Beocord 9000
| Product : | Beocord 9000 |
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| Produced from : | 1981 - Feb 1987 | |
| Designed by : | Jacob Jensen | |
| Finish : | Rosewood, Teak, White | |
| Desirability : | 5 |
Similarly-looking to the 8000-series of Beocords (and indeed the Beolab 6000 System series), Beocord 9000 visually differentiated itself by a darkened display strip across the alumiunium lid giving an illuminated display of tape type in use and ‘record open’. It was also two-tone in that half the keys were black; half were brushed aluminium.
Although Beocord 9000 was still a stereo cassette deck offering Dolby HX Pro/B/C NR - pretty much the same as any other cassette deck partner in the 8000/6000 range - what is did offer technologically different was that of CCC (Computer-Controlled Calibration) which optimised bias, equalisation, sensitivity and VU meter calibration for any type of compact cassette automatically and without human intervention. What it did suggest however (through actual human intervention) was for the purist to meddle about with the head azimuth of the machine in order to obtain the very best sound possible from the tapes in use. Bang & Olufsen even sold Beocord 9000 with the correct-sized screwdriver in order to carry out this function effectively!
Beocord 9000 therefore provided the mechanics - automatically or otherwise - to obtain the highest possible sound quality for those who really demanded it. The cost of the machine was prohibitively expensive (apart from tape purists and those who had nothing else to spend their money on) and really quite difficult to understand, so for most customers, who preferred either to do something better with their money or to obtain relatively good sound easily and simply, there were other machines within the B&O range from which to choose.
By the time that the last Beocord 9000 was sold, compact discs were gaining their grip and most people saw tapes - which had a tendency to unwind, especially in cheap car stereos of the 1980s - as old hat and unreliable. Their minds were focussing elsewhere, sales of cassette decks dropped, and Bang & Olufsen unceremoniously withdrew their King of the Cassette Deck from sale, never to produce such a luxurious cassette deck again. The days for compact cassettes were slowly drawing to an end, but for Beocord 9000, that day had already passed.
Want to replace the belts of your Beocord 9000? Here’s a handy little video to help:
Beocord 9000 types:
