Beocord 1900 family

(1978-1981) Stereo cassette deck, Dolby B NR

Type numbers: 2643, 2644, 2646

When Beomaster 1900 was introduced, if you wanted a cassette deck to go with it then the suggested model was Beocord 1100/1101. While this machine was available in a choice of finishes to match the Beomaster, and was of course a perfect match electrically, the boxy shape of the Beocord (originally designed to match the Beomaster 901/1100 range) was not really as visually harmonious as it should have been. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

Enter, in 1978, the Beocord 1900. At a glance a perfect match for the Beomaster in form, profile, materials and colours, the new model seemed an ideal partner for the sleek new Beomaster. However, Beocord 1900 was a good 20mm taller than the Beomaster! Still, it offered a major improvement over what had previously been offered, though those who still liked to place their equipment together would face yet another problem: Placing the Beocord to the left of the Beomaster would result in the replay amplifier of the former picking up an irritating mains hum from the latter! Simply transposing their positions completely cures this problem. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

Performance had been improved as well, in particular the upper frequency limit had been improved from 12.5KHz to 15KHz, a worthwhile improvement considering how developed the Beogram turntables had become. Typical of smaller Beocords, 2 large VU meters functioned on record mode only, as they had with the Beocord 900 and 1100/1101. Unlike Beocord 900 though they remained illuminated at all times, which could be confusing. The mechanical aspects remained pretty similar though, the only changes of any note being the addition of an air damper device to make the cassette lid open more slowly and gently, and a mechanical 3 digit memory tape counter, which could be reset by pushing down on the window. The Vortex mechanism fitted to these machines was in its very latest form, using the enlarged flywheel, flat belt and electronic automatic stop. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

Beocord 1900 continued to be available until 1981, but was made obsolete by the introduction of metal tape. It was replaced by the metal-compatible Beocord 2400. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1979-1980) Stereo cassette deck, Dolby B NR

Type numbers: 2642, 2645

A curious economy model introduced a year after Beocord 1900. Visually very similar, this machine offered Beocord 1100 performance in the smart new Beocord 1900 cabinet. In particular, the old upper frequency limit of 12.5KHz was reverted to. Further cost cutting was evident on the front panel, much smaller VU meters were fitted, though to avoid the expense of having to machine the panels differently for the two models, the meters were surrounded by black plastic frames to fill the gap!

While the performance could not be described at the time as state of the art, it was nevertheless very good, and was doubtless helped by the use of the same excellent mechanism as was employed in the Beocord 1900. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

While it seems strange that a manufacturer so clearly in the luxury class should include in their range basic lower cost machines such as this, the Beocord 1500 is far from being the only example. Basic models can form an excellent introduction to owners of non-B&O systems looking to upgrade a single component at moderate cost, and perhaps lead them to buy a complete system later on. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

(1981-1984) Stereo cassette deck, Dolby B NR, Metal tape

Type numbers: 2663, 2665, 2667

Spot the difference? The Beocord 2400 replaced the Beocord 1900, and was not, as is sometimes suggested, a version to match the Beomaster 2400, the remote controlled version of the Beomaster 1900. Visual differences are few, an LED record indicator is fitted to the left of the left channel VU meter, though how this helps is not clear. A close look at the control keys at the left hand side of the control panel reveals another difference, the lower two keys were transposed and the tape type key was now labelled “metal”. Here lies the main functional difference and reason for the model change, by the end of 1980 any cassette deck that was going to be taken seriously needed to be metal compatible. In order not to have to change the panel design too much, and to keep operation simple, the switching between ferric and chrome tapes was now automatic, using the identifying holes on the rear of the cassette. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

In use, the machine quickly showed another change (and welcome improvement); the VU meters worked on playback as well as recording, making it far easier to make accurate recordings with different brands of tape. Performance was a little better too, the upper frequency limit had been raised to 16KHz, an excellent figure for a machine in this class. A curious addition to the specification was the MPX filter, whose function was to prevent the 19KHz pilot tone from an FM stereo broadcast interfering with the action of the Dolby circuit. While this may have been necessary with some makes of receiver, the pilot tone suppression of Beomaster receivers has always been unusually good, and such circuits had not appeared on previous Beocords. The far more expensive Beocord 8000 range was also fitted with such filters, but in this case they could be bypassed with a switch on the bottom. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

For a machine that differed so little externally, it was surprising to see how many changes had been made inside. The mechanism was altered little, except for a new type of air damper (of smaller dimensions) and the addition of the tape type sensing switch. However, the electronics were entirely new. Most interestingly, operational amplifiers were used in place of some of the bipolar transistorised stages of the Beocord 1900. These in turn required a regulated split supply, so this was added too, along with a different (and more complex) mains transformer. Another interesting point was the use of a miniature relay to switch the head connections for play and record. Both of these alterations followed Beocord 8000 practice, and form an excellent example of how the advanced technology of the top range models quickly spreads throughout the range. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.

Beocord 2400 was offered as the companion recorder for Beomaster 2300, and was withdrawn along with it in 1984. It was replaced by Beocord 1700, the last of the purely “mechanical” Beocords. That was not the end though, when Beomaster 2000 appeared in 1985 and re-introduced the classic 1900 shape, there was also a tape recorder, the Beocord 2000. While this slim, wall mounted, touch sensitive machine shared no common parts, its basic shape and position in the range were the same. Text copyright © Beocentral. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.