A light touch to the front of the Beocord 6500 cassette recorder released the loader which glided out slowly and silently in order to allow you to insert a cassette. You could use whichever type of cassette you prefer; or choose between Dolby B or C Noise Reduction systems… and rejoice in Bang & Olufsen’s patented HX-PRO recording system which ensured optimal sound reproduction, particularly in the difficult, high-frequency range. And, naturally, Beocord 6500 had auto-reverse so that both sides of the tape played as one.
Beocord 6500 could be used as part of the Beosystem 6500 hi-fi system.
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.
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.
Beomaster 5500 was the brains and heart of the system which it made up.
Connected by Datalink to the record player, tape recorder and CD player it allowed the user to remote-control the whole system via the Master Control Panel. The 2 x 60 watt/8 ohm tuner/amplifier gave true hi-fi quality. Bang & Olufsen’s Automatic Power Handling Control system prevented overloading and distortion, regardless of how many speakers were connected. Up to 20 stations on the tuner could be preset and the frequency synthesizer took care of automatic search and fine tuning of stations. The result – superb reception of LW, MW and FM wavebands and impressive ease of use.
Beomaster 5500 was aesthetically balanced to match the rest of the components within Beosystem 5500
These days, these receivers are the cheapest of the Beolink 1000 controlled stackable systems. They do have the huge advantage of having not only DIN connectors but also a full complement of RCA plugs. This actually makes them ideal for present day use as the extra connections allow computer and digital music connections in addition to usual sources.
For rooms where you didn’t need so much power, Beovox Penta was the little brother which suited you down to the ground. It didn’t have the built-in amplifier or the light display, but it was identical to BeoLab in all other respects.
These tall and elegant speakers were developed according to a totally new acoustic principle. They sounded just as magnificent as they looked. Because there were no parallel surfaces in the pentagonal cabinet, the design reduced the internal standing waves and reflection; it was a simple and beautifully effective way of eliminating distortion. The cabinet provided the ideal conditions for the loudspeakers. It was an acoustically ‘dead’ construction, with a moulded inner cabinet surrounded by a stainless steel exterior. Whatever the dimensions of your room, and regardless of the furnishings, BeoLab Penta always sounded wonderful. It also needed very little floor space; head room was all that’s required!
BeoLab Penta was the top-of-the-line speaker from Bang & Olufsen. It was around from the late ‘eighties to the mid-1990s and was upgraded several times. The last version of the active Penta was the Penta 3. In the late 1980’s – when the Penta range was introduced – there was also a passive version, Beovox Penta. But since Bang & Olufsen decided in the 1990s just to concentrate on active speakers, these and some other models, such as the Beovox 4500 and most of the RedLine speakers, were discontinued.
Did you know that the display in Penta I and Penta II was orange and and on Penta III it turned green?
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.
BeoLab Penta had nine individual loudspeaker units that were accurately positioned in a vertical line to produce a sound dispersion which was so precise that reflections from the floor and ceiling were eliminated. Consequently, Penta speakers could be placed almost anywhere in a room, irrespective of its size or furnishings. The operating panel at the base of BeoLab Penta allowed for the fine tuning of the bass reproduction at three levels.
The speaker’s cross section was a pentagon. The benefit of this design was that it cannot house standing waves which normally are a problem in speakers. The choice of using polished stainless steel was made to help the speaker blend into its surroundings by reflecting them. This gave the speaker the same colour as the surroundings which helped to make the speaker more of a subtle fixture,
Sound with as many facets as a diamond
The location of the speakers within the column was carefully planned to control the sound waves so that they weren’t reflected by the floor and ceiling. The resulting sound quality simply beggared description.
BeoLab 150: Controlled overdrive
At the base of BeoLab Penta 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 love partying but had a relatively small music system. Big power needs careful control – so the amplifier was equipped with Dynamic Soft Clipping system. When there was any overloading, the system softly rounded off the sound; distortion becoming a thing of the past.
Speakers that more than measure up
Top quality music systems need the best speakers available – or you’re missing out. BeoLab Penta was the natural partner for Bang & Olufsen’s Beosystem 5000 and Beocenter 9000, with their built in CD players. The laser-pure quality of compact disc makes heavy demands on speakers, and both these systems had extremely fine amplifiers. Using BeoLab Penta with these systems and you’d enjoy some of the best sounds in the world. You’d also appreciate handy features such as the light display at the base of the column, which indicated which music source was being used. Of course this was even more useful if you installed Beolink® to give you music all over the house.
