If you're yearning for a blast from the past, dusting off your old vinyls and giving them a spin on your turntable is one of the best ways to tap into that nostalgia – and the latest record player from Bang & Olufsen could be the best turntable for the job.
The Beogram 4000c was originally launched in the 1970s, and a select number of existing models have been refurbished for 2020 – without losing its striking retro looks.
It's part of Bang & Olufsen's new Classics initiative, in which the Danish audio company is "restoring and reimagining classic products".
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Mads Kogsgaard Hansen, who is leading the initiative, explains: “In a world of consumer electronics, most products are regarded as disposable commodities. At Bang & Olufsen our products are built to stand the test of time. That is what differentiates us as a brand, what the Beogram 4000c so beautifully embodies and what we want to build on in the future”.
Carefully refurbished
In order to recreate the Beogram 4000 series turntable and bring it up to date, the company had to identify 95 existing models, bringing them back to "the same facility where they were first created nearly five decades ago", in Struer, Denmark.
Once there, the record players were disassembled, with every component "painstakingly cleaned" and new parts added where needed.
The retro turntables weren't just given a good scrub, though. For starters, the aluminum plinth has been "polished and anodized in a warmer champagne tone, giving the surface a subtle glow" – and we have to admit, it does look fantastic.
Meanwhile, the 4000c has been given a new solid oak frame and a dust lid to protect it while it's not in use – the touch-sensitive control pad has also been spruced up with a new, modern look.
Interestingly, the original designers of the Beogram 4000c in the 1970s left space in the internal architecture, to allow for "additional technology upgrades".
That foresight means Bang & Olufsen have been able to add a phono pre-amplifier to the turntable, which means it can be connected to your stereo speakers using a phono or 3.5mm line-level connection – no need for an external phonostage.
The tonearm on the upgraded turntable has largely stayed the same, aside from being given a modern stylus. According to Bang & Olufsen, the 4000c was "the first in a series of Bang & Olufsen turntables to feature an automated tangential tonearm".
"On most record players, the tonearm pivots inward, causing the stylus to apply unwanted pressure on the record, which can result in sound distortion," the company explains.
However, on the Beogram 4000c, the entire tonearm assembly "moves uniformly toward the center of the record, keeping the stylus in a consistent position relative to the groove in the vinyl".
Bang & Olufsen says that this allows the record to be played in "the same manner that the master disc was cut", hopefully providing a "more faithful acoustic experience".
Want to get your hands on one of these limited record players? You'll need to dig deep – the Beogram 4000c Recreated Limited Edition costs $11,000 / £9,000 (about AU$15,000), with only 95 units available to buy.
If you do have the cash to splash on a refurbished vintage record player, you'll be able to buy it from select Bang & Olufsen stores from October 12, or online from October 19.
Looking for something a little cheaper? Check out our guide to the best turntables of 2020 for more budget-friendly options. And don't forget: Amazon Prime Day is coming up on October 13-14, with Black Friday following soon after in November, and both sales events could be great times to pick up a cheap turntable.
