Beocord V6000 was a hi-fi stereo video cassette recorder designed to work with Beovision models ME6000 and MS6000.
Together they formed an integrated unit in which TV and video cassette recorder automatically share all commands and can be operated by the same remote control. This combination was designed to be used as a standalone TV/VCR combination. The VCR had all playback facilities as any standard VCR. It also had VPS/PDC and NTSC playback. The video recorder was controlled via a Beolink 1000 handset through the Beovision television.
Bang & Olufsen’s new generation of TV and video systems at the time that the V6000 was released, made it simpler an more comfortable to watch TV. All data stored in the TV: time and programme channels, were automatically stored in the VCR as well. The same applied when you connected your TV and video recorder to a Beolink system – the clocks on the various units within the system were automatically synchronised.
Beocord V3000 was designed to match Beovision LS5500 in looks and budget in order to allow video programming directly on-screen. It permitted eight programmes to be recorded up to one year in advance and had a superb quality slow motion and freeze facility. It also had twin speed recording and playback.
With the assistance of the Beolink 1000 remote control terminal you could handle complicated programming of the video recorder in the easiest possible way – direct via a menu on the TV screen. Beocord V3000 also had Bang & Olufsen’s uniquely fast access to taping any programme you were watching at that moment.
Press RECORD twice on the Beolink 1000 terminal and the VCR would automatically find the right channel in its memory and commence recording your TV programme. It was a fast mover too, having two winding speeds in both directions for picture search. Four video heads ensured that you obtained still pictures and slow motion in choice quality. Sound quality was in mono.
Beocenter 2300 was dedicated to the CD enthusiast who, for example, like to store the titles of favourite CDs, or permanently skip unwanted tracks. It was known as Beosystem 2300 when connected to the BeoLab 2500 active speakers. It was eventually surpassed by BeoSound 3000 when it included more features and received a facelift in 2001.
Beocenter 2300 was developed from the idea of a flexible music system that could compete with the sound quality of heavy music systems. Thanks to the advent of active speakers, this was a possibility with both Beocenter 2300 and its similarly-equipped sibling (which also had cassette tape recording and playback) the Beocenter 2500. With active speakers, each of the powerful bass and treble units were equipped with their own separate amplifiers. In addition, the electronic cross-over network ensured full bass reproduction.
The loudspeakers were located on both sides of a centre console, where two clear glass covers automatically glided to the side when a hand was passed in front of them. Behind the glass covers there was access to the operating panel, receiver, CD player and a cassette recorder.
The receiver allowed the option of presetting 2 x 20 FM/AM radio stations. The cassette recorder featured Auto Reverse, Automatic Recording level, search function and Bang & Olufsen’s HX-PRO recording system, a system which ensures that the sensitive treble range is captured in recording. The memory in Beocenter 2300’s CD player allowed you to edit up to 100 CDs.
Both systems could be operated via their operating panel or a Beolink 1000 or Beolink 5000 remote control. There were sockets for headphones and connection to additional sound sources; extra loudspeakers can also be connected.
Beocenter 2300 was available with loudspeaker panels in cobalt grey, black, white, cerise or jade and could be made up to the Beosystem 2300 when incorporated with the BeoLab 2500 active loudspeakers.
Mounting Options
This classic design was reincarnated over a 21 year period with various mounts and stands. Floor stands were available with a pole stand or CD and tape storage, wall mount solutions allowed for the Hi-Fi only, or with BeoLab2500 speakers until these were discontinued
Beocord 7000 was a high-quality cassette recorder used specifically with Beosystem 7000. When playing cassettes, the order of the tracks could also be changed and the recorder could also find a specific track on a tape. Other functions included Auto Reverse, Auto Record levels, Dolby B and C as well as Bang & Olufsen’s recording system HX-Pro, which ensured that the sensitive treble range is captured in recording.
Beocord 7000’s features were supplemented by an abundance of special features. Space available precludes a more full description of elements such as the design of the peak programme meter, locally operated functions such as microphone recording, memo set/go, adjustment of the maximum record level and so on.
