Beosound 9000
History of an icon
CDs disrupted the music industry, while Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound 9000 disrupted the concept of the CD player with its revolutionary design, first debuted in 1996 at the height of CDs’ popularity. With its vertical display of discs, Beosound 9000 broke away from the conventional black box design, which quickly consolidated its status as a time-transcending design icon.
A brief history of the CD revolution...
With their pristine sound and compact size, CDs pushed the boundaries of audio and remained the benchmark for digital audio quality for decades. The high-quality sound performance of CDs allowed listeners to get a nearly bit for bit playback of tracks as they came out of the mastering studio. Not only did they represent a significant leap forward in audio technology, but they also catalysed a transformative period in the music industry marked by increased creativity and artistic expression.
The hegemony of CDs not only allowed artists to expand their artistic vision sonically, but also visually.
A design revolution
While CDs disrupted the music industry, Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound 9000 disrupted the concept of the CD player with its revolutionary design, first debuted in 1996 at the height of CDs’ popularity. The visual component of CDs inspired renowned industrial designer David Lewis to come up with Beosound 9000’s design.
The sleek and innovative design of Beosound 9000 included a motorised glass lid, touch-sensitive buttons and state-of-the-art technology that allowed listeners to swiftly switch between tracks and CDs in a matter of seconds, all while displaying the listener’s favourite albums.
A