music system with a warm welcome and cool intelligence
“BeoSound 3200 lights up in a soft glow of anticipation as soon as you reach out with your hand. Everything is out in the open so that you can see how it works and understand how it reacts”
BeoSound 3200, has a Hard Disk Drive with the capacity to store up to 396 compact discs. The CDs are stored in four groups of 99 and each group can be edited and named, in order to facilitate the easy location of your music. All other main functions are as the existing BeoSound 3000.
” Technology may be the foundation of the experience, but it should never get in the way of the senses. It’s the simple understanding that has created the concept behind BeoSound 3200.” It integrates a unique CD memory function that can store up to 396 of your favourite CDs in four individual groups. For simple and effective operation, each group is designated a colour that matches both the coloured buttons on the control panel and those on the optional Beo4 remote control you can choose to store an entire CD or just your favourite tracks and each entry can be named for easier recognition. Groups can be arranged according to type or be designated to different members of the family.
While the technology behind BeoSound 3200 is new, it retains a characteristic Bang & Olufsen personal feel. The glass doors slide open at a wave in an invitation to be used . Everything is upright and in the open, functions are clearly displayed and easy to understand. Even the simple act of placing a CD has been made part of the overall enjoyment.
BeoSound 3200 may be placed on a wall, positioned on a shelf or on the floor on a floor stand. When placed on a self or table, the system has a natural 13 degree slant for easier viewing and control. It may be used with any BeoLab loudspeaker enabling a number of impressive setup possibilities. It could be place between a pair of BeoLab 2500 active loudspeakers for example, or on matching stands with BeoLab 4000.
Features:
BeoSound 3200 is an audio system embracing CD, radio, CD memory and digital music files via Beolink®. It comes in one colour – aluminium and black – and can be positioned in different ways.
Placement
BeoSound 3200 may be positioned on the wall using a discreet (optional) bracket, placed on a shelf or displayed on one of two dedicated floor stands .
BeoSound 3200 Press Release 1 – February 2003
Digital Jukebox
The new BeoSound 3200 sees Bang & Olufsen introduce new technology that allows storage of almost 400 CDs – giving you the chance to create their very own digital jukebox.
Bang & Olufsen is bringing out a new system that allows you to record a CD as it plays. This gives the BeoSound 3200 the capacity to reproduce ‘first play’ quality of over 4,000 tracks. By creating technology that memorises almost 400 CD compilations, Bang & Olufsen is revolutionising the way we use and store CDs.
Music Selection
The technology is such that you will be able to select the tracks to be recorded, freeing up memory for the favourites only. The system will also allow you to file the CDs into 4 different personalised categories, be it Jazz, Classical, Dance or Hip Hop, allowing you to match the music to the moment at a touch of a button.
Other functions
The signature Bang & Olufsen craftsmanship is naturally seen in the new system. As your hand approaches, the smoked glass doors opens without a touch. The system boasts 60 radio station presets and a facility to function as a Beolink® master, distributing music to any Bang & Olufsen speaker in the house. Furthermore, if you wish to connect the BeoSound 3200 to a PC, the Beolink® PC2 connection facilities allow access to MP3 and WMA music files stored on the PC hard drive.
Active speakers
Choose any of the active loudspeakers from Bang & Olufsen’s BeoLab range for an experience that’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the ear. Tall and elegant, the BeoLab 1 speakers deliver 300 watts of Bang & Olufsen ICE power digital amplifier driven bass. The appealing BeoLab 8000, slim BeoLab 6000 or placement friendly BeoLab 4000 speakers may be utilised as well. The recently redesigned BeoLab 2500 speakers easily allow you to opt for today’s spin on the original design expression.
BeoSound 3200 – Press Release 2 February 2003
A mountain of music – Built in CD memory in BeoSound 3200 allows storage of almost 400 CD
A vast amount of storage space, hidden within Bang & Olufsen’s BeoSound 3200, present a plethora of musical experiences this season. Operation is straightforward and simple, whether storing your own CD or playing one back from the CD memory. Compressed to allow more storage without sacrificing audible quality, a mountain of music is contained in the already sleek lines of this design classic.
“In 1991 Bang & Olufsen broke new ground with the introduction of the Beosystem 2500 concept – the first hi-fi system to stand tall amongst the flat contemporary rack systems of its day. We renew this classic product family with incorporation of a CD memory into its newest member, the BeoSound 3200”, states President and CEO Torben Ballegaard Sørensen, who continues,
“We’ll utilise the CD memory to offer our customers new benefits and convenience when enjoying their music collection. All your music, or at least a big part of it, waits for you at the touch of only one button”.