Main features:
Auto record level
Auto track search/auto reverse
HX Pro
Auto Dolby B-C
Auto tape switch
All operation available from Beolink 7000, with full display readout of track bar, counter, record level, Dolby NR, auto reverse functions, sequence programming etc.
Recording with Beosystem 7000 was a system feature, with benefits such as automatic signal routing, record lock, etc. Beocord 7000 contributed a lot to the convenience of the system and the unique auto record level was the feature that made remote controlled recording a real possibility – without compromising the quality of the recording. To further ensure a high and consistent sound quality level Beocord 7000 was equipped with HX Pro.
Auto record level
Auto record level is a unique Bang & Olufsen feature and ensures a uniform and optimal recording level from all sources, from tape to tape, without overload. Major benefits of auto record level are:
all tapes recorded with auto record level have the same optimum level, without overload and therefore without distortion
a recording can be started immediately and directly, without any pre-adjustments
you do not have to supervise a recording to adjust record level and the system recording even stops the recording when the source runs out, or stops the source when the tape runs out
if auto record level interferes and adjusts the recording it is done in such a way that it is not noticeable in playback. The dynamic range of the recording will not be impaired and the adjustments are carried out so early that overload is precluded.
The assets of auto record level are obvious when a comparison is made between those carried out on a standard recorder without auto record level and those with.
Recording on a standard recorder requires you to supervise the recording in order to step in if the manually set input level is too high. In this case you would have to adjust the record level down when a signal with a high dynamic content is to be recorded. If this is not carried out the tape will be overloaded and the music distorted. Without auto record level, copying is in real-time, which means that you will have to pay attention all the time you are recording (or risk a distorted recording). And when a very wide dynamic signal threatens to overload the tape being recorded, the record level must be lowered quickly, which will often be audible in subsequent playback, either as a suddenly lowered output volume or as a distorted signal because the record level was lowered too late.
Auto record level is an efficient remedy to this problem, without both disadvantages mentioned above. Primitive solutions reduce the record level when powerful signals are recorded and increase the record level when weak or no signals are recorded. The result can be a fluctuating dynamic range with, for example, pauses between tracks causing the recording level to rise dramatically and the noise level with it.
The Bang & Olufsen solution
The auto record level in Beocord 7000 was monitored by the microcomputer interacting with the peak programme meter indicator on the front of the cassette deck. Auto Record Level only reduces the record level and only if the signals exceed the set value for a certain period. In this way brief noise pulses, such as the ones resulting from scratches on a record, do not lower the record level. When a signal of more than +2 dB above the set value is encountered, the microcomputer lowers the record level with 2 dB. The recording continues at the lowered level unless even louder signals appear and trigger new reductions.
Other advantages of auto record level are:
it is applied to all sources, even if you record sound from a video source
the preset values can be changed, e.g. if you use special tape formulas
auto record level can be overridden while you are recording, or you can make a recording with manual adjustment of the record level
You did not have to pre-adjust Beocord 7000 before you started a recording. Another feature was the auto tape switch, i.e. an automatic adjustment to the three tape types, metal, chrome and ferro, by means of three electronic sensors located in the cassette holder. Auto-reverse was the default mode both in recording and playback, i.e. Beocord 7000 automatically continued the recording (and playback) on side two, when side one ran out. The turning time from side one to two was very short, because an optic sensor registered the lead-in tape and executed the 180 degree turning of the tape head immediately. Auto reverse could be cut out manually to protect side two from being recorded. This had to be done prior to record start.
Track Search
Beocord 7000 featured track search, based on pauses between individual tracks. You could also make a sequence programming, operated just like CD. Track search was available no matter if the track was on side one or two of the tape. Even if you executed a manual TURN function (i.e. change playback direction) the microcomputer registered the turning point and if you selected a track after the turning point the search for this track would be initiated at the turning point. Track numbers could be displayed on Beolink 7000.
