BEO.ZONE

BeoCord 5000 Types 47XX (1975)

BeoCord Compact cassette

Production: 1975 - 01/1980

Y the time that the first variant of Beocord 5000 was introduced to the public in 1975, cassette tapes had become so popular that people had almost forgotten about reel-to-reel tape recorders of the past. Dutch electronics giant Philips had perfected the design of the compact cassette by the time that the format was announced to the unassuming public in 1965. It was designed to be a new form of portable entertainment, launched into a market dominated by vinyl LPs and reel-to-reel tape recorders. Oddly, Philips did not charge royalties on their cassette patent, allowing numerous other companies to use their design for free. This ensured the quick acceptance of it as a new form of media. The cassette tape went on to accrue enormous worldwide sales. At its mid-80s peak, it sold 900 million units a year (or around 54% of total global music sales).

So, nine years after its introduction, Bang & Olufsen had had time to sort out the wheat from the chaff in its design of the ‘ultimate cassette recorder.’ Beocord 5000 was a superior machine in many ways and not just to look at the sleek, veneered-covered box of aluminum and black plastic.
Within, it was kitted with a Sendust tape head, closed loop dual capstans, fully electronic controls and a unique servo drive system which secured low wow and flutter-data. Electronic recording level indicators (Peak Programme Meters) and the Fade in/Fade out functions facilitated rare recordings of the most challenging types of music. An automatic demagnetizing device helped ensure optimum signal/noise ratio at all times. A Hall generator secured the most reliable automatic stop at the end of the play. Because it worked electronically, it was superior to mechanical systems which are always subject to wear and tear, stress and strain. Dolby Dolby B NR circuits were incorporated and the sophisticated mechanisms within ensured snag-free and tangle-free use whether you chose to switch from regular play to fast rewind or fast forward, one after the other. Ferric Oxide or Chrom Dioxid tapes could be used.
The darkened perspex readouts showed just what was happening, from second to second, and the machine always gave back optimal recordings at all times.
Bang & Olufsen produced two Beocord 5000 designs: the three head machine (Type 4705) was replaced with the twin head (Type 4715/4716) devices in 1977.
At the time of its release, the Beocord 5000 UK prices were 299.00 GBP.

BeoCord 5000 Types 47XX (1975) technical specifications

Type: 4705 

Compact Cassette C60 - C90 
Features Dual capstans 
Electronic control 
Fade function 
Tape head Ferrite 
Heads 3 
Dolby system Yes 
Iron oxide tape Yes, automatic 
Chromium dioxide tape Yes, automatic 
Motors 2 
Indicator system 2 Peak Programme Metres 
Counter Yes 
Stop at the end of tape Yes 
Microphone Mono/Stereo 
Wow and flutter, DIN < +/- 0.15% 
Speed deviation < +/- 0.5% 
Fast forward and rewind 60 sec. 
Frequency range, DIN 30 - 15,000 Hz 
Signal-to-noise ratio Chrom. > 56 dB 
With Dolby Chrom. > 64 dB 
Erasure > 70 dB 

Power supply 
110 - 130 - 220 - 240 volts 
Power consumption 25 - 50 watts 
Dimensions W x H x D 47 x 8 x 28 cm 
Weight 8.5 kg 

Connections: Headphones 
Microphone 
Amplifier 
AUX 

Beocord 5000 (Type 4715/4716) Specifications 

Types: 
4715 (1977- Jan 1980) 
USA 4716 (1977 - Oct 1979) 

Features: Dual capstan 
Electronic controls 
Fade function 

Tape head 
Sendust 
Number of heads 2 

Dolby system: Yes 
Iron oxide tape: Yes, automatic 
Chrom tape: Yes, automatic 

Motors: 2 
Stop at the end of tape: Yes 

Wow and flutter, DIN 
<+/- 0.10 % 
Speed variation <+/- 0.5% 
Fast foward and rewind 60 sec. 

Frequency range, DIN chrome 
30 - 15,000 Hz 

Signal-to-noise ratio chrome 
>56 dB 
With Dolby + chrome >64 dB 
Power consumption 25 - 50 watts 
Dimensions W x H x D 47 x 8 x 28 cm 
Weight 8.5 kg 

Connections: Microphone 0.1 mV /2.2 komhs 
AUX 300mV /57 kohms

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