Stored simply
Just load a CD, decide in which one of the four possible groups you want to keep it, and press “Copy” on the hands-on operation panel. Storage of the entire CD begins! Don’t like all the tracks on your CD as much as the others? Don’t fret, because BeoSound 3200 gives you the opportunity to copy only the ones you yourself choose. You can always add them later, should your tastes change.
Name that disc
Whilst every one of your CDs contains inaudible information regarding the publisher, artist, batch production number and more, for you, they’re only about the music. Store the names of 200 physical CD’s in addition to the names of the almost 400 CDs already found on the 40 gigabyte hard disk. So sit back and experience “Romance” in the pleasing built-in display, rather than “Disk 1, track 5”.
Your music, your groups
Four 99-CD capacity groups are accessed by the coloured keys on the front of BeoSound 4300 or via the Beo4 remote control. Name them yourself, just as you wish: Rock, Pop, Jazz and Classics, or why not Dad, Mum, Brother and Sister? Enjoy music in your groups.
Magical experience through craftsmanship
Your hand approaches, and the smoked glass doors open magically. Wishing you welcome into a world of musical experiences, the door movement is designed to be smooth with a slow start, acceleration and a gentle stop when the door is at its final position. A magical experience provided by combing some infrared light, a bit of gearing, a length of steel wire and Bang & Olufsen ingenuity.
Beolink® master
Advanced CD memory functions are but one element in the entire BeoSound 3200 experience. Found between the high-gloss anodised aluminium clamper lid, the built-in CD-player accommodates both 12 and 8 cm discs. With 60 radio station presets, the AM/FM radio won’t leave your air-borne audio entertainment wishes behind either distributing music to any Bang & Olufsen speakers around the home in wish to connect your BeoSound 3200 to a PC, the Beolink® PC2 connection facilitates access to MP3 and WMA music files stored on your PC hard disk.
Active speakers
Choose any of the active loudspeakers from Bang & Olufsen’s BeoLab range for an experience that’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the ear. Tall and elegant, the BeoLab 1 speakers deliver 300 watts of Bang & Olufsen ICEPower digital amplifier driven bass. The appealing BeoLab 8000, slim BeoLab 6000 or placement friendly BeoLab 4000 speakers may be utilised as well. The recently redesigned BeoLab 2500 speakers easily allow you to opt for today’s spin on the original design expression
Mounting Options
This classic design was reincarnated over a 21 year period with various mounts and stands. Floor stands were available with a pole stand or CD and tape storage, wall mount solutions allowed for the Hi-Fi only, or with BeoLab2500 speakers until these were discontinued
A late entry into the market but maybe the best sounding, the Beosound 8 benefits from the active speaker technology that B&O has championed for many years. Class D amplification is used for the two way loudspeakers and a placement switch is present which allows free standing, wall or corner settings.
The dock connection allows iPods, iPhones or iPads to be used and the provision of a line in connection allows other devices to attach.
In addition, a mini USB socket allows the customer to connect either a PC or Mac or an Airport Express to allow music to be played from their computer. A special Application written for the iPhone will be available which allows the music library to be browsed and also gives the BeoSound 8 both Alarm Clock functions and Net radio capabilities.
A wall bracket is available or the Beosound 8 can be used as a table top set.
Initially the speaker covers will be either black or white but Blue. Purple , Green and yellow covers will soon be available.
Control will either be via the iPod or with the Beosound 8 remote, which is aluminium. The set is also controllable with the Beo4,5 or 6.
The BeoSound 8 came in two ‘generations’ – the first being the regular BeoSound 8 with the old iPhone 20-pin connector, then the BeoPlay A8 (the ‘A’ standing for ‘Airplay’) which had no connector, but you could add a simple push-fit ‘Apple Lightning Connector’ for later Apple products if required.
BeoSound 9000 makes a strong statement with your music – but leaves it up to you to decide exactly how.