Auto Dolby
Another convenience was the Auto Dolby function. All tapes recorded on a Beocord 7000 contained inaudible information as to whether the tape was recorded with Dolby B, Dolby C or no Dolby noise reduction. The registration of noise reduction type was dynamic and in case the circuit registered a change during playback the reduction was automatically changed. If no signal was registered, e.g. on a pre-recorded tape, the noise reduction last selected would remain active, until altered manually (see more below).
HX-Pro
Beocord 7000 was equipped with HX Pro, like all other ‘stackable’ Bang & Olufsen audio tape recorders. HX Pro is an acronym for Headroom Extension Professional and tapes recorded with HX Pro give a better reproduction quality on playback, no matter which tape deck they are played on. Both the dynamics and the the signal capability in the treble range is improved. The improvements are most noticeable in the reproduction of treble signals, but also the midrange will be influenced in a positive way. At 10KHz the signal loading capability is improved by approximately 8dB for chrome tape, 5dB for ferro tape and 3dB for metal tape formulas.
Beocord 7000 could ideally be used as part of Beosystem 7000.
Three variations on a theme… Beo4 over the years. From the Mark I version introduced in 1994 with its central ‘AV’ button, the Mark II version introduced in 1999 to accommodate the then recently introduced DVD format, and the November 2004 Mark III inception with its noticeable DTV, VMEM and AMEM buttons.
Beo4 is the key to all current Bang & Olufsen television and music systems. A remote control must be able to be operated in the dark, without glasses and without moving your eyes from the screen. That’s why the most often-used controls on the Beo4 are gathered together on one multi-functional button which you can control with just your thumb: programme shift, video play and wind. Choose a function and your command is registered on the Beo4’s LCD display. Simple and logical, so the manual can be put away after a few days. The design is ergonomical and so tough that Beo4 can be left in the hands of the youngest user.
Beo4 Mark III Update – November 2004
Released in order to ensure that the remote control keeps up to date with products currently sold, as well as new products on the horizon, Beo4 Mark III was produced for sale at the end of 2004.
Visual changes were made to the V.TAPE, A.TAPE and SAT buttons and are now renamed V.MEM, A.MEM and DTV. A number of changes have also been made to the ‘LIST’ functions. The part number of the new remote is: 1162700
Beo4 remote control is provided with all new Bang & Olufsen TV receivers. It may be purchased as a separate accessory (around £155 – 2004 prices) to control audio equipment and lights. It works with all recent (post-1994) Bang & Olufsen products and also Beolink® around-the-house systems. It is one of the most powerful remote controls on the market; so much so, that the user needs not point it directly at the appliance being controlled.
The star-shaped control can be operated by your thumb alone – you don’t need to move your eyes to look to see what you’re doing. Extra ‘buttons’ can be programmed into the unit to control other not so much needed functions of Bang & Olufsen products.
Plastic-free surface on remote control units
“Surface treatment is very important to Bang & Olufsen. It affects not only the appearance but also the feel of a piece of equipment” states Technology Director Peter Petersen. “A product is created to be used, and you can’t do that without touching it.”
“A Bang & Olufsen terminal – or remote control – must sit nicely and comfortably in the hand. So we don’t coat it with plastic. A plastic terminal somehow doesn’t feel as genuine as ours. And gets hot and sweaty, too. After a great deal of work on the choice of materials we have selected zinc for all our terminals. It sits well in the hand and is pleasant to touch. The heat from the hand is conducted away, so the terminal never feels clammy. In design terms, this choice represents an extra form of quality.”
Bang & Olufsen terminals, of course, are not just attractive to the eye and pleasing to the hand. User interface is in fact one of Bang & Olufsen’s main concerns, where technology is really put in the service of humankind. Through logic operations, in fact, B&O’s remote control units make life with the product a pleasant experience.
Did you know? To determine which version of Beo4 you have, try pressing GO and MENU at the same time and then LIST to ‘scroll’ through the information. It will show you, for a 2003 version:
EE: 6.0
SW: 5.0
Handing it intuitively to Bang & Olufsen: a history of remote controls
Bang & Olufsen’s first remote control came on the market in 1974. That year, Bang & Olufsen launched two products, each with a remote control of the same design. It was the size of a small cigar case and had a steel top plate. These two remote controls, which were not integrated, were the Beovision 6000 Commander and the Beomaster 6000 Commander. The TV remote control allowed the user to select programmes and picture quality from the comfort of an armchair. The remote control for the stereo enabled the user to control a four-channel sound system.
