Release Date: 1987

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BeoCord 5000 (1984)

Bang & Olufsen BeoCord 5000 1984

A top-quality cassette recorder, perfectly matched to Beomaster 5000 as part of Beosystem 5000. When the two units were used together the cassette deck could be operated entirely by remote control.

Beocord 5000 was of very advanced design in both its technical features and in its control/operations systems. For the home recording enthusiast it offered superb standards of sound quality and precision engineering. Bang & Olufsen’s patented HX PRO recording system, Dolby B and Dolby C Noise Reduction and a 6-layer Canon combination head with a 1.8mm gap all contributed to a recording and playback performance that delighted even the most exacting technician.

For the novice or the non-technical music lover, Beocord 5000 represented a supremely straightforward way of making high-quality recordings and subsequently enjoying them in relaxing comfort.

Every possible convenience was built into the Beocord’s control system. There was a START/GO function that rewound the tape to its beginning and played it without further instruction. And an automatic ADVANCE function (tape search) that found the start of any required track from either end of the tape.

Selection between ferric, chrome and metal tapes was fully automatic, and setting the correct recording level was quick and easy using the input sliders and LED signal strength meters. You could switch instantly from one tape transport mode to another (e.g. from play to fast rewind) without any danger of tangling the tape or harming the mechanism.

The cassette tray and direct operation controls were housed in a motor-driven drawer which opened and closed at a touch. When used with Beomaster 5000, Beocord 5000 could, of course, be programmed to record or play automatically at any set time.

Connections: stereo microphone (DIN); Aux input DIN; data-link to Beomaster 5000 (one socket, 3-way switchable)

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BeoVox RL 140

Bang & Olufsen Beovox RL 140

The idea behind Beovox Red Line speakers was one of flexibility.

A Red Line speaker was so flexible that it could be placed anywhere. On the ceiling, the wall, or on the floor. You could hang them semi-permanently on the wall, and if you had a party you could place them on the floor and thereby add extra emphasis to the bass. The different ways of placing them accentuated different frequencies.

You could also tilt them if you chose to hang them on the wall. This allowed you to adjust the sound image and direct the sound right at your listening position. However, Red Line was more than merely flexible. It was an impressive bass reflex speaker with a revolutionary new cabinet that ‘curved’ round the sound thereby eliminating irritating resonance because there were no parallel surfaces.

Music that never stands still
Red Line loudspeakers followed your music tastes right up the wall if you wanted! All models except the RL35 could be hung on the wall or be suspended from the ceiling; and, if your dancing feet wanted to make the most of the bass notes, then Red Line could be positioned on the floor, supported by the built-in floor stand. By using Red Line speakers, you weren’t plagued by cables that wrapped themselves around your feet like spaghetti either; Red Line’s flexible spiral cables provided the decorative and practical answer.

The shell was cast in a hard synthetic material and the shape that was devised for the range was characterised by the fact that it allowed for practically no resonance whatsoever.

Great and small
You could choose Red Line in four sizes. They started with the baby 35 watt RL35 – perfect for a Beolink round-the-house system where you needed speakers all over the place. Then there was the 45.2, the 60.2 and the immensely powerful 140’s – big and beautiful with it. All the Red Line collection came in metallic grey with a distinctive red line around the edge. A matching cord was available to accentuate the red line after which the speakers were named.

In 1991 the former Redline series – RL35, 45, 45.2, 60, 60.2, 100 and 140 were superseded by the Mark 2 range of loudspeakers: RL1000, 2000, 6000 and 7000.

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BeoVox RL 60

Bang & Olufsen Beovox RL 60

The idea behind Beovox Red Line speakers was one of flexibility. A Red Line speaker was so flexible that it could be placed anywhere. On the ceiling, the wall, or on the floor.

You could hang them semi-permanently on the wall, and if you had a party you could place them on the floor and thereby add extra emphasis to the bass. The different ways of placing them accentuated different frequencies. You could also tilt them if you chose to hang them on the wall. This allowed you to adjust the sound image and direct the sound right at your listening position. However, Red Line was more than merely flexible. It was an impressive bass reflex speaker with a revolutionary new cabinet that ‘curved’ round the sound thereby eliminating irritating resonance because there were no parallel surfaces.

Music that never stands still
Red Line loudspeakers followed your music tastes right up the wall if you wanted! All models except the RL35 could be hung on the wall or be suspended from the ceiling; and, if your dancing feet wanted to make the most of the bass notes, then Red Line could be positioned on the floor, supported by the built-in floor stand. By using Red Line speakers, you weren’t plagued by cables that wrapped themselves around your feet like spaghetti either; Red Line’s flexible spiral cables provided the decorative and practical answer.

