Bang & Olufsen is headstrong about its sustainability drive – with a prime focus for now on the creation of circular products. Homing in on a century of years creating a plethora of timeless products that have lasted for many generations, the Danish audio manufacturer is re-releasing the 50-year-old Beogram 4000 Series turntable. The classic vinyl player designed in 1972 by Danish industrial designer Jacob Jensen was a living example of breaking boundaries and going to the next possible level.
Under the scanner, B&O has been buying examples of its most famous products to be refurbished and recreated for generation Z with all the latest technology and timeless function intact. According to Mads Kogsgaard Hansen, the senior global product manager, B&O for the in-house Product Circulatory & Classics Program – studies have pointed out the immense potential for reducing environmental impact by refurbishing old products.
Designer: Bang & Olufsen
Limited edition Beosystem 72-22 music system is a result of the constant endeavor to preserve old products into timeless musical accessories. As a part of the Recreated Classic Initiative, the brand has recreated 30 turntables, and infused them with the latest audio technology to never miss a beat. The pearl-blasted titanium tone aluminum record player comes in a solid walnut presentation box which doubles as package housing, as well as a storage cabinet for the old vinyl records.
The lucky owners can play the vinyl records in the ecosystem of B&O Beolab wireless speakers with controls actuated via the uber-futuristic Halo Beoremote or even a mobile device using the company’s app. For times when you don’t want to play the record player, the option to stream music from services like TIDAL and Spotify is there.
As per Rick Costanzo, vice president of Bang & Olufsen Americas, the system is a result of active customer engagement which has enabled the B&O products to be trickled down from one generation to the next, “as the technology, engineering, and design are simultaneously updated and improved across product categories.” The price tag of $45,000 is not for the faint-hearted collectors, so you’ll have to be a passionate audiophile and also a B&O fanatic to own this piece of history revamped as a modern turntable for your living room.
As a consolation, the 30 fat-pocketed owners of the Beosystem 72-22 will get a pack of four classic vinyl albums. These will be a set of handpicked releases from 1972 including David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, the Spiders from Mars, Paul Simon’s Paul Simon, Eat a Peach by the Allman Brothers’ Band, and Carly Simon’s No Secrets album.