In the 1990s, familiarity with Bang & Olufsen’s products grew, coinciding with the company’s shift away from traditional Hi-Fi towards exclusively designer audio equipment. The zenith of the company’s engineering prowess occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, giving rise to iconic creations like the Beocord 9000 cassette deck and the Beogram 8000 vinyl player.
BeoMaster 8000
The flagship receiver crafted by Bang & Olufsen, manufactured between 1980 and 1985, serves as a beacon of the company’s excellence during that illustrious era. Designed under the masterful direction of renowned designer Jakob Jensen, it epitomized the zenith of audio engineering and aesthetic refinement.
This receiver boasted an array of cutting-edge features ahead of its time, including an advanced tuner capable of automatic fine-tuning across frequencies and storing settings for up to 9 stations in memory cells. Its control panel not only facilitated manipulation of the receiver itself but also seamlessly integrated control over companion branded signal sources such as cassette decks and vinyl players.
With an impressive power output of 150 “honest” watts per channel at 4 ohms, the receiver delivered ample drive to power native speakers, ensuring a rich and immersive listening experience. Furthermore, it housed a dedicated phono stage meticulously tailored to accommodate Bang & Olufsen’s signature pickup heads, underscoring the company’s commitment to optimizing performance across its ecosystem of audio products.
Weighing a substantial 21 kilograms, the receiver exuded a palpable sense of solidity and craftsmanship, reflecting Bang & Olufsen’s unwavering dedication to quality and precision engineering. Indeed, this receiver stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of excellence that defines the Bang & Olufsen brand.
Beogram 8000
Widely revered among enthusiasts, this model stands as a quintessential example of Danish engineering excellence from Bang & Olufsen. Serving as the third generation of turntables featuring an electronic tangential arm, it graced the market between 1981 and 1983. Notably, the tonearm boasted an ingenious control mechanism driven by an electronic flywheel with quartz stabilization, ensuring precise and smooth operation.
Central to the turntable’s exceptional performance was the esteemed MMC 20 CL pickup. This cartridge was celebrated for its innovative design elements, including a sapphire needle holder, Line Contact needle, and the proprietary Moving Micro-Cross transducer, a groundbreaking implementation of Moving Iron technology. These features collectively contributed to an unparalleled audio experience, characterized by clarity, fidelity, and precision.
Furthermore, the turntable supported rotation speeds of 33.3 and 45 rpm, catering to a wide range of vinyl records. Its substantial weight of 9 kilograms underscored its robust construction and meticulous attention to detail, indicative of Bang & Olufsen’s unwavering commitment to quality and craftsmanship. As a result, this turntable emerged as a cherished emblem of engineering excellence, embodying the innovation and sophistication synonymous with the Bang & Olufsen brand.
BeoGram CD5500
Introduced in 1986 and produced until 1990, the inaugural Bang & Olufsen turntable was a triumph of internal development, showcasing the company’s ingenuity and commitment to audio excellence. Its design laid the foundation for subsequent standalone B&O CD players, which inherited its blueprint while introducing refinements in design and functionality while preserving the original sound pathway.
Highlighted by its striking metal loading tray and two-tone aluminum front panel, the turntable boasted an iconic aesthetic that instantly distinguished it as a Bang & Olufsen creation. Yet, its appeal transcended mere visual allure, as it delivered an exceptional auditory experience. Employing a Philips transport system and a dual multi-bit DAC capable of 16-bit resolution and quadruple oversampling at 176.4 kHz, the turntable ensured superior sound quality and fidelity.
Despite lacking a dedicated remote control, the turntable could be seamlessly operated using the Master Control Panel 5500 system remote control, underscoring Bang & Olufsen’s commitment to user convenience and intuitive design. Moreover, despite its robust features, the turntable maintained a manageable weight of 6 kilograms, embodying Bang & Olufsen’s dedication to harmonizing form and function in their audio equipment, thus solidifying its place as a cornerstone of the company’s audio legacy.
BeoVox MS150
Between 1980 and 1985, Bang & Olufsen unveiled two iterations of their flagship passive speakers, epitomizing the pinnacle of their audio engineering prowess. Renowned for their classical design, these speakers boasted an original cabinet structure meticulously crafted to uphold precise time and phase characteristics, a testament to Bang & Olufsen’s unwavering commitment to audio excellence.
During this era, Bang & Olufsen revolutionized their design process by integrating cutting-edge techniques such as computer analysis and laser scanning, resulting in unparalleled measured values and sonic performance.
These speakers were engineered with a sophisticated four-way design, capable of handling up to 150 watts of input power with ease. Each set comprised a formidable lineup of drivers, including a powerful 250mm woofer, a dynamic 200mm mid-bass driver, a refined 75mm dome midrange driver, and a crisp 25mm tweeter. The meticulously crafted acoustic design, featuring phase-inverted architecture, ensured optimal performance across the entire frequency spectrum.
Despite their substantial weight of 30 kilograms each, these speakers were ingeniously designed to be mounted on specialized racks, providing both stability and flexibility in placement, thus optimizing the listening experience for discerning audiophiles.
BeoCord 9000
Renowned as one of the foremost cassette decks of the 1980s, not only within Bang & Olufsen’s esteemed lineup but globally, this model stood out with its groundbreaking system for automatically adjusting head parameters to match specific cassette types. A defining feature was its microcomputer-driven mechanism, meticulously engineered to measure and calibrate four crucial parameters—bias, equalization curve, sensitivity, and distortion level—for each loaded cassette. Remarkably, this automated calibration process could be completed in just 9 seconds with the simple press of the Play key.
Moreover, the deck offered users a comprehensive display of the measurement results and adjustments made, facilitating customization and optimization for different tape types—whether first, second, or fourth. Enhanced with a bespoke combined sendust-ferrite head, purposefully crafted by the company, this deck seamlessly managed both playback and recording functions. This integration of cutting-edge technology underscored Bang & Olufsen’s unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of innovation and delivering unparalleled audio performance.
