Beocenter 2300 family

(?-2004) FM Stereo/AM/Dolby B cassette/CD music centre, Master Link and Power Link output only

Type numbers: 2638, 2650

No description available yet.

(1991-2000) AM/FM stereo/CD music centre, Powerlink output only, Beolink

Type numbers: 2611, 2612, 2615, 2616, 2617, 2618, 2619, 2620, 2626, 2630

Essentially a Beocenter 2500 without the cassette deck. In lieu of this, more advanced CD programming options where included, chief amongst which was the ability to give each CD a “name” which was shown in the display during play. Despite being cheaper, this model was not terrifically popular. It was eventually replaced by BeoSound 3000. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1991-1993) AM/FM stereo/CD/Dolby cassette music centre, Powerlink output only, Beolink

Type numbers: 2601, 2606, 2607, 2608, 2609, 2610

In every respect the Beocenter 2500 was new. This came as a surprise, because for the preceding years there had been no really new products or ideas amongst the main products in the B&O range. Even models that appeared to be new, such as the Beocenter 9000, were in reality just combinations of existing ideas. The Beocenter 2500 was as radical in its way as the Beomaster 1900 had been, and would retain a similar influence over future products. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

What made the Beocenter 2500 so radical is that in its design the designers had been able to break free of some of the traditional constraints that had been applied to previous models. Most importantly, as the Beocenter 2500 was the first model to make no concession to the playing of LP records, none of the dimensions needed to be fixed to accommodate them. Contrast this to Beosystem 5000 and its derivatives, the size of which was determined by the size of a 12” disc. The second important difference between the 2500 and all previous models was that no attempt was made to house the power amplifier and its attendant bulky power supply inside the cabinet, a freedom made possible by the various amplified loudspeakers that had been a feature of the range for some years. Connections to the loudspeakers were made by Powerlink, a then new type of connection that integrated the left and right stereo audio signals with data and controls lines in one 8 pin plug. Any Powerlink equipped loudspeaker could be used, the matching Beolab 2500 being the most popular choice. This could be ordered with a bracket and cable management system to form a one piece “portable” unit that only required one connection to the mains supply. An RDS decoder for the radio was also available as an option, but it offered little functionality besides displaying the station names and was expensive, and as a result was seldom specified. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

The most striking feature of the cabinet of Beocenter 2500 was the pair of sliding glass doors, which retracted swiftly on sensing the operator’s hand near the front of the machine. Shaped pulleys inside made the doors appear to accelerate and brake smoothly, and the lighting of the control panel, CD player and tape deck were linked into the door control too so as to fade the lights up and down as appropriate. The vertical CD mechanism, now universally copied by almost every other manufacturer, provided an eye-catching centrepiece to the front panel. The cassette deck was also unusual for a front loader in that it had no door. While this looked interesting, it did leave the heads exposed to dust and dirt, resulting in poor reproduction if they were not cleaned regularly. In fact the cassette section was a disappointment generally, with no manual level control an considerably inferior high frequency response to previous models, though HX Pro recording was included. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

Another disappointment, perhaps in line with the break with tradition that the system represented, was the choice of materials used for the external surfaces. Medium grade plastics dominated, and the bulk of the aluminium visible was only very thin trim stuck over plastic mouldings. The cabinet also squeaked and creaked if moved, something that did not suggest precision or quality. Only the glass doors, accurately made and well finished, helped to lift the overall appearance. It must be remembered though that although Beocenter 2500 joined the B&O range near the bottom, as time passed and the more elaborate systems were dropped, its derivatives (such as the BeoSound Ouverture) would become the mainstay of the B&O audio range. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1991-1999)

This system comprised Beocenter 2300 and a pair of Beolab 2500 active loudspeakers. Although it was not necessarily part of the system, a mounting bracket and carrying handles would also normally be included. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1991-1993)

This system comprised Beocenter 2500 and a pair of Beolab 2500 active loudspeakers. Although it was not necessarily part of the system, a mounting bracket and carrying handles would also normally be included. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1991-1993) AM/FM Stereo/CD/Dolby cassette music centre for use with AV 9000 system only via Masterlink