Music may not be essential to life, but it’s hard to live without it. That’s why BeoSound 9000 makes such a big thing about bringing your music out into the open and letting you create your own personal jukebox with the music that means the most to you. Combine BeoSound 9000 with the latest Beolink® PC 2 software application and you can access the digital music files on your computer’s hard disc. Place it upright in a bookcase, lay it flat on a shelf, or hang it directly on the wall – either vertically or horizontally. It can stand between a pair of BeoLab 1 or BeoLab 8000 loudspeakers, or with any other speaker in the BeoLab range. With BeoSound 9000, the possibilities – and the enjoyment – are endless ” (B&O Catalogue 2001 – 2002)
BeoSound 9000 represents the latest technology from Bang & Olufsen today. The 6-CD changer is the fastest in the world. If allowed to continue its momentum it would travel 100km/h in just 5,5 seconds… faster than a Ferrari from a stop position! It can be positioned in several different ways and the display text automatically adjusts itself to be readable. The unit too features a FM/AM tuner with RDS and is equipped with the new MasterLink connections and can be connected directly to the Beovision Avant and AV9000.
The CD returns to its original position
The discs are easily loaded and held by spring suspended jaws. Discs not in play can be replaced without interrupting the playback. The auto-positioning feature ensures that CDs are always returned to the position in which they were first placed. With the CDs visible and positioned correctly, there is easy access to the text information printed on the label. The glass-covered natural aluminium plate holds the CDs and the rails for the CD carriage, while a backlit acrylic plate illuminates the CD currently playing.
Glass cover to counteract gravity
BeoSound 9000 offers unprecedented flexibility for a product of this type, and to ensure the same uniform movement of the glass cover regardless of the placement of BeoSound 9000 vertically or horizontally, upright or flat. To counteract the effect of gravity, a digital time control constantly monitors the movement of the cover and adjusts the motor, keeping the complete movement within 3.5 and 4 seconds.
Safety first
Such an abundance of fast moving mechanics means that special measures have been taken to ensure that BeoSound 9000 is safe to operate. Small prismatic lenses are placed at each end of the aluminium frame, controlling an infrared beam across the front of BeoSound 9000. If the beam is violated, the CD clamper will stop immediately.
If the glass door is lifted while the clamper is in motion, it will decelerate immediately. A power failure feature ensures that the clamper is not damaged in a gravitational free-fall, if BeoSound 9000 is mounted vertically.
Ingenious engineering solutions and intricate mechanical movements in a product that continues to surprise and delight users today – and all this from the inspiration of old vinyl records spinning on the record player’s turntable.
The unit may be played in one of seven different positions. In each one, gravity has a different effect on the CD clamper (the aluminium ‘arm’ which rests over each CD when it is being read), yet it still works with the same precision and speed: a good example of how Bang & Olufsen uses technology to overcome acceptable limitations. Place BeoSound 9000 upright in a bookcase, lay it flat on a shelf or hang it directly on the wall – either vertically or horizontally. It can stand, for example, between a pair of BeoLab 1 or BeoLab 8000 loudspeakers (as above), or with any other speaker in the BeoLab range. With BeoSound 9000, the possibilities – and the enjoyment – are endless!
BeoSound 9000 starts with the technical excellence of the CD, but moves on from its limitations. A couple of good old-fashioned mechanical virtues make a welcome comeback. You can see it work and understand how it reacts when you touch its buttons. Or you can sit back with your Beo4 remote control and browse through over 7 hours of musical pleasure.
BeoSound 9000 makes a virtue of displaying the features that so many manufacturers try to hide away” welcoming the user with open arms to use it.
Features
BeoSound 9000 works so fast and so quietly that the change-over between two CDs seems no longer than the normal interval between tracks. Using the inaudible initial lead information on the discs, each CD can be named and memorised, and will be left in the same position as it was loaded, with its title clearly legible. Enter up to 200 titles in the memory and they’ll appear on the display whenever one of those CDs is played.
The FM/AM radio has memory for up to 60 stations which can be identified by their names instead of their frequency numbers. Set the timer and wake up to your favourite programmed CD sequence or radio station.
The fine art of control of BeoSound 9000
Lift the lid on BeoSound 9000 and the extensive control panel with timer, editing and sound adjustment operations is at hand. Since the BeoSound 9000 can be placed in a great number of positions, the control panel can turn as you prefer. The display follows the same orientation, of course!
Auto Positioning
Auto-positioning was one of the challenges that Bang & Olufsen’s engineers had to meet because of BeoSound 9000’s clear versatility in placement. Using the inaudible initial lead information present on most compact discs, the BeoSound 9000 is able to detect and memorise a desired position for the CD.
