Bang & Olufsen – B&O – BeoGram 8000 Record Deck + MMC 20 EN

Manufactured: 1981 – 1983
Designer: Jacob Jensen
Colours: Rosewood, Teak, White

In 1973, Bang & Olufsen launched the world’s first record player with an electronically controlled tangential arm. It was dubbed a state-of-the-art product by the industry, and revered and appreciated by music lovers all over the world.

Beogram 8000 was Bang & Olufsen’s third generation of tangential arm decks.

The special benefit of the tangential arm is that it helped to secure the most authentic reproduction of sound from records because it tracked records in the same way they were cut. But the tangential arm was only one of the features that contributed to the achievement of the company’s goal. For Beogram 8000 also benefited from B&O’s unique approach to turntable design: integration, in which all components of the gramophone were carefully matched from the product’s earliest design stage.

To secure constantly accurate rotary speed a Tangential Drive system was developed. It incorporated a quartz-controlled electronic flywheel, similar to the system used in electricity meters. Like your domestic meter, the system is highly reliable and extremely accurate. It works all day, everyday, and never needs repair. You never needed to make corrections in the Beogram’s rotary speed. A digital display kept you informed of speed during play. Because the conventional motor has been discarded, there were no motor vibrations to distort the sound. A unique pendulum suspension system prevented external shocks and vibrations from affecting sound reproduction.

Beogram 8000 was fitted with the widely acclaimed MMC 20 CL pickup cartridge, which guaranteed excellent tracking and minimum record wear, thanks to its low effective tip mass and optimum groove contact. A stylus brush, mounted inside the tangential arm compartment, kept the diamond free from dust and micro-particles, thereby enhancing the gentle treatment of records.