This advanced CD player was straight from tomorrow’s world – but it would still marry up happily with any Bang & Olufsen system created over the previous decade. It was as simple to use as a tape recorder. The track search system was invaluable for finding your way quickly around the disc. A display indicated the number of the track you’re on.
Recording was just as straight forward. And you could time recordings to the second – just press the sensi-touch panel and you could find out how much time was left on a particular track or on the whole disc.
This replacement for the former Beogram CDX used at that time, new 16-bit technology and an all-new optical system. The player itself though, was derived from the Philips CD150 machine; the same as that in the Beocenter 9000. After one year the machine was discontinued and replaced by the Beogram CD 3300 – a similar sensi-touch CD player – as part of Beosystem 3300.
If you wanted to indulge yourself with the finest sound quality then you’d do no better than listening to your favourite pieces of music on Bang & Olufsen’s Beogram CD 6500. Beogram CD 6500 was a replacement for its predecessor, Beogram CD 5500.
It played both 12cm and 8cm compact discs, and housed sophisticated and advanced digital technology. And it offered sound reproduction which would satisfy even the most demanding of listeners.
Beogram CD 6500 could be used as part of the Beosystem 6500 hi-fi system.
The quality of the Beogram CD 5500 CD player took time to fully appreciate. For example, the elegant disc tray with its completely smooth and silent drive. Or the way that the disc drive system was mounted to isolate it from vibrations. Perhaps you were most impressed by the way that a built-in circuit in the player compensated for the tiniest faults on the disc itself (contrary to popular belief they’re not always perfect!). Finding tracks was both fast and easy – it was necessary to just ask the Master Control Panel for the track number you wanted. You could programme tracks to be played in any order, or sample each track briefly. There was a light display which showed you the length of the track you were playing and the remaining time on the disc – invaluable for recording.
Though very similar to look at to Beogram CD 50, this all-new Philips-based machine was a radical departure, both in manufacturing and technical terms. Beogram CD 5500 was the first CD player to be entirely designed by Bang & Olufsen and with the exception of the optical deck, it was entirely made by the company too. The performance and reliability of the Beogram CDX models probably influenced the choice of the Philips radial single beam pickup system and brushless DC spindle motor.
Externally, a slim aluminium plate machined out to the size of a compact disc replaced the Beogram CD 50 door and drawer loading system and it moved quickly and silently, again in marked contrast to its predecessor. The deck was on the right-hand side side of the fascia as opposed to Beogram CD 50 left-hand side arrangement, so that the loading of a cassette into the new Beocord 5500 tape recorder, which you had the option of placing below, was not obstructed. Later versions had a concentric 8cm circular recess machined into the loading plate, to accept CD singles.
With the Beogram CD 5500 there was no infra-red sensor option, and the front panel controls were even more basic, so at very least a Beomaster 5500 and Beolink 1000 terminal were needed to use it properly. On the back panel, there was a 7-pin Datalink socket for Beomaster 5500, and a single phono digital output connection, for which there was never a use within the B&O range.
The performance of this outstanding machine was never bettered, and with the exception of minor styling and software revisions, it remained virtually unchanged until the end of the separates system range with the Beogram CD 7000.
Beogram CD 5500 could be controlled via the two-way Master Control Panel MCP 5500 as part of Beosystem 5500.
The sound reproduction achieved by Bang & Olufsen’s CD 4500 CD player was truly outstanding.
It played both 12cm and 8cm compact discs and had an ingenious ‘step’ function which allowed you to go straight to a chosen track selected from anywhere on the disc. The CD player was one of the most technologically-advanced pieces of hi-fi on the market at the time and yet was one of the easiest to operate. The explicit display always indicated what the CD player was doing all the time – for example, which track was being played, and how many tracks there were on the played compact disc.
Beogram CD 4500 could be used as part of the Beosystem 4500 hi-fi system.
It’s a fact that not all compact disc players are ideal for all types of music. Some of them seem to highlight certain parts of the frequency range. But you can be confident that Bang & Olufsen’s CD players never discriminate between rock and roll and classical. They smooth over faults in the CD very cleverly too, because not all compact discs are perfect. So it’s just as well that Bang & Olufsen CD players are!
Beogram CD 3300 was part of Beosystem 3300 although it could have been used as a stand-alone item.
