Beovision 3000 and 3300 had 50cm screens and were, at the time of the 1979 – 80 catalogue, Bang & Olufsen’s smallest colour TV sets. They were identical technically, except that Beovision 3300 had the ability to be controlled by remote control.
However, it was only the size of the screens and the outer dimensions of the sets that were small, according to the catalogue. Inside, the technology was on a par with B&O’s biggest models, with the same advanced circuits that made the bigger 26″ models renown for their reliability and high quality levels. In order to secure the best sound reproduction, Bang & Olufsen included a large, forward-facing pressure chamber loudspeaker and a 6,5 watts RMS hi-fi amplifier, similar to those in audio setups.
The sets’ cabinets were finished in genuine wood veneers and lived up to the tradition of excellent Danish furniture workmanship.
Matchbox “Models of Yesteryear” Y21 “Models of Yesteryear” Ford ‘Model A’ Delivery Van branded with the Bang & Olufsen livery.
A Bang & Olufsen Dealer corporate gift, and came in a very nice Silver cardboard presentation box – which rarely survives, and if complete and mint is very collectible.
The colours of the writing on the side indicated which country the item was from apparently – and if anyone can shed any light on this, please contact us and let us know!
Beomaster 2400’s pièce de résistance was its remote control Commander which no hi-fi manufacturer had ever dreamed of producing before. In the USA however, remote controlled TVs had already become a reality and in Europe, the first TV commanders, with a plethora of buttons, had turned up in Germany
The 2400 system introduced the first version of system communication which allowed the Beomaster to speak to the Beogram. Either a Beogram 2400 or a Beogram 4004 could be controlled with the Beomaster controller.
This remote was used for the delightful Beocenter 7000, 7002 and 7007. A simple one way remote, it allowed source and volume selection as well as basic control.
The remote for the audiophile Beosystem 8000, this infra red controller used a similar style of button to those found on the Beosystem. It offered basic control of the system from the comfort of your armchair.
The optional remote for the Beomaster 6000, the confusingly named Beomaster terminal would only really work the Beomaster 6000 though it would work some of the functions of the Beomaster 8000. For this remote to work, the Beomaster 6000 required the optional IR module to be fitted.
Around half of Bang & Olufsen’s colour TVs in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s were supplied complete with an advanced remote control handset – the Beovision Video Terminal. It was called a Video Terminal because it did so much more than just switch on the set or change programmes for you.
For normal entertainment viewing you simply touched the required programme number. Volume level, colour strength and picture brilliance could be adjusted up and down as desired – or returned instantly to a pre-determined norm by pressing RESET. You could even mute the sound instantly (perhaps if the phone rang) or check through the programmes showing on all the other channels – all at the touch of a single button.
The same terminal also controlled Teletext viewing on sets fitted wit the optional Teletext circuitry. And for those who chose to include Bang & Olufsen video cassette recorder (like Beocord Video 8800) as part of their domestic entertainment system, the controls for operating all the primary VCR functions were also right there in your hand. The Terminal let you make recordings, play the tape or wind it to any position without having to move from your comfortable armchair.
The Beovision Video Terminal was supplied with, for example, Beovisions 5100, 7100 and 8100. The Terminals for other models in the B&O range included all these keys and functions plus three more. Of course, it was still possible to operate a Beovision even if the remote Terminal was temporarily mislaid or out of action. The set’s direct controls were mounted in a hinged compartment behind the loudspeaker grille. The panel pivoted outward at a touch and in addition to the direct function controlled governing picture and sound adjustments and programme scanning, it contained the buttons for pre-tuning the buttons. Your dealer could use these to tune the set as part of the installation service. Thereafter you would probably never need to touch them again.
The top of the range cartridge from B&O, this boasted a single crystal sapphire cantilever and a Contact Line stylus derived from the Pramanik stylus of the MMC6000.
This cartridge was well thought of by many outside the normal B&O user base and was favourably reviewed in many magazines. It achieved something not many B&O products ever managed – it was described as offering value for money!!
