Beogram CD 50 family

(1985-1986) Compact disc player, Datalink

Type numbers: 5111, 5112, 5113, 5114, 5115

It is debatable whether the Beogram CD 50 or the Beogram CD X was the first B&O compact disc player. A prototype CD 50 was certainly shown first, in the 1985 catalogue. However, in detail this machine was clearly different from those which would finally become available over a year later, by which time the CD X was also included in the range. The CD 50 was the first CD player to be integrated into a system (Beosystem 5000) however, and the first to include Datalink, and thus remote control. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

The CD 50 was styled to match the rest of Beosystem 5000 perfectly, and only the cut in the front panel that divided the drawer cover from the rest of the fascia gave away which of the 5000 system components was the CD player. A discreet “compact disc” logo was also added in the black part of the front, but this was small enough not to spoil the lines. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

CD was still a developing format in 1986, but even so, some of the CD 50’s features were unusual. Firstly, the disc had to be loaded label side down, unlike most other domestic players (Pioneer autochangers being a notable exception). This was done because of fears that laws may be passed in America making an upward pointing laser illegal, though in the end of course this never happened. The lack of controls was also odd for the time, the only functions that could be accessed from the machine were on/close/play, advance 1 track, display mode shift (track, index, track time, total time) open and standby. Of course integration with Beosystem 5000 made the full range of functions available, including intro-scan and programming during playback, a most unusual feature. The prototype CD 50 even offered “peak search” for cassette recording, but this feature was not included on the production model. Users who wished to add a CD 50 to other systems could have a remote control receiver fitted, then the machine could be used with the special CD Terminal remote control. This remote control terminal could be adapted to switch other Beomasters (e.g. 3000, 6000, 8000) on and off too, though the Datalink system only worked with the Beomaster 5000 and later CD equipped models. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

Technically, the CD 50 was a Japanese machine. The cabinet and control system were B&O, but the playback mechanism and electronics were all mounted in a separate and imported subchassis. The manufacturer was never disclosed, though input from the likes of Aiwa, Matsushita and Yamaha is clear upon inspection. As such, a 3-beam laser pickup was used, driven along on a sled by a rack and pinion. This contrasts with the Philips single-beam radial machines that formed the basis of all other Beogram CD players until the end of the 1990s, though in the end the 3-beam system would return in later versions of the BeoSound Ouverture and subsequent models. The CD 50 included a full 16 bit decoder, unlike the CD X which only used 14 bits. A remarkable feature of the decoder was that unlike the CD X and all other Beogram CD models, only one digital to analogue converter (DAC) was used for both channels. To provide stereo playback, a very fast electronic switch was used to switch the analogue (music signal) output of the DAC alternately between the two channels, over 86,000 times a second. This is very similar to how FM stereo radio works. This was of course followed by complex high-order filters to remove the noise that this sort of arrangement inevitably generated, and despite sounding unpromising on paper, the arrangement yielded very good results. The DAC itself was made by Burr-Brown, an American manufacturer normally associated with high quality industrial devices which are seldom seen in domestic equipment. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

The CD 50 arrived mid-way through the life of Beosystem 5000, so not all systems sold included one. As if to demonstrate the way history repeats itself, the replacement for the Beogram CD 50, the Beogram CD 5500, was also delayed, so early examples of the Beosystem 5500 were sold with CD 50s. The Beogram CD 5500, when it did arrive, was a very different machine, based around Philips technology and made by B&O themselves. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1987-1989) Compact disc player for Beosystem 5500

Type numbers: 5131, 5132, 5133, 5134, 5135

Though very similar to look at to Beogram CD 50, this all new Philips based machine was a radical departure, both in manufacturing and technical terms. The CD 5500 was the first compact disc player to be entirely designed by B&O, and with the exception of the optical deck, it was entirely made by them too. The performance and reliability of the CD X models probably influenced the choice of the Philips radial single beam pickup system and brushless DC spindle motor. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

Externally, a slim aluminium plate machined out to the size of a disc replaced the CD 50’s door and drawer loading system, and it moved quickly and silently, again in marked contrast to its predecessor. The deck was on the other side of the fascia, so that the loading of a cassette into the new Beocord 5500 tape recorder, possibly placed below, was not obstructed. Later versions had a concentric 8cm circular recess machined into the loading plate, to accept CD singles. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

This time, there was no IR sensor option, and the front panel controls were even more basic, so at very least a Beomaster 5500 and Beolink 1000 terminal were needed to use it properly. On the back panel, there was a 7 pin datalink socket for Beomaster 5500, and a single phono digital output connection, for which there was never a use within the B&O range. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

The performance of this outstanding machine was never bettered, and with the exception of minor styling and software revisions, it remained virtually unchanged until the end of the separates system range with the Beogram CD 7000. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1990-1991) Compact disc player for Beosystem 6500

Type numbers: 5136, 5137, 5138, 5139, 5140

As Beosystem 6500 replaced the 5500 range, so the Beogram CD 6500 replaced the CD 5500. In truth, changes were few, confined mainly to new colours and finishes to match the rest of the system. Inside, the only noticeable revision was a new Philips optical deck, which in a somewhat retrograde step now used a conventional brush spindle motor, but though even though it was slightly noisier mechanically, overall performance did not seem to suffer. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1992-1994) Compact disc player for Beosystem 7000

Type numbers: 5151, 5152, 5153, 5154, 5155

Last of the line for the big separates system, which had been continually available since 1984. Beogram CD 7000 was again little changed from the previous 6500 model, except for colours and finishes. Though very expensive, the design still offered unrivalled performance, durability and ease of use. However, as part of a large LP based separates system, it looked out of place next to the sleek new integrated models such as the BeoSound Ouverture and Century, and so, with the rest of the system, it quietly disappeared. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.