Type numbers: 2621, 2622, 2623, 2624

The function of this unit was to provide audio sources for the AV 9000 audio/video system. It provided a stereo output which could be further decoded in the Control Center beneath the TV monitor to provide Dolby surround sound from suitable recordings. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

The basic structure and appearance of the machine was very similar to that of the Beocenter 2500, though in detail there were many differences. For example, there was no volume or tone control circuitry included, and the microcomputer unit was much simplified, since most of the work was done by the Control Center. Some of the keys on the front panel were reassigned too, with functions such as V.Tape and Light appearing. Connection to the Control Center was by a single multi-way Masterlink connector, and the unit would not function if it was not connected to the AV 9000 Control Center. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

The Master Panel AV 9000 was discontinued, along with the Beocenter 2500, when the BeoSound Ouverture was introduced. Because this had both Masterlink and Powerlink connections, it effectively replaced both models. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1994-2004) FM Stereo/AM/Dolby B cassette/CD music centre, Master Link and Power Link output only

Type numbers: 2631, 2632, 2633, 2634, 2635, 2636, 2637, 2638, 2639, 2640, 2642, 2650

The BeoSound Ouverture was an updated version of the Beocenter 2500. As well as a new name (using the new structure first seen, as regards audio products, with the Beosound Century), the model was updated to make it work with the latest products. To this end, the software was altered to work with the Beo 4 remote control terminal and a Master Link socket was fitted. The fitting of Master Link to the Ouverture made the Master Panel AV 9000 redundant, so this was withdrawn and the rest of the AV 9000 modified to suit the new model. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

Other than these major changes, not much else was altered. The BeoSound Ouverture was further updated over the years with new software and a variety of CD mechanisms, the later versions of which reverted to the motorised sled arrangement that had previously been seen in only one B&O CD player, the Beogram CD 50. The new CD mechanism could be recognised easily, for the slot in which the lens travelled was in a vertical, straight line below the turntable hub, previously it had been an arc at the side. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

Despite having origins as a mid-range music centre, the Beosound Century became the mainstay of the audio system range, fitting between the Beosound Century and the BeoCenter 9300. It was replaced in 2004, amid claims that the manufacturer of the cassette transport had ceased production, and replaced by the BeoSound 3200. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(2000-2006) FM Stereo/AM/CD music centre, Master Link and Power Link output only

Type numbers: 2671, 2672, 2673, 2674, 2675, 2676, 2677, 2680

The BeoSound 3000 replaced the Beocenter 2300 in the same way and for the same reasons that the BeoSound Ouverture replaced the Beocenter 2500. Updates to the software and CD transport occurred in tandem with the Ouverture, but because there was no cassette deck, production was able to continue after the Ouverture was withdrawn. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(2003->) FM Stereo/AM/CD music centre, HDD “CD memory”, Master Link and Power Link output only

Type numbers: 2681, 2682, 2683, 2684, 2685, 2686, 2687, 2690

The BeoSound 3200 was the first B&O model to offer a new type of recording technique, known as CD memory. In simple terms, this involved copying the data from a music CD onto a built-in hard-disc drive (HDD), so that the music could then be played back directly from the HDD at any time in the future, either using the BeoSound 3200 itself, or another system connected to it via Master Link. This seemed to offer a replacement for the discontinued BeoSound Ouverture, which had a conventional cassette deck of reasonable quality. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

In practice though, the “CD memory” left a lot to be desired. At least 7 software updates were issued in the first year of production in an attempt to make it work properly. Missing the first second of each recording was one of the many faults, though this was cured eventually. More fundamental was the lack of versatility, the fixed nature of the media meant that the recordings made could not easily be transferred to another machine (e.g. a car player), something that was routine and easy with cassettes. Stranger still, it was not possible to record from the radio, an inexcusable omission and a definite backward step, especially when one considers the likes of the Beocenter 7000 and 7700, both of which had been on sale over 20 years previously and could make unattended recordings of radio programmes if the owner so desired. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

It would be unfair to blame the retrograde nature of the BeoSound 3200 solely on B&O. Instead, it is best viewed as a result of an industry which, despite over 10 years of trying, still had yet to find a practical and universally acceptable replacement for the compact cassette. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.