Before too long remote controls became smaller, in the form of Beovision 6002’s Beovision Control Module. The buttons on its surface were designed so that you could use the remote control without looking at it. Those for turning down a setting were shaped to curve downwards, while the buttons for turning up a setting curved upwards.
The following Video Terminal was cast in zinc so that heat was conducted away from the palm of the hand. This remote control, which used an infrared beam, was launched in 1980. It was quite narrow, with a keypad that both resembled and functioned the same way as the buttons on a telephone. This was another way of helping the user to operate the remote control without looking at it. This version introduced additional buttons for operating Teletext TV.
The following year, Bang & Olufsen added functions for operating video recorders and a new version of the Beovision Control Module. System integration had advanced to the point of sharing a remote control between the Beovision 8800 and Beocord 8800 Video.
The next generation of remote controls arrived when it became necessary to transfer more operating information that, for purely technical reasons, could not be incorporated into a single remote control. Now sound could be transferred between the television and the stereo system. This became possible with the combination of a video terminal and an audio terminal into an AV Terminal – the forerunner of Beolink 1000 – in 1985.
In 1987, all audio, video and audio/video remote controls were integrated into one unit with the Beolink 1000. Since then, Bang & Olufsen has pursued a strategy of only having one remote control for all products – most recently with Beo4, which is capable of operating all products. Beo1 is a minor exception to the strategy. It only operated Beocenter 1 and Beovision 1 and was intended for a new customer segment, which it did not completely succeed in capturing. For this reason, it was replaced by the Beo4 from autumn 2002.
Beo4 Specifications
In general, Bang & Olufsen’s development of remote controls can be summed up in a simple concept: Intuitive use. It is important to be able to adjust sound and picture from wherever you may be in the home. Accordingly, Bang & Olufsen has chosen simple functions – and that, of course, also has implications for the design of the remote control. It’s easy enough to pack a lot of buttons and functions into a remote control, but Bang & Olufsen has chosen a simple operational philosophy for the customer.
Beo4 has relatively few buttons, but it can retrieve a lot of information if required. That is what you call quality. Since the development of the first remote control cast in zinc, the company’s remote controls have had a certain intrinsic weight. This helps to give a sense of quality. Last but not least, the remote control is renowned for having a long range. You don’t have to get into a special position to communicate with the system. Once you have the remote control in your hand, you are ‘in total command’.
Beogram CD 7000 was distinctive because of its authentic sound reproduction as well as its large dynamic range. It was equally suitable for symphonic music and rock. Its many functions allowed you to pre-programme tracks for playback in any desired order. This CD player was the last in line as far as separates were concerned, replaced with the likes of Beocenter 2300 and Beocenter 2500.
Features:
Exclusive computer-controlled CD loading mechanism with extremely fast access time
CD tray machined from a 4mm solid aluminium plate for maximum mechanical stability and convenient loading
Disc tray cut-outs with rubber lining for 12 and 8cm discs
Spring-suspended CD mechanism and magnetic disc clamp
Special functions, such as scan and sequence programming, were carried out from Beolink 7000
Dynamic readout on Beolink 7000 of all functions, track bar, remaining time, elapsed time, scan, etc.
CD players are now among the simplest constructions in the electronic world and standard players are based on very few components, a simple electronic layout and use of economical materials, both inside the product and in the cabinet. In the construction of CD7000 the main objectives were the achievement of excellent mechanical stability, convincing sonic qualities and easy access to the CD functions.
The loading mechanism, the way the clamp function and the suspension of the CD mechanism were all points that received special attention. The high quality of the mechanical solutions was continued in the electronic circuitry and both were highly integrated and interdependent of each other.
The CD tray was very solid and elegant and the loading mechanism extremely durable. The tray was made from a 4mm thick sheet of aluminium and the conical recess for the CD was milled and diamond polished to the smallest of tolerances – to prevent dust gathering in the recess. The circular rubber profile protected the disc during loading and unloading, while the triangular cut-out facilitated unloading. To avoid static build-up the tray was connected to ground and to avoid ‘ringing’, a damping plate was placed at the innermost part of the tray, inside the cabinet.
The motorised movement of the CD tray was very fast and gentle. The movement was controlled by the microcomputer via an optocoupler and was a very stable mechanical solution with two parallel chrome plated brass rail tubes and precision plastic roller bearings. A nylon coated steel cord wire was applied for maximum duration and quiet transport. The electronically governed transport was very smooth, started the movement slowly, then speeded up very quickly, decelerating when the disc approached the clamp. Furthermore, it secured against possible damage occurring from obstacles either in front of the tray or in between tray and cabinet.
While the tray approached the clamp the disc was gently lifted off the tray and clamped between the CD mechanism and magnet. The magnet was placed on a bridge across the CD mechanism and when it engaged the disc the magnet was lifted away from the bridge. While the disc was rotating, the magnet was not in contact with the cabinet, but only the disc and CD mechanism.
This assembly was insulated very efficiently from the cabinet to prevent vibrations from the outside. A special suspension was designed, with 4 steel springs, encased in rubber. The springs ensured that the CD mechanism was fixed in the horizontal plane (i.e. across the disc), while a certain amount of movement was allowed in the vertical plane (i.e. up and down). Test showed that the servo system counteracts movements in the vertical plane better than in the horizontal plane, and the suspension thus was a good compromise with regard to immunity from external vibrations. The inherent frequency of the suspension was placed at 25 Hz to avoid tracking and focusing errors, which were prone to emerge if the CD mechanism was subjected to vibrations around 100 Hz and upward. Furthermore, at this frequency interference with the inherent frequency of the CD cabinet was also avoided.
The electronics
The CD format is one of the most precisely defined audio formats, but it is still possible to design differentiated products. The electronic solutions in CD 7000 were just as elaborate, the computer controlled loading just being one of the elements. Separate power supplies were available for the digital and analogue parts, and in connection with a careful print layout Bang & Olufsen achieved the most respectable electronic specifications. The digital-to-analogue filtering was special as well. First, a standard digital filtering (4 x oversampling) was applied to filter away the sidebands below 176,4 kHz. The analogue filtering at 176,4 kHz was carried out by a modified order filter. To avoid remnants of the 176,4kHz sideband having an effect on the filtering, a special suction circuit cut off the frequencies above 156,4 kHz. The modified filter was known as a ‘Bessel elliptical filter’. It had a very gentle filter characteristic and was not susceptible to ripple phenomena, phase distortion or ageing.
The functions
As with the other sources, operation was via the Beolink 7000, with full display readout of all functions. Special functions available included: the space function, where a pause of 4 seconds was added between tracks to facilitate track search on a tape recorded from CD 7000. Scan gave playback of the first 15 seconds of each track and was especially useful in connection with a sequence programming.
While you were scanning the CD, tracks could either be selected (compiled) or omitted and when the last track had been scanned, playback of the programmed sequence commenced. Sequence programming could also be carried out independently of the scan function and if you used the select programming, playback could be non-chronological. If you used the reject programming to leave out specific tracks, playback would be chronological.
Beogram 7000 could, ideally, be used as part of Beosystem 7000
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.
Like many Bang & Olufsen turntables, Beogram 7000 was designed with a tangential arm, which ensured optimal playing of the record. It also came equipped with the patented OPP system (Optimal Pivot Point), so that the pick-up – MMC2 – was not disturbed by vibrations.