When it’s time to stop the CD, a servo system decreases the speed of rotation, the position mark is detected, and this effects the final braking and halt. A servo calculates the braking length for the CD, processes and stores the information. So the next time the CD will stop even faster, because BeoSound 9000 now knows where and when to apply the brakes. A total of 360 perforations ensure that your CD will stop precisely at the point at which you placed it in the rack.
The secret behind the precision of the movable clamper lies in two sensors which monitor its exact position and speed more than 60 times a second, and in its digitally-controlled motor, which compensates for even the slightest variation in movement.
Note: For owners of BeoSound 9000 who wish to use BeoLab 5 with this particular CD player, another feature of these new active speakers will be a direct digital feed from the optical output of BeoSound 9000 – the output not used at present!
BeoSound 9000: an evolutionary movement
Since the early days of the gramophone, record changers have been known and appreciated for their long playing time. The modern version of the record – the CD – adds a new perspective to the old old idea.
In designing BeoSound 9000 from scratch, a number of design models were created in order to illustrate various ideas.
The ‘library machine’ was one of them. It could hold an entire CD collection ready for playback. However the stored discs disappeared out of sight into the innards of the machine. This was seen as a problem because compact discs are not able to give a readout of a library’s contents, making an automatic catalogue display impossible, and since the design group felt a primary manual entry of all CD data was out of the question, the idea was quickly abandoned.
In returning to square one, the dominating feature – as in a CD changer – is the ability to play continuously for a long period of time. In coming up with a solution for this problem, together with presenting visual feedback, the discs were placed with their covers upwards and in a line next to each other, protected, under a lid of transparent glass. This was the main idea behind the very first design model of BeoSound 9000.
However, David Lewis, as Bang & Olufsen’s chief designer presented the first design model of BeoSound 9000 in two editions: the one which we know today with its 6 CDs, as well as another model comprising ten compact discs laid out in a line next to each other (see picture above).
The design group liked the 10-CD edition; it looked stunning, but in use it was limited to just once placement (unlike the eight different placements that the currently-produced BeoSound 9000 offers). The 10—CD version was subsequently shelved with the 6-CD version going into production in 1996.
David Lewis’ BeoSound 9000 from 1996 makes a virtue of showing its function. It clearly displays, by the 6-CD slots, that its function is the playing of music It can be placed horizontally on a wall or vertically on a special column when it becomes almost a sculpture for the home. Like B&O’s other products BeoSound 9000 contains the most advanced techniques around but shies away from technical mystique with its interface being simple and self-explanatory.
Control
Lift the lid on BeoSound 9000 and the extensive control panel with timer, editing and sound adjustment operations is at hand. Since the BeoSound 9000 can be placed in a great number of positions, the control panel can turn as you prefer. The display follows the same orientation, of course. BeoSound 9000 may also be controlled by the optional Beo4 remote control.
Placement
On the optional bracket, the BeoSound 9000 displays itself raised at an angle, or standing tall. Attach it horizontally and watch all the CDs stop in exactly the same positions as they were loaded in. Or you might opt for the floor stand as a bold musical statement. Hang BeoSound 9000 vertically on the wall and see how the display automatically changes orientation if you reverse the control panel.
Internet Music
Combine BeoSound 9000 with the latest Beolink® PC2 software application and you can access the digital music files on your computer’s hard disc directly from your music system in the living room. And if BeoSound 9000 is part of a Beolink® setup, you can enjoy your virtual music collection in any room in the house.
Auto positioning: stopping in the same place every time
Six CDs presented neatly in a row, with all the titles legible. After playback, BeoSound 9000 simply stops its CDs in exactly the position in which they were first loaded.
Auto-positioning was one of the challenges that Bang & Olufsen’s engineers had to meet because of BeoSound 9000’s clear versatility in placement. Using the inaudible initial lead information present on most compact discs, the BeoSound 9000 is able to detect and memorise a desired position for the CD.
When it’s time to stop the CD, a servo system decreases the speed of rotation, the position mark is detected and this effects the final braking and halt. A servo calculates the braking length for the CD, processes and stores the information. So the next time the CD will stop even faster, because BeoSound 9000 now knows where and when to apply the brakes. 360 perforations ensure that your CD will stop within just 1° of the position in which you put it on!
