BEO.ZONE

BeoGram CD50

BeoGram Compact Disk Players

Production: 1985 - 1986

Documents: Service Manual, Schematic, Owners Manual

Both Beogram CD50 and Beogram CDX were introduced to the marketplace at a time that individuals’ enthusiasm for the new compact disc medium seemed undiminished.  All manufacturers were bringing out their own CD-based products, or at least their own versions of other manufacturers’ products, notably Philips.

The CD50 was a beautiful machine to look at as it blended in perfectly with the rest of Beosystem 5000, Jacob Jensen’s tour de force of sculptured electronic art.  But to use it was a very different beast indeed. First, when the drawer opened up to accept a compact disc it looked really rather ugly with a black void appearing against acres of brushed aluminum.  Secondly, one had to put the disc into the machine upside down.  This came about as hi-fi designers feared that the US market (and the US market was, and still is the biggest consumer market in the world) would pass laws ensuring that laser mechanisms in CD players (because the format was so new) shone downwards and not upwards into the eyes of unwitting consumers who may pry within to see what was going on!  The new laws never came into being of course, so the pre-emptive strike that was CD50 was unwarranted.

Although Beogram CD50 was designed to be used with the rest of Beosystem 5000 and therefore be controlled by MCP 5000, for anyone who wished to purchase the player as a separate, standalone unit, a separate remote control was designed for its use, as there were no controls as such on the unit itself other than the CD drawer.

BeoGram CD50 technical specifications

Types: 
5111 (1985 - May 1988) 
AUS 5115 (1985 - April 1987) 
GB 5112 (1985 - Oct 1987) 
J 5114 (1985 - Sept 1987) 
USA 5113 (1985 - May 1988) 
Frequency range: 4 - 20,000 Hz +/- 0.3 dB 
Signal-to-noise ratio: > 95 dB 
Dynamic range: > 95 dB 
Harmonic distortion incl. noise: < 0.003% at 0 dB 
Channel separation: > 94 dB 
Channel difference: < 0.5 dB 

Converter system: 16 bit, 4 x oversampling 88.2 kHz 
Low pass filter: Digital + analogue 
Damping: > 20,000 Hz > 60 dB 
Output analogue: 2 V RMS at 0 dB 

Power supply: 
5111: 220V 
5112: 240V 
5113: 120V 
5115: 240V 
Power consumption: 28 W 
Dimensions W x H x D: 42 x 7.5 x 32.5cm 
Weight: 8 kg 

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