Today, Bang & Olufsen—the audio company that created what we call “the most beautiful amenities in the world”—is reissuing its iconic CD player, the Beosound 9000. If you were alive in the 1990s, you surely saw this CD player standing in its place of honor, six discs and glass cover sparkling crystal, at your best friend's house or in the background. on an episode entourage. Now you can buy it back as a new item from Bang & Olufsen instead of bidding on eBay.
This is the second in a series of projects the company calls “reimagined classics.” Bang & Olufsen sourced 200 original Beosound 9000s and brought them to the company's factory in Struer, Denmark. There, the Bang & Olufsen team—some of whom worked on the original models—carefully disassembled, cleaned, and repaired each part. Each is then individually tested and fine-tuned to meet B&O's audio standards.
To give it a more modern look, the team reversed the black and aluminum finish of the original. The new black backplate makes the CDs stand out even more as works of art. But don't worry—all the aluminum parts are still sourced from the original Beosound 9000. All parts are brushed, engraved and blown in Bang & Olufsen's factory, then re-machined and re-anodized to make them match the look of the classic player.
The complete CD player will only be sold as part of a package that includes a pair of premium Beolab 28 speakers and a fancy Beoremote. The products are packaged together under the name Beosystem 9000c. Only 200 units will be produced and each package costs $55,000. Even if that price is out of reach for most of us, the Beosound 9000's design is still worth celebrating for what it represents.
What's going on around
The Danish brand has long prioritized product durability, using high-quality materials and focusing on durability. Plus, its products exude a quirky, timeless vibe that you really can't get anywhere else. I always think about how the Beosound Bluetooth speaker looks like a picnic basketbut in 2021 the company also released Sound level2,000 USD is extremely nice Bluetooth speaker Designed for easy repair; The battery, wood, and fabric parts are all replaceable, giving the speaker a lifespan of decades instead of years.
“The consumer electronics industry is not as resource-efficient as expectation”. By solving the problem of obsolescence through design, he said, his team can “create a movement toward a more permanent future where products serve a purpose beyond their useful life.” their first”.
Beosound 9000 was originally designed by David Lewis, a legendary industrial designer whose work is currently on display at Museum of Modern Art. The player's design—with its inner workings on full display and encased in glass—is based on the concept of “audiovisuality,” the idea that the basic function of a music player is beautiful.
Of course, these days it's no big deal to see a transparent computer case or a foldable phone with an exposed hinge. But back in the 1990s, watching a smooth clip slide silently between CDs or seeing the Beosound 9000's motorized glass lid slowly open was a luxury.
Come back around
Bang & Olufsen's re-release also comes at a time CD revival. In my twenties, I worked in what we called a record store, even though we mainly sold CDs. It's where bands play free daytime shows and sign CDs and where we wander to death metal or African funk listening stations because the country section is so crowded.
That thing click click The image of people rummaging through jewelry boxes is imprinted on my mind forever. A lot of us miss it, even those not old enough to listen to music on compact discs, as evidenced by Gen Z buyers voraciously long forgotten CD collection.