BeoSound 9000’s CD reader is propelled back and forth by a powerful motor. An optical system allows a microprocessor to monitor the reader’s movement between the six CD stations. The total distance of 63 cm is divided into 1,040 separate positions so that the reader can be positioned to an accuracy of just 0.6mm. Given that the reader accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in just over five seconds, it’s vital that the electronic and mechanical components are in perfect harmony. BeoSound 9000 is one of Bang & Olufsen’s most compact products, housing no fewer than 2,910 different components.
Mounting Options
Bang & Olufsen boasted 6 mounting positions for BeoSound 9000 from the range of stands and brackets launched with this super flexible icon. The table stand and floor stand were complimented with a pair of wall brackets giving the choice of horizontal or vertical mounting
If you want superior sound, but not the size, and a full array of functions but without the complication – then take a look at the BeoSound Century. Designed by David Lewis, it has a very slim depth and brings together CD, tape and FM radio into a slim-line form that can stand by itself or hang from a wall. Everything is operated by buttons that light up to guide you quickly through the various playing options.
BeoSound Century is a clever combination of excellent performance and ease-of-use. This system is known in fact by two different names – BeoSound Century in Europe and BeoSound 2000 in North America. With everything built in, this is the perfect stereo for those who with a limited space as it’s only 11cm deep. It’s for those who don’t want Beolink® capabilities and can be equipped with a handle with a built-in active antenna making it very portable. The speakers use the active construction as that of all BeoLab speakers. In the late nineties the Century was released in a special limited series with polished aluminium instead of the black plastic on the CD holder. This became so popular that it became the standard! There are two different stands available: a wall stand and a special table stand. The unit may also be controlled by the optional Beo4 remote control.
Deep bass
BeoSound Century integrates a powerful sound reproduction system: two active loudspeakers with electronic crossover network and Adaptive Bass Linearisation, for the optimum relationship between bass reproduction and sound pressure level. The very small two-way bass reflex loudspeakers comprise a net volume of only 1,1 litres, but the large front grille gives room for fairly large woofer membrane diameters.
Bass and treble have separate power amplifiers, which means that they can be tailored to compensate for one another’s shortcomings and deliver a sound spectrum as close to reality as possible. On top of that, BeoSound Century can play at high volume, but cuts out before it has an opportunity to burn out its units.
The fine art of control of BeoSound Century
The backlit push buttons of the BeoSound Century are cast in opalescent plastic, painted black on the inside and the text is then burnt away with a laser. The light of a diode behind each button is muted for even distribution, and the button is hinged in four places. A sturdy and relatively inexpensive construction, but it takes just a bit more work!
Operation of BeoSound Century
How do you make operation easy when there are 26 buttons to push? On BeoSound Century, only the buttons you need for the specific function will light up and guide you step by step through operations.
BeoSound Century was awarded the Danish Design Centre’s IP Prize in 1994.
Mounting Options
Supplied with a table mount foot for mounting on top of a cabinet. The optional wall mount bracket allowed for wall mounting.
If you want superior sound, but not the size, and a full array of functions but without the complication – then take a look at the BeoSound Century. Designed by David Lewis, it has a very slim depth and brings together CD, tape and FM radio into a slim-line form that can stand by itself or hang from a wall. Everything is operated by buttons that light up to guide you quickly through the various playing options.
BeoSound Century is a clever combination of excellent performance and ease-of-use. This system is known in fact by two different names – BeoSound Century in Europe and BeoSound 2000 in North America. With everything built in, this is the perfect stereo for those who with a limited space as it’s only 11cm deep. It’s for those who don’t want Beolink® capabilities and can be equipped with a handle with a built-in active antenna making it very portable. The speakers use the active construction as that of all BeoLab speakers. In the late nineties the Century was released in a special limited series with polished aluminium instead of the black plastic on the CD holder. This became so popular that it became the standard! There are two different stands available: a wall stand and a special table stand. The unit may also be controlled by the optional Beo4 remote control.
Deep bass
BeoSound Century integrates a powerful sound reproduction system: two active loudspeakers with electronic crossover network and Adaptive Bass Linearisation, for the optimum relationship between bass reproduction and sound pressure level. The very small two-way bass reflex loudspeakers comprise a net volume of only 1,1 litres, but the large front grille gives room for fairly large woofer membrane diameters.
Bass and treble have separate power amplifiers, which means that they can be tailored to compensate for one another’s shortcomings and deliver a sound spectrum as close to reality as possible. On top of that, BeoSound Century can play at high volume, but cuts out before it has an opportunity to burn out its units.