The shell was cast in a hard synthetic material and the shape that was devised for the range was characterised by the fact that it allowed for practically no resonance whatsoever.

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BeoVox RL 45

Bang & Olufsen Beovox RL 45

The idea behind Beovox Red Line speakers was one of flexibility. A Red Line speaker was so flexible that it could be placed anywhere. On the ceiling, the wall, or on the floor.

You could hang them semi-permanently on the wall, and if you had a party you could place them on the floor and thereby add extra emphasis to the bass. The different ways of placing them accentuated different frequencies. You could also tilt them if you chose to hang them on the wall. This allowed you to adjust the sound image and direct the sound right at your listening position. However, Red Line was more than merely flexible. It was an impressive bass reflex speaker with a revolutionary new cabinet that ‘curved’ round the sound thereby eliminating irritating resonance because there were no parallel surfaces.

Music that never stands still
Red Line loudspeakers followed your music tastes right up the wall if you wanted! All models except the RL35 could be hung on the wall or be suspended from the ceiling; and, if your dancing feet wanted to make the most of the bass notes, then Red Line could be positioned on the floor, supported by the built-in floor stand. By using Red Line speakers, you weren’t plagued by cables that wrapped themselves around your feet like spaghetti either; Red Line’s flexible spiral cables provided the decorative and practical answer.

The shell was cast in a hard synthetic material and the shape that was devised for the range was characterised by the fact that it allowed for practically no resonance whatsoever.

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BeoCenter 7007

Bang & Olufsen BeoCenter 7007

Beocenter 7007 (also known as Beosystem 7007)

Top quality sound and maximum listening comfort were the main features of this integrated hi-fi system. Records, radio, cassette tapes and a 2 x 40 watts RMS stereo amplifier could all be controlled from anywhere in the room using the slim remote handset. Without moving more than a finger you could select any sound source, adjust volume level, fast wind the tape and even make recordings. This supreme ease of operation was made possible by microcomputer technology. In addition, there were two user-programmable microcomputers which allowed you to make unattended recordings at any time within a 24-hour period, or to play any sound source automatically at a pre-selected time – day after day, if you wished.

A further advantage was easy access to cassette recordings: just key in the appropriate counter reading (address) and the cassette would fast wind to the required passage of music. Ferric, chrome or metal tapes could all be used and Dolby B Noise Reduction was included to ensure clean, hiss-free recordings.

The automatic record deck had an ultra-lightweight arm carrying the MMC 4 pickup cartridge. The radio section covered Long, Medium and FM bands with facilities for pre-setting 6 favourite stations.

The recommended speakers were the Beovox S55 . Speaker pedestals or the SC70/ SC77 hi-fi cabinet could be added optionally if required.

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BeoCord 2000 (1983)

Bang & Olufsen BeoCord 2000 1983

Designed as a perfect match, both physically and technically, for the Beomaster 2000, this advanced slim-line cassette deck was nonetheless a serious hi-fi product in its own right, combining a high-performance specification with supreme ease of operation.

Despite its unassuming appearance, Beocord 2000 contained a full pay-load of advanced circuitry plus a few extra features rarely found in cassette decks within this price frame. The primary controls – those concerned with tape movement – were totally electronic and designed on the Sensitouch principle. There were no knobs to turn or keys to press; a light fingertip touch was sufficient to activate any function.

Ferric, chrome or metal tapes could be used, and Dolby B noise reduction was included to ensure clean, hiss-free recordings. A clearly calibrated scale and input slider, together with large Peak Programme Meter, made it quick and easy to set accurate recording levels. These controls were placed adjacent to the cassette tray beneath a hinged lid which sprang open at a touch.

Beocord 2000’s built-in microcomputer made operation fast and foolproof. It was possible to switch directly between any and all tape transport modes without harming the tape, the mechanism or the motor. Microcomputer intelligence also opened the way for additional control functions that contributed in a very practical way to daily enjoyment of taped music.

A NEXT control allowed for easy track location (tape scan): one touch fast winds the tape to the next signal gap and plays the following track – automatically. So if you wanted to hear, for example, track number 5, just touch-and-wait four times and the place would be found for you. Similarly, you could repeat play-back of a favourite track up to five times with just a single touch. It’s such a convenient way of listening to exactly what you want, when you want.

Beocord 2000 had a socket for data-link connection to Beomaster 2000 so that direct switching was possible between Beomaster, Beogram and Beocord in the Beosystem 2000. The deck could also be data-linked to Beomaster 5000 or Beomaster 6000, when all tape functions could be operated via the receiver’s remote control system. Beocord 2000 could be made up as part of the Beosystem 2000, when linked together with other compatible Bang & Olufsen products. It was also part of Beosystem 3000 if that is how you wished to use it.

