Bang & Olufsen is refurbishing and restoring a number of classic products for a modern relaunch, starting with 1972’s Beogram 4000 series turntable.
The “Classics” pilot project is part of B&O’s focus on “Design for Longevity” and the circular economy. According to Mads Kogsgaard Hansen, who is heading up the initiative, the company is looking to preserve the heritage and value of its iconic products.
“Exploring and understanding how to extend the lifespan and relevance of audio products that people already appreciate helps us to define evidence-based principles for emotional durability, long-lasting craftmanship, connectivity obsolescence and timeless design, which has environmental benefits for our future products as well,” he said.
The Beogram 4000, designed by Jacob Jensen in 1972, was an electronically-controlled turntable with advanced features such as an electronic tangential pickup arm, which moved in a straight angle from the end of the record player so as to always play the record from the correct angle.
Original Beogram 4000 units will be hand-disassembled, manually inspected, and restored and refurbished with modern parts for better integration with contemporary technology.
“During this process, our engineers and designers came up with brilliant ideas that reimagine some elements of the turntable, while staying true to the original design intent. We cannot wait to share these details when the turntable is ready for re-launch later this year,” said Hansen.
The refurbished turntables will release in limited quantities during 2020.
