This was a rare and interesting model. It boasted a new arm and motor compared to the Beogram 1000 but retained quite a lot of the design and the uninspired rubber mat.
It also had a most unusual dust cover with a metal surround with only the top panel being transparent. This design was to be seen also in the prototype Beogram 6000 but not in any production model.
A combination system with the quality and specifications of “separates”
Beocenter 3500 was built upon the Beomaster 3000 and combined a top quality FM tuner, an automatic record-player and a powerful stereo amplifier. The tuner had six pre-set stations for instant selection, plus a large manual tuning scale. There was an illuminated tuning indicator and a signal-strength meter to assist easy, accurate tuning. The powerful amplifier produced 2 x 40 watts RMS of high-fidelity output and was equipped with switchable filters.
There was a comprehensive range of connection facilities including sockets for two pairs of loudspeakers, headphones and a tape recorder with monitoring. The record-layer was fully automatic with one master-control for operating all functions. You only have to select the control position applicable to the size of the record, and touch a button. Beocenter 3500 was an ideal, simple way of enjoying high quality sound from records and radio. It was fitted with a robust hinged dust cover which protects records during play.
In the high-fidelity amplifier section, 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 I-II 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 poor records. The EH filter reduced hiss. There were sockets and push buttons for two pairs of loudspeakers. The headphone socket was on the receiver’s front. The tape connection facilitated AB monitoring. All input signals could be adjusted at the receiver’s base to give equal sound intensity on all programme sources. The FM section had six pre-set FM station selectors.
A light indicator assisted accurate tuning and an illuminated meter 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 a mere 0.4%. Field effect transistors, ceramic filters and integrated circuits were used. The built-in record-player was perfectly matched to the rest of the unit, from a specification point of view. The fitted pickup cartridge, the SP 10A (later SP 12A) had a spherical naked diamond and a stylus pressure of 1.2 grams. Frequency range was 20 – 25000 Hz ± 3 dB and distortion was lower than 1%. Wow and flutter was less than 0.09% and rumble was better than 60 dB.
The record player section was easy to operate: you simply selected the size of the record you intend to play – 7″, 10″ or 12″ – and press a button. The record-player automatically selected the correct speed – 33 or 45 rpm – and lowered the pick-up into the first groove. When the record ended, the pick-up arm returned to its resting place and the turntable switched off. The turntable and pick-up arm had a pendulum suspension which made the record-player section insensitive to vibrations. Deep furrows in the turntable made it easy to pick up records. A stroboscope and a spindle adaptor for centreless records was provided. Beocenter 3500 was fitted with a hinged dust lid which was easily removed by a sliding action.
Beocenter 3500 had an extra Phono input. This was a ‘hang over’ from the Beomasters of the time which allowed two Beograms to be connected to the music centre. However, Phono 2 needed an RIAA pre-amplifier as it required a line level input. This feature became ‘Tape 2’ in later models.
Beocord 1600 Type 4205 was a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Among its special features it had sound on sound, automatic recording level control and mixing controls The PA Amplifier could be operated without the motor running.
Bang & Olufsen’s Beocord 1600 tape recorder was designed by Jacob Jensen and was the second product to receive the iF Award in 1971.
“What Advantages does your Beocord 2400 give you in the Form of Facilities, Performance and Reliability? Pressure diecast chassis for the mechanical section – provides a high degree of mechanical stability, assuring you that your Beocord 2400 is transport-proof. Silicon transistors in the fully transistorized amplifiers – a guarantee of highly stable operation, good signal-to-noise ratio, minimum distortion, and low power consumption.
Separate tape heads for record and playback – permit you to monitor the tape while a recording is in progress. 4-track record and playback – permits maximum playing time for your tapes, both mono and stereo. Two-hand operating of record function – protects you against accidental erasure of tapes.
High degree of channel separation – in mono recordings, too, you will have good separation between the two channels. Twin-faders – make it easy for you to adjust for stereo balance on both record and playback.
Besides, the dual amplifier of your Beocord 2400 gives you the following interesting facilities: Sound on sound (part-song) recordings; adding echo to recordings; synchronous recordings such as pilot signals for slide projectors synchronized with sound reproduction; language laboratory: recording a foreign-language text on one track and conversation exercises synchronously on the other track.
Photo-stop feature – permits you to stop tape during programme scanning, if tape breaks, and at end of tape. Line jack – facilitates tape-copying from or to another Beocord; also permits connection to a large hi-fi system such as the BEOLAB 5000.
Your Beocord 2400 will operate as a hi-fi amplifier – the amplifier may be used without the motor running. It has separate inputs for microphone, gramophone, radio or FM/AM tuner and provision for connection of two pairs of stereo speakers. And your Beocord 2400 meets the minimum specifications for the DIN 45 500 Standards”
Beocord 1200 Type 4207 was a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Among its features it had sound-on-sound, automatic recording level control and mixing. The in-built PA amplifier could be operated without the motor running.
Beosystem 1200 – made up of Beomaster 1200, Beocord 1200 and Beogram 1200 was Bang & Olufsen’s B&O’s first designed 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 New York’s Museum of Modern Art for the museum’s permanent collection (not exhibition) in 1972.
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 tape 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.
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.
In 1972 and with Beogram 4000, Bang & Olufsen developed the world’s first electronically controlled tangential gramophone. The innovative and extremely stylish record deck was designed with usual flair by Jacob Jensen.
