Bang & Olufsen have gone retro in the best possible way with the beautiful Beogram 4000c as a Recreated Limited Edition. This turntable, originally introduced in the early 1970s, is the first product to be released in the company’s new Classics initiative: restoring and reimagining classic products to demonstrate the timelessness of Bang & Olufsen’s capabilities within sound, design, and craftsmanship and to uncover design principles that can extend the lifespan of future products.
Bang & Olufsen has identified 95 units of the Beogram 4000 series turntable and brought them back home to Struer, Denmark – to the same facility where they were first created nearly five decades ago. The turntables have been disassembled and thoroughly inspected by a team of skilled engineers. Every component is painstakingly cleaned, new parts are added where needed – from the smallest ball bearings all the way up to the drive belt – ensuring lasting performance. Once this process is complete, each Beogram is individually tested then fine-tuned to meet Bang & Olufsen’s exacting specifications.
The Beogram 4000c Recreated Limited Edition builds on the look and feel of the original turntable. The aluminium has been polished and anodised in a warmer champagne tone, giving the surface a subtle glow. It is surrounded by a new solid oak frame, further enhancing the visual warmth of the product. A new dust lid protects the product when it is not in use and accentuates Beogram 4000c as an elegant object in the home.
When Beogram 4000 was first created in the early 1970s, the original design team sought to make an obsolescence-proof product by leaving space in the internal architecture for additional technology upgrades. In the restoration process, Bang & Olufsen’s engineers have taken advantage of this foresight and added an RIAA phono pre-amplifier, allowing the turntable to be connected to modern speakers using a phono or 3.5mm line-level connection. This provides customers with seamless integration between Beogram 4000c and Bang & Olufsen’s entire range of home speakers — either directly or through a Beosound Core — allowing them to immerse themselves in the unique and warm analogue sound of vinyl.
Beogram 4000 was the first in a series of Bang & Olufsen turntables to feature an automated tangential tonearm, and it is a case study in the marriage of form and function. On most record players, the tonearm pivots inward, causing the stylus to apply unwanted pressure on the record, which can result in sound distortion. On Beogram 4000, the entire tonearm assembly moves uniformly toward the centre of the record, keeping the stylus in a consistent position relative to the groove in the vinyl. Bang & Olufsen has added a new high-performance stylus to the tonearm, which is based on the product’s original specifications.
Beogram 4000c Recreated Limited Edition (RRP 10,000 EUR / 9,000 GBP / 11,000 USD / 75,000 DKK) celebrates Bang & Olufsen’s 95th year and will be available in only 95 numbered units. The turntables will be showcased at selected Bang & Olufsen stores worldwide from October 12 and will be available for purchase from October 19, 2020. Each turntable is fully restored, uniquely numbered and comes with a five-year warranty. To complete the experience, each turntable comes in a crafted solid oak box with aluminium details.