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BeoCenter 2100

Bang & Olufsen BeoCenter 2100

Beocenter 2100 – three variations and a one-finger exercise

Beocenters 2200, 2100 and 4000 – each with a totally distinctive style but sharing the unmistakeable themes of Bang & Olufsen quality and simplicity.

If you loved true hi-fi but you weren’t a record fan, then Bang & Olufsen ‘had your radio perfectly taped’! Beocenter 2100 had all the features of Beocenter 2200 but without the record deck so that it took up even more of a conveniently small space.

Beovox X25 loudspeakers were the offered choice but you could equally mix and match the Beocenter with any other Bang & Olufsen speaker on the market at that time. When linked with Beovox X25 loudspeakers, the combined system was known as Beosystem 2100. A recommended record deck to complement your system would be either the Beogram RX2 or TX2.

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Master Control Panel 5000

Bang & Olufsen Master Control Panel 5000

The main remote control for the Beosystem 5000, the MCP 5000 allowed full control of your Beosystem from your armchair.

Two way control allowed the status of the system to be ascertained easily and complex timer programming was possible using the controls under the flip down panel.

The MCP 5000 could only be used with the Beomaster 5000 and could be part of a multi-room system allowing full control in a link room. MCP5000 will not operate any of the other systems such as the Beosystem 5500, 6500 and 7000.

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BeoCord 5500

Bang & Olufsen BeoCord 5500

As part of Beosystem 5500, this advanced tape recorder was as close to professional standard as could be made at the time, bristling with features you just loved to use!

There was Auto Reverse, letting you play or record both sides of a cassette as one continuous tape. And automatic adjustment of sound levels avoided annoying volume changes from one recording to the next. Then there was Bang & Olufsen’s famous HX-Pro recording system which gave vastly superior sound quality on the higher frequencies, creating a richer, more detailed sound image.

Beocord 5500 automatically adjusted itself to match standard, chrome or metal tapes. You had the option of Dolby B or C during recording. During playback, the recorder automatically switched itself to the noise reduction system you recorded with. Automatic track search was also included – just key in the track number and the recorder did the rest.

The cassette recorder could be controlled via the two-way Master Control Panel 5500 as part of the Beosystem 5500.

Auto Record level

One of the less-pleasant chores in making a recording is setting level control to its optimum position. Setting it too low raises the level of background noise on the recording. Setting it too high makes the recording distorted at high music levels. With this in mind, Bang and Olufsen introduced an automatic record mode which was called ‘Auto Record’.

Auto Record worked in two steps: when the record button was pressed for the first time, the cassette recorder went into a record pause mode, where the incoming signal was monitored. Under microprocessor control, the highest level was monitored and the record level was set at the optimum level for that music. On pressing the record button the second time, the tape was set in motion and the recording started, but continuing to make minor adjustments. If at any time during the recording, the level of music rose above the monitored level, the level control was lowered by exactly the amount required for the new optimum recording level.

This method of setting the level control closely imitated the action of a highly skilled recording engineer, if asked to set the level for a recording. It was the best that could be done when the full recording could not be monitored before recording started.

This feature incorporated a new method of monitoring the signal, which proved to be a more effective method over conventional methods. It was patented by the company with the patent number 158702.

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BeoLab 200

Bang & Olufsen Beolab 150

On the amplifier itself were buttons for adjusting bass and the level of sensitivity. This meant that you could arrive at a permanent adjustment that matched the room exactly.

BeoLab 150: Controlled overdrive

At the base of the BeoLab Penta column was the BeoLab 150 amplifier with a power output of 175 watts DIN/IEC. This could give your music a tremendous boost, both to the quality and the actual power output. It was ideal if you loved to party but had a relatively small music system. Big power needs careful control – so the amplifier was equipped with Bang & Olufsen’s Dynamic Soft Clipping system. This was a circuit that prevented both distortion and damage to the speaker units by softly rounding off signals that were too powerful. Another circuit prevented damage due to prolonged overloading.

BeoLab Penta turned on automatically when it received a signal and also turned itself off three minutes after receiving the last signal. BeoLab Penta had a light display that indicated the volume level and which sound source the music was coming from. This was especially useful with Beosystem 5500 and Beocenter 9500.

BeoLab 150 and 200 were used as part of the BeoLab Penta active loudspeakers range.

Connections:

At the bottom of BeoLab 150 were two clip-sockets and a four pole DIN socket for connecting speakers, a line input phono socket and a mains cable.