In spite of its modest size, Beovox 1702 was highly efficient and had good sound quality. Frequency range was 50-20.000 Hz and it handled an output of up to 20 watts RMS or 40 watts total music power.
The bass unit had a diameter of 15cm and the treble was a tweeter with a 2,5cm diameter. Beovox 1702 met the DIN 45500 high-fidelity norms.
The speakers could be used as part of Beosystem 1001 (comprising BeoGram 1001 and BeoCord 1001 – see links at bottom of page), for example.
In spite of its modest size, Beovox 1702 was highly efficient and had good sound quality. Frequency range was 50-20.000 Hz and it handled an output of up to 20 watts RMS or 40 watts total music power.
The bass unit had a diameter of 15cm and the treble was a tweeter with a 2,5cm diameter. Beovox 1702 met the DIN 45500 high-fidelity norms.
The speakers could be used as part of Beosystem 1001 (comprising BeoGram 1001 and BeoCord 1001 – see links at bottom of page), for example.
This was the development of the Beolit 400 and like that model was FM only. However it usefully included a mains transformer so the BeoPower transformer was no longer required.
Beolit 700 Type 1505 was equipped with FM, LW and MW. The radio was compact and light and offered extremely high quality sound. There were sockets for one external speaker and for a record player or tape player/recorder. The portable radio was produced for the European marked and used 220-240V, 50Hz 0,7-5W, or a set of five size-D, 1,5V batteries.
The Beolit was one of the very few portable radios that were suitable for reproducing more than just news broadcasts. Sound quality was so good that music programmes could be reproduced with a quality that made them worth listening to. The Beolit was fitted with a mains transformer and a detachable lead. Operation was simple and problem-free. And since portable radios can end up in unenviable situations, the Beolit was constructed to withstand some rough treatment. A robust chassis protects the internal circuitry and a special surface treatment protects the radio from scratches. Dirty marks were easily removed with a damp cloth.
A new range of transportable radios – the Beolit – was launched in 1970. The sound reproduction was unusually good – so good that many of the Beolits are still in use. In principle, the units were battery-powered, but the 600 version could also be connected to the mains. An amusing detail was the indication, of the selected station. This was shown by a small metal ball which moved behind a glass cover in parallel with a magnet on the exterior control slide and was thus encased and protected. Despite its sophisticated exterior, the Beolit was extremely robust.
Beolit 400 was a basic FM-only portable radio, in much the same way as its replacement, Beolit 505. The case was partly aluminium, partly coloured plastic, which formed the front and rear panels. Bright colours such as red, yellow, green and purple were offered, along with black. As the panels were only clipped on and did not form part of the chassis, they could be replaced with different coloured ones at a later date.
The design allowed the set to be used vertically or horizontally, supported by its handle. Even though there was only one loudspeaker, there were grilles on both sides of the radio, so that sound was distributed evenly from both directions. The sliding dial on the top of the radio was similar to that offered on Beomaster 901. A transparent plastic pointer, like that of a slide rule, was slid across the top in order to adjust the tuning, little wheels fitted to the side could be used for accurate setting. Little markers could be set, whose projecting tops slightly blocked the pointer on its way past, providing a reference to frequently-used stations.
A powerful AFC system, which could be turned off during tuning, was also included. The amplifier could provide 3 watts of output, unusually high for such a small set. Sockets for an external 7.5V power supply (via Beopower 600) and a tape recorder were fitted.
The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 400 transistor radio, designed by Jacob Jensen was presented with the IF Award in 1971 and the ID AWARD the year before. 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. Beolit 400 was were one of those seven products.
With BeoLab 2000 the customer is able to extend choices with a range of dedicated Beolink® products. These offer the maximum convenience when it comes to moving and controlling sound and vision around the home.
BeoLab 2000 is the second speaker from Bang & Olufsen specially made for the Beolink® system, MasterLink, the first being BeoLab 3500. This product was designed by Anders Hermansen. All its required electronics are housed within the speaker and the only thing needed is a cable to be plugged in. As with all MasterLink products, BeoLab 2000 is totally auto-configurating.
On the front of the speaker there are buttons to select which source to listen: CD, tape and so on, as well as track selection and on/off. There is also a volume control of course. The speaker can also be operated via a remote control – for example the Beolink 1000 or Beo4. The sound is really impressive considering the very small net volume. This speaker is best used in smaller rooms such as kitchens and bedrooms.
In the kitchen, a BeoLab 2000 connected to the BeoSound Ouverture or BeoSound 3000 in the living room will give you hands-on control of various sources. Via the link to the Beovision Avant, you can follow the news on TV and only watch if something catches your interest. In the kitchen, the bathroom or the garage this little active loudspeaker gives you the option of remote or hands-on control of tape, CD, radio, timer and volume.