The fine art of control of BeoSound Century
The backlit push buttons of the BeoSound Century are cast in opalescent plastic, painted black on the inside and the text is then burnt away with a laser. The light of a diode behind each button is muted for even distribution, and the button is hinged in four places. A sturdy and relatively inexpensive construction, but it takes just a bit more work!
Operation of BeoSound Century
How do you make operation easy when there are 26 buttons to push? On BeoSound Century, only the buttons you need for the specific function will light up and guide you step by step through operations.
BeoSound Century was awarded the Danish Design Centre’s IP Prize in 1994.
Mounting Options
Supplied with a table mount foot for mounting on top of a cabinet. The optional wall mount bracket allowed for wall mounting.
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.
Our goal with Beovision Eclipse was crystal clear: merge images so lifelike they almost seem unreal with sounds so powerful they literally break out of the picture. No easy task, but the result is quite simple: we designed the definitive TV.
All-in-one music system
Beovision Eclipse has a three-channel sound system, providing the ability to deliver speech-optimised centre channel audio as well as powerful stereo performance.
Clear-cut visions
A sharp, black glass screen cutting straight through an organic aluminium body. It’s a bold and clear design statement of picture and sound in perfect alignment.
See what the world’s best TV sound will do for your movies
Powerful enough to compete with many stand-alone music systems, a Beovision TV is the centre of any luxury home cinema experience. Learn how to get the most out of its truly impressive capabilities.
Statement design
Any way you look at it; from the front, the side or from the rear, Beovision Eclipse looks stunning. Every little detail is carefully attended to and our use of high-quality Materials provides the aesthetic freedom to place the TV anywhere you want.
Picture, pitch black
The OLED screen technology brings you a whole new TV experience thanks to more than 8 million self-lit pixels. Enjoy the deepest blacks, richest colours and realistic picture quality. The most important aspect of your viewing experience.
Sound, pitch perfect
The integrated speaker system holds a powerful 450 watts 3-channel setup with the ability to outperform even the most potent soundbar on the market. Expect an exceptional sound performance that brings your viewing experience to a new and exciting level.
Connectivity
For your listening pleasure, Beovision Eclipse supports music streaming via Apple AirPlay , Bluetooth and Google Cast. It integrates seamlessly with other Multiroom products letting you customise and expand your entire home music experience.
Controls
Your TV experience has never been as easy or as personal as this. Escape the constraints of flow TV and dive straight into your favourite content with a single click. The world’s premier Smart TV platform, webOS, just keeps getting smarter.
Our goal with Beovision Eclipse was crystal clear: merge images so lifelike they almost seem unreal with sounds so powerful they literally break out of the picture. No easy task, but the result is quite simple: we designed the definitive TV.
All-in-one music system
Beovision Eclipse has a three-channel sound system, providing the ability to deliver speech-optimised centre channel audio as well as powerful stereo performance.
Clear-cut visions
A sharp, black glass screen cutting straight through an organic aluminium body. It’s a bold and clear design statement of picture and sound in perfect alignment.
See what the world’s best TV sound will do for your movies
Powerful enough to compete with many stand-alone music systems, a Beovision TV is the centre of any luxury home cinema experience. Learn how to get the most out of its truly impressive capabilities.
Statement design
Any way you look at it; from the front, the side or from the rear, Beovision Eclipse looks stunning. Every little detail is carefully attended to and our use of high-quality Materials provides the aesthetic freedom to place the TV anywhere you want.
Picture, pitch black
The OLED screen technology brings you a whole new TV experience thanks to more than 8 million self-lit pixels. Enjoy the deepest blacks, richest colours and realistic picture quality. The most important aspect of your viewing experience.
Sound, pitch perfect
The integrated speaker system holds a powerful 450 watts 3-channel setup with the ability to outperform even the most potent soundbar on the market. Expect an exceptional sound performance that brings your viewing experience to a new and exciting level.
Connectivity
For your listening pleasure, Beovision Eclipse supports music streaming via Apple AirPlay , Bluetooth and Google Cast. It integrates seamlessly with other Multiroom products letting you customise and expand your entire home music experience.
Controls
Your TV experience has never been as easy or as personal as this. Escape the constraints of flow TV and dive straight into your favourite content with a single click. The world’s premier Smart TV platform, webOS, just keeps getting smarter.
