[Dillen]

This is not the only Bang & Olufsen product currently available on the market.
There are many others to choose from. And at many price levels, – for beach or home use.

You don’t have to buy any of it, if you don’t want to.

These Beogram based products may bring a respectable revenue – I cannot say – but I see them merely as novelty products, really.
Colors can be discussed. A matter of taste, I suppose.
Nice none-the-less.
Unique and special.

You could take a look at how Bang & Olufsen chose to mark their 50 years anniversary in 1975 product-wise;
Well, to put it short they … (insert drum-roll)… put a sticker on a number of portable radios and distributed them
to the employees who participated in the celbration party at the factory.

Not exactly an earth-quake of a product – but collectable still, – almost 50 years later.

Martin

[Millemissen]

That is not a flagship.
It is just a modded turntable with a Core and the 28’s in a – admitted – beatifully crafted cabinet.

Something for very few people with loads of money to spend on nostalgia (for some probably even just as an investment).

Why so much efford on keeping an an inferior reproduction medium alive – I don’t get it?

This is how a flagship looks – something that has future potential and something that a lot of people can have in their homes:

Sorry, Steve – but thanks for the video anyway.

MM

[Mark]

Dillen wrote:

This is not the only Bang & Olufsen product currently available on the market. There are many others to choose from. And at many price levels, – for beach or home use. You don’t have to buy any of it, if you don’t want to.

I think there are many B&Ophiles that would love to get turntable but only have eBay as a source to get one, and that’s always risky. You really have to know how to properly ship a turntable to have any chance it will reach the buyer in working condition, if it is properly working in the first place. Then the worry is how long their new 40 year old turntable will last. I think there would be a market of people that would actually want to use it, probably not huge, but to see them go at these prices is quite frustrating.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi MM,

I agree that this product isn’t for everyone, but getting high-end, exclusive products into luxury homes will be the key to keeping B&O alive for the future, so they can keep on making things that us Beofans all want to buy for many years to come.

This Beosystem includes the highlights of B&O’s product range from the past 50 years, made into a unique and stylish system that would grace any luxury villa or royal palace.

I can’t afford this setup, but I can still dream… 😉

Kind regards, Steve.

[Dillen]

Millemissen wrote:

That is not a flagship. It is just a modded turntable with a Core and the 28’s in a – admitted – beatifully crafted cabinet. Something for very few people with loads of money to spend on nostalgia (for some probably even just as an investment). Why so much efford on keeping an an inferior reproduction medium alive – I don’t get it? This is how a flagship looks – something that has future potential and something that a lot of people can have in their homes: Sorry, Steve – but thanks for the video anyway. MM

How much future potential does a flatscreen TV have – flagship or otherwise?
10 years? 25? 50?

Martin

[matador]

Honestly, how many of us, of you, would buy a brand new Beogram inbox, with full warranty ans panels stickers?

I mean aren’t we praising those beogram, appart that they’re beautiful, because we save them from a certain death, because we like to repair them, adjust them, fight with them to bring them to work?

If you, like me think the same, who cares they sell very expensive ones to whealthy people?
If in the end a refurbished, painted like a stolen car 2020 beogram 4002 value increases, where will be the value of my trully original 1972 BG? A fraction of it maybe but still something. And even then, would I depart from it?

Anyway, two things, two audiences.

[Mark]

matador wrote:

I mean aren’t we praising those beogram, appart that they’re beautiful, because we save them from a certain death, because we like to repair them, adjust them, fight with them to bring them to work?

My Beogram 8002 equipped with an SMMC1 cartridge and the MMP3 phono preamp is well worthy of praise, at least in my system. If I could get a B&O completely refurbished 4002 turntable, minus the B&O preamp, I bet equipped with the SMMC20CL+ cartridge I would be singing its praises every time I use it!

 

[Millemissen]

Dillen wrote:

How much future potential does a flatscreen TV have – flagship or otherwise? 10 years? 25? 50?

Martin

That flatscreen tv is just an exchangeable screen.
I was ‘pointing’ – like Jakob actually is – at the BS Theatre.
I could even – if I wanted so – connect my old Beogram 2202 there, for occasional playback of one of my vinyl LP’s.

MM

[Millemissen]

Steve at Sounds Heavenly wrote:

Hi MM, I agree that this product isn’t for everyone, but getting high-end, exclusive products into luxury homes will be the key to keeping B&O alive for the future, so they can keep on making things that us Beofans all want to buy for many years to come. This Beosystem includes the highlights of B&O’s product range from the past 50 years, made into a unique and stylish system that would grace any luxury villa or royal palace. I can’t afford this setup, but I can still dream… ? Kind regards, Steve.

I am not so sure that this is so?
They’d have to show me some figures to prove that!

No, they will have to come up with something new ‘that us Beofans all want to buy for many years to come’, if they want to survive.

MM

[chartz]

So I ‘guessed’ right Steve.

A little disappointed they didn’t do a real Beogram 4000 this time though. I’ll forever stick to mine.

[Mark]

Sandyb wrote:

indeed – if we look at the price of the 72-22 that came with BL18s, we can probably make an educated guess as to what this (with Bl28s) will be.

I asked my dealer the cost mostly out of curiosity. It was about 40% more. Sadly it’s not for me, not after several lifetimes!