“When it comes to sound reproduction we believe there’s only one relevant parameter: How close can we come to the originally recorded sound. We feel an obligation not to disturb the intentions of the artist by adding unnatural elements to the acoustic image. Therefore all Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers share the same goal. They differ in size and shape and in terms of sound pressure level. But they are all developed to reproduce the natural, unaltered sound as closely as possible ” – Bang & Olufsen catalogue 2001 – 2002
BeoLab 2000 is a flexible Beolink loudspeaker which is easy to accommodate and gives you the option of hands-on or remote control. On the front panel you choose between CD, tape or radio, turn on & off, up & down. A bracket for wall or corner mounting is included
Why build amplifiers into the loudspeakers instead of keeping them separate?
Because you can reduce the size of the cabinet volume to one-third of the size of a conventional loudspeaker with the same sound capacity. The principle is called Active Loudspeakers, and what you get is a compact loudspeaker that can play at high volume without distortion or damage to its drive units. Furthermore, when amplifier, treble and bass units are paired for the same task, they can be tailored to compensate for each other’s shortcomings. What you hear is music that sounds exactly like the instrument it originally came from.
The fine art of control of BeoLab 2000
A control knob on the front of the BeoLab 2000 allows hands-on operation, when or if a Beo4 remote control is not at hand. A perforated disc inside the knob breaks a beam of light in front of a sensor that counts the number of perforations and adjusts the sound level accordingly. No wear and tear and no distortion from worn out resistors.
” This title and the picture of Beosystem 1700 might suggest a paradox to many readers. And in a way you are right. But there is a reason why Bang & Olufsen has separated this otherwise perfectly integrated high-fidelity system. The combination possibilities in Beosystem 1700 are so numerous that for many people the entire system is unnecessary. The essential part of the system is BeoLab 1700: a 2 x 20 watts RMS amplifier with ambiophonic stereo facilities.
BeoLab 1700 type 2605 was an amplifier designed to be used with Beomaster 1700 tuner.
The tuner, Beomaster 1700, the cassette-recorder, Beocord 1700 and the record player, Beogram 2000 (not shown) cover nearly all existing programme sources for the reproduction of music. Beovox 2702 loudspeakers complete the system. Beovox 1702 are recommended as side speakers for ambiophony, if this extra sound experience is desired. Now it is up to you to put your ideal Beosystem 1700 together. ”
The unit was a high-fidelity stereo amplifier whose technical specifications exceeded the DIN 45500 high fidelity norms by a wide margin. Frequency range was 20-30.000 Hz and power bandwidth was 10-50.000 Hz. Harmonic distortion was less than 0.1% at the normally used output (50 mW) and less than 0,5% at maximum power output (2 x 20 watts RMS). Music output was 80 watts total. With four loudspeakers – two front and two at the sides, ambiophony (an extension of stereo reproduction) could be achieved.
Apart from loudspeaker connections, there were sockets for tuner, tape recorder, record player and headphones. BeoLab 1700 had slider controls for volume, bass, treble and balance. A push button for LOUDNESS facilitated switching between an objective and a subjective linear reproduction. Monitoring (AB switching) could be carried out on BeoLab 1700 if the connected tape recorder had separate record and play-back heads.
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.
The amplifier section of Beocenter 1400 offered qualities which were unusual for a combination product in this price-range. Frequency range was 20-30.000 Hz, with harmonic distortion of less than 0.5 % at maximum output. Power output was 2 x 20 watts RMS or 80 watts total music. The technical data of the FM section, like those of the amplifier fulfilled the DIN 45500 high-fidelity norms by a wide margin. A wide frequency range was obtained both on mono and stereo reception. The balanced light indicator was a simple but effective aid to accurate tuning. The automatic frequency control (AFC) facility allowed precision tuning.
Beocenter 1400 – “Each unto his own taste” – especially with music.
Receiving distant stations was no problem on Beocenter 1400 owing to the receiver’s high sensitivity (better than 1.8 uV IEC). The compact cassette section had its own operating facilities: ON/OFF switch and piano key push buttons for recording and play-back functions. You could switch between chromium dioxide and normal tapes. Recording level was controlled by a handy slider on a numerical scale and light indicators: Red or green light showed overloading or satisfactory recording level. Tape-heads were of super permalloy, an extremely durable material which ensures a long useful lifetime. Wow and flutter was less than ±0.28% (JIS norm).
Signal-to-noise ratio was better than 50 dB with chromium dioxide tapes. Bang & Olufsen placed emphasis on good station separation in the AM section (long and medium waves) without sacrificing sound quality. A slider control aided radio tuning. Beocenter 1400 had sockets for a record player, headphones and loudspeakers. An extra tape or cassette-recorder could also be connected. Beocenter 1400 utilised the (then) latest electronic components: Darlington transistors, field effect transistors, integrated circuits and ceramic filters.
When combined with Beovox 1702 loudspeakers and/or Beogram 1203, the system was known as Beosystem 1400.