Fully automatic and remote controlled via Beolink 7000
Integrated MMC 2 pickup cartridge
Tangential tonearm with OPP (Optimum Pivot Point)
Pendulum suspended sub-chassis
Built-in RIAA amplifier
By the mid-1990s the CD had rapidly become a replacement for the black vinyl record with many new albums released only in the CD format. This is why Bang & Olufsen ceased production of its record decks, with Beogram 7000 being the last in a very long line of high quality turntables. However, even today the vinyl format is alive, as so many treasured record collections were originally based on the vinyl format in its heyday, with many more of the more esoteric albums still awaiting CD reissue. The requirements that have to be met by a record player have become threefold:
“The preservation of precious vinyl records in as perfect a condition as possible
The ability to pick up information from the grooves and reproduce them faithfully
The operation must be made as similar to the other sources in a system as possible.”
Beogram 7000 met and exceeded all these requirements. The MMC2 pick-up cartridge weighed only 1,6g – the lowest own weight of any pick-up cartridge – and had a very high compliance and low effective tip mass. The result was a very good tracking ability with little record wear and in combination with the contact line nude diamond the optimal contact with the groove walls was ensured – to pick up the full music information. The MMC principle – Moving Micro Cross – gave a high channel separation, especially in the bass range, a low distortion and very little channel difference, which are all elements that significantly contribute to the achieved sound quality.
The MMC cartridge was mounted in a tangential tonearm, which eliminated tracking errors. The unique Optimum Pivot Point and the pendulum suspended sub-chassis made the reproduction virtually immune to vibrations from the outside.
The tonearm’s axis for horizontal movement was positioned behind the vertical axis and thus behind the tonearm’s centre of gravity. If the pivot point for horizontal movements vibrated, the rear part of the arm with the counterweight also vibrated, whereas the stylus remained still, because it was in the centre of the vibrations. The MMC was completely integrated with the tonearm and the low weight of the cartridge meant that the tonearm resonance could be optimised to the ideal value of 10 – 15Hz.
The pendulum suspension efficiently insulated the inner chassis with tonearm and platter from the outer cabinet to prevent vibrations to affect playback. The suspension consisted of three pendulums and leafsprings and gave the inner chassis an inherent resonance of 5 – 6 Hz.
Operation of Beogram 7000 was via Beolink 7000. The turntable automatically determined record size and selected playback speed accordingly (33 or 45 rpm.). If no record was registered, playback did not begin. It was only possible to lower the pick-up cartridge if there was a record on the platter. When you operated Beogram 7000 from Beolink 7000 you could not by accident lower the stylus outside of the record surface. By preventing unauthorised operation of Beogram 7000, Bang & Olufsen gave priority to both the preservation of the pick-up cartridge and the vinyl records.
Beogram 7000 could ideally, be used as part of Beosystem 7000
In design, technology and operating philosophy, the Beogram 9500 turntable was a perfect match for the Beocenter 9500 system.
Using a light-weight MMC2 cartridge, its electronic tangential arm played each record at the exact angle it was cut giving the most precise reading of the grooves ensuring that every nuance of a recording was captured.
The arm was suspended by a patented Bang & Olufsen system which helped prevent vibrations from any source reaching the cartridge. And the chassis suspension acted as an effective buffer against external vibrations.
Beocenter 9300 really defined the word ‘classic’. It was for those who preferred to enjoy the music rather than to pore over the product manual. The design of the 9300 was around for many years before production ceased in the late 1990’s. It was available in many different versions; for example 8000, 9000, 9500 and the this last version: Beocenter 9300.
The differences between the 9500 and the 9300 was that the 9300 had a new and improved CD mechanism fitted which was faster than the previous versions. Some minor differences were that the 9300 lacked two-way remote communication and an equalizer loop-through. However, the 9300 still is still among the Bang & Olufsen greats!
BeoCenter 9300 could operate with active as well as passive loudspeakers. A mere touch activated BeoCenter 9300 and a line of sensi-touch options glowed on the lower glass display. The 9300 was a complete music system for people who prefer to enjoy music rather than poring over a product manual.
Features:
2 x 80 watt amplifier, CD player with programming, tape recorder with auto reverse, FM/AM radio with 30 preset stations, finger touch control, optional Beo4 remote control operation, connections for Beolink® and headphones, Master Control Link. There was also the option of using the BeoCenter with or without active speakers, such as BeoLab 4000 (shown above). A stand could also be bought as a separate item