Prior to the release of MMC1 – 5 cartridges, Bang & Olufsen had the following MMC range of combined styli and cartridges:
MMC cartridges were available with standard ½” mounting brackets, or with easy plug-in, lightweight connectors. These enabled you to mount MMC cartridges onto non-Bang & Olufsen arms. The cartridges plugged directly into Beogram pickup arms without additional mounting gear
MMC 20 S was a stereo cartridge with a spherical framed diamond
MMC 20 E was fitted with a framed elliptical diamond which has a high polish
MMC 20EN had a naked elliptical diamond, mounted on a tiny tapered cantilever
MMC 20 CL utilised a Contact Line naked diamond mounted on a single crystal sapphire cantilever. This shape ensures maximum groove contact. This was the most highly-specified cartridge in the MMC 20 range
In 1958, Bang & Olufsen introduced the first stereo pickup cartridge ever made in Europe. This was called the SP1. Since then, many design innovations and the creative use of new materials have kept B&O’s cartridges at the forefront of audio technology. By 1979 – 80, Bang & Olufsen’s cartridges were represented by the MMC 20 series. MMC stands for ‘Moving Micro-Cross’; the patented moving-iron principle upon which all B&O cartridges were based. This unique system employed a cross-shaped armature which, among other advantages, guaranteed exceptional stereo separation since each channel moves on a separate axis.
The job of any pickup cartridge is to transform the record’s physical profile (groove modulation) into corresponding electrical signals (which are then amplified or enlarged by the amplifier and turned into audible sound waves by the loudspeaker.
A cartridge must perform three separate and exacting tasks if it is to do this job successfully. It must function mechanically (the movements of the stylus in the groove); it must function magnetically (using the physical movements to create changes in a magnetic field); and it must function electrically (using the changes in magnetic flux to generate an electrical current). At each stage, one type of energy is transferred into another, quite different, type. And the transfer must be perfect, with no energy lost and none added from extraneous sources.
No cartridge will ever reach this ideal unless the Laws of Physics can be repealed. However, by understanding the relationships between the three transfer stages and continually applying refined engineering techniques, B&O’s belief was that each stage of cartridge improvement would bring each successive cartridge closer to the ideal. The MMC20 series therefore represented the closest that modern technology at that time, could possibly afford.
Record wear and the cartridge
If you take music seriously the value of your record collection is likely to be high. Many of your records are likely to be irreplaceable. You will also know that the signals pressed into your vinyl discs are very fragile indeed. The pickup cartridge can be the disc’s worse enemy since an ill-suited cartridge can mark a record for life in a single play.
While B&O is aware that cartridge specifications are inter-related, their research shows consistently that Effective Tip Mass (ETM) is one of the major factors affecting record wear. ETM is the equivalent of the amount of inertia the groove ‘sees’ in moving or accelerating the stylus tip. Consequently, the higher the ETM value, the higher the force required for a given constant acceleration. Obviously, more force results in more wear.
Three elements contribute to ETM. The stylus tip (diamond) contributes with its entire weight and mass. The armature contributes between 5 – 20% of its weight and mass; the cantilever around 30%. B&O has been able to reduce ETM substantially by refining these elements and building them into an integrated unit. The result is a system which not only reduces damage to the groove walls dramatically, but also provides exceptional performance at all frequencies.
Bang & Olufsen cartridges have always been highly acclaimed for their low ETM values. The ETM of the MMC 20CL is a mere 0,3mg and in the standard MMC 20 range,, only 0,5mg.
MMC cartridges were manufactured by Bang & Olufsen as totally integrated units. This means that the elements were matched, balanced and sealed at the factory. Using a computer-supported testing programme,, each sealed unit was meticulously tested and it’s performance information automatically registered and packed with each cartridge. The information given included output voltage, relative voltage output (channel balance), channel separation and frequency response. Individually-calibrated frequency response curves were also supplied with the higher-specified MMC 20CL cartridges