 

[trackbeo]

+1 @Sandyb: At least this item conjures up some real money, maybe even enough to pay for a designer or two for another year. Versus calculate how much extra profit there was for making “gradient green” BeoSound 2’s, given they limited the production run to 15 — that’s right, fif-teen! — units. Even if the excess MSRP went 100% to B&O and the margin on the base sale price also went to them and not dealers, that amounts to a hill of beans. They shoulda done 100-999 if they wanted to make extra money, that’s not what it’s about. [Edit: Website vague, might be 15 “per market”, still de minimus.] Will we see “ombré orange” & “variegated violet”, and will that matter to the bottom line either? IF they can sell all the 72-23’s, no matter what pejorative you apply to the “man-pad” decor, it’s a good thing for everyone, both here, and in Streuer. The only way it’s bad for us here is if they are so successful that they decide to double or treble the current prices on everything else because “it worked!”

[trackbeo]

Could be worse… At $60,000, Linn is getting in on the act: a new Jony-Ive-designed Sondek (LP12-50[th anniversary edition]) debuted today, also limited run, of 250: https://www.linn.co.uk/uk/turntables/lp12-50

It is minimal but it isn’t beautiful — OK, well maybe, to one who has USM Haller everywhere. At least the 72-23 is arguably pretty, and includes “Sond”-making equipment with the turntable!

[Sandyb]

Well that was kind of my point. They will sell them, as they have quickly sold out all of the similar recent limited edition things (i.e the stuff at UHNWI prices).

But the risk is that their more mainstream products / releases become more humdrum over time.

And as per your last sentence, the direction of travel has clearly been to raise prices and margins to compare with some of the more successful global luxury brands. This is indeed what the company has said on their investor calls.

It will mean that for some here, possibly myself too, some of their regular portfolio (be it Beolabs or Beosounds) are either out of reach or just down make sense.

[matteventu]

trackbeo wrote:

The only way it’s bad for us here is if they are so successful that they decide to double or treble the current prices on everything else because “it worked!”

I mean, isn’t that what already has happened several times? Beosound speakers in the last 10 years basically doubled in price.

 

Beoplay A1 was £200, Beoplay M3 £280, Beoplay M5 £529.

 

Now Beosound A1 comes at £239, they got rid of cheaper speakers (P2, except the relatively new Explore), and the less expensive multiroom speaker (previously M3, £289) was less than half the price of the current less expensive multiroom speaker (Emerge, £699), despite Emerge not even having the same driver capabilities as M5 (£529).

Let’s not talk about the Beosound 1 (£995 -> £1399), Beosound 2 (£1350 -> £2649), Balance (£1750 -> £2399). Similar story with A9 and Level.

 

Okay inflation and everything, but no other company has raised prices this much.

[OlivierC]

Hi Steve,

Thank you and Harrie for the detailed and informative video about such a rare and exclusive kit.

I have been intrigued by the details seen in a glimpse at 5:57.
Maybe Steve’s cables would have deserved a tidier management even if they are normally concealed, nevertheless it is still interesting to see what it is hidden behind the wooden panels inside the cabinet.

My understanding is that there is a BS Core that it is receiving the input from the BG 4000c.
Then the Core is connected to the BL Transmitter, that it is providing the sound signal to the BL28’s (via WiSA or PL).
Still I can see more “spaghetti”, such as what I am guessing Ethernet and iPhone cables, but I am not sure about the purpose.
Maybe there is also some sort of multi plug adapter, as it would allow to have a single power plug to be connected to the wall socket instead of having the three power connections (Transmitter, Core and BG).

EDIT: I forgot that there is a 4th device: the Qi charger for the BR Halo (or other Qi-compatible device). Maybe that’s what the iPhone-like cable is for.

Is there anyone that can comment on this?

Thanks!

Olivier

PS @Matador, everyone loves your Beocenter 72-97!

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi Olivier,

Normally the cables are more neatly routed, but I visited very soon after the system had arrived, so they didn’t have time to get them tidy… The cable that I supply to B&O links the Beogram 4000c to the 3.5mm line input of the Core.

As well as the Core, there is a Transmitter 1 in the shelving inside the top of the cabinet for a wireless connection to the speakers. However, the guys at Houten have cabled the speakers, so they have added an RJ45 splitter and RJ45 Powerlink cables as well (these aren’t usually in the 72-23 setup). There is also a Qi wireless charger in the top panel of the cabinet for the Halo as you mentioned.

Kind regards, Steve.

[matador]

OlivierC wrote:

@Matador, everyone loves your Beocenter 72-97!

Thank you Olivier !

[Millemissen]

milva1 wrote:

Millemissen wrote:

That is not a flagship. It is just a modded turntable with a Core and the 28’s in a – admitted – beatifully crafted cabinet. Something for very few people with loads of money to spend on nostalgia (for some probably even just as an investment). Why so much efford on keeping an an inferior reproduction medium alive – I don’t get it?

Is Beogram 4002 really an inferior reproduction medium? Maybe there are different opinions out there?

https://www.hifinews.com/content/bo-beogram-4002-turntable

I did not write anything about the BG4002 being a bad/inferior turntable – in fact it is excellent (and better that most).
What I wrote is, that the medium vinyl record is inferior to what we can achieve nowadays….has been since the CD came in 1982.

Some may like what the vinyl media brings, but in my opinion a company that makes several outstanding speakers, should rather concentrate on making new digital based solutions.

That said – the 72-23 is a gem…..but a gem that only very, very few can afford and as such just a show off product.
People who prefer vinyl playback already have lots of options.

MM

[milva1]

Millemissen wrote:

That is not a flagship. It is just a modded turntable with a Core and the 28’s in a – admitted – beatifully crafted cabinet. Something for very few people with loads of money to spend on nostalgia (for some probably even just as an investment). Why so much efford on keeping an an inferior reproduction medium alive – I don’t get it?

Is Beogram 4002 really an inferior reproduction medium? Maybe there are different opinions out there?

https://www.hifinews.com/content/bo-beogram-4002-turntable

[Author]

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