Danish high-end audio brand Bang & Olufsen is in celebratory mood, marking 50 years since the launch of the Beogram 4000 series turntables with the release of a very limited run music system comprising a recreated classic turntable, wireless speakers, a funky remote and a wooden cabinet with record storage.
Back in October 2020, the company managed to source almost a hundred Beogram 4000 series turntables from around the globe, which engineers refurbished for a limited release under the Bang & Olufsen (B&O) Classics initiative and put them up for sale at a cost of US$11,000 each.
Now as part of the Recreated Classic Initiative, B&O has painstakingly recreated 30 turntables based on the original design by Jacob Jensen in 1972, and bundled each one with a pair of Beolab 18 speakers and a Beoremote Halo. The solid walnut gift box that the system ships in can ultimately serve as an attractive turntable stand, storage cabinet for vinyl records, a wireless connectivity hub and a Halo remote control charging station. All for a ticket price of $45,000.
Aesthetically, the limited-edition turntables are a little different from the 2020 release, having a walnut finish instead of oak and rocking pearl-blasted anodized aluminum in "Titanium Tone" in place of a champagne tint to the metalwork.
Instead of a tonearm that pivots from a position off to the side, the Beosystem 72-22 boasts a tangential tonearm where the mechanism moves along the back of the unit relative to the grooves of the vinyl record on the platter.
With the original 4000 series turntables, engineers had made space in the housing for future technology upgrades and this was used to house a new phono preamp in the 2020 refurbished units. Now B&O engineers have added wireless connectivity.
The turntable connects to a pair of frankly gorgeous Beolab 18 speakers sans cable, and the system can be controlled by the included Halo remote or via a smartphone, if preferred. And if the listener isn't spinning vinyl, digital music from a mobile device can be streamed to the speakers.
"The Recreated Classics Initiative is part of Bang & Olufsen’s drive to overcome technology obsolescence and increase product longevity through circular design and re-manufacturing," said B&O's Mads Kogsgaard Hansen. "For example, The Beosystem 72-22 seamlessly connects a 50-year-old design classic to contemporary speakers and technology, keeping our products relevant well past the industry standard and carving out a space for consumer electronics in the world of functional collectible design."
Product page: Beosystem 72-22