In this pioneering concept, the pick-up moved in a straight line towards the centre of the record parallel with – or tangentially in relation to – the groove. By doing so, the small angular error which would otherwise occur when the pick-up arm moved in an arch on a conventional gramophone was removed. This was possible because the pick-up arm was electronically controlled by a light spot reflected off the record.
This method also ensured that the gramophone started automatically, selected the desired speed – and that the pick-up actually touched the grooves of the record. The combined cartridge/stylus used on Beogram 4000 was the ultra-lightweight SP15 which was engineered by Subir Pramanik especially for this deck.
Yet another sophisticated mechanical design, the double tone arm, demonstrated the break with the past. By using two arms, it was immediately clear that this was a gramophone which worked in a new and different way.
Beogram 4000 was the first of the many tangentially-tracking record players that followed, finished in wood veneer, aluminium and plastic. Designed by Jacob Jensen, Beogram 4000 and seven other B&O products were selected by the Museum of Modern Art in 1972 for its permanent collection of modern design. Jensen aimed at creating a record player which in its simplicity and panache was both timeless and up-to-date in its technical construction. The record player made use of the most advanced techniques; for instance, the electronic tangential pick-up arm, which by moving in a straight angle from the end of the record player always played the record at the correct angle – that which it was created with in the factory. The delicateness of the pick-up arm was also a part of making the design simple and attractive to look at. The same year, Beogram 4000 won the ID Award.
The design and development process of the Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000 turntable was carried out somewhat different to the normal procedure. Jacob and K G Zeuthen, a civil engineer – who had been one of Denmark’s pioneers in aviation design – developed and constructed a full size working model ready for presentation to B&O. The design incorporated a parallel twin-armed pick-up, one arm for the pick-up and the other arm with an optical device which read the size of the record. Beogram 4000 was put into production without alteration and became a tremendous success. It gained many international design awards and contributed in maintaining B&O’s sharp design profile. In 1972 Beogram 4000 won the iF Design Award and in 1973 it received the Danish ID Award; that same year it was included in the New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Design collection. It also received the English Blue Ribbon award that year for outstanding design who labelled the deck as “the most awarded product within the Radio trade”
With his design work, Jacob Jensen helped shape Bang & Olufsen’s product design with its characteristic use of discrete, clear lines and high functionality. It is a design which has helped manifest B&O’s easily-recognisable product identity. Through the assistance of Jacob Jensen, B&O was awarded the Danish Design Centre’s ID Classic Prize in 1990 for its product design through 25 years.
While the CD player has now replaced the gramophone, Beogram 4000 was regularly updated for many years, bearing different names and Type numbers – for the continued pleasure of music lovers who refused to give up their beloved LP collection.
Beogram 3000 was an automatic high-fidelity stereo record-player with specifications which easily complemented those of Beomaster 3000-2.
It was fitted with an SP 12A pick-up cartridge which had an elliptical naked diamond stylus, with a stylus pressure of 1,2g. Frequency range was 20 – 25000 Hz ±3 dB and distortion was lower than 1%. Wow and flutter was less than ±0.09% and rumble was better than 62dB. Beogram 3000 was easy to operate: you simply selected the size of record you intend to play – 7″, 10″ or 12″ – and press a button. The record-player automatically selected the record speed, 33 or 45 rpm, and lowered the pick-up into the first groove.
When the record ended, the pick-up arm lifted up, returned to its resting position and the turntable switched off. The turntable and pickup arm had a pendulum suspension which made the record-player insensitive to vibrations. The deep furrows in the turntable made it easy to pick up records. A hinged dust lid was fitted; it could be set at any angle up to around 60 degrees or completely removed by a simple sliding action.
Beogram 1500 is the acclaimed Beogram 1000 3-speed stereo record player equipped with a built-in stereo output amplifier delivering 2 x 8 watts of audio output. The Beogram 1500 has no built-in loudspeakers but may be se with external speakers e.g. the Beovox 800 or the Beovox 1000.
The Beogram 1500 has jacks for radio and for tape-recorder – the Beocord 1500 de Luxe would be particularly suitable. If you use the Beogram 1500 in connection with an FM tuner e.g. the Beomaster 5000, you have a small but complete hi-fi system.
The Beogram 1500 has separate adjustment knobs for volume (with built-in balance adjustment), bass and treble. Pushbutton panel for control of on/off, tape recorder, radio, and gramophone. All these functions are conventionally placed on the top of the instrument. Built-in voltage selector for switching between 110, 130, 220 and 240 volts AC. The Beogram 1500 is very elegantly designed and has a transparent dust cover
In the real world, this is a Beogram 1000 with a rather nice 8W per channel amplifier attached. There are two types with the later ones using the same amplifier as the very upmarket Beocord 2400 reel to reel deck. Surprisingly good though the isolation of the deck was no better.
The Beogram 1202, although looking very similar to the earlier Beogram 1200, was an entirely new record deck and was far more sophisticated than the earlier model. It continued with the multi-peg system of record support – possibly the decks greatest weakness – and also lacked the hinged lid of the Beogram 3000 to which it was otherwise practically identical. This is the 1200 type deck to own!
The operating system was simplified from the 1200 though the same arm and motor were used. The suspension was however far better – imagine this deck as a Beogram 3000 with a silly platter and a less useful lid and you will not be far wrong. It is however the best of the ‘peg platter’ decks. Very collectible.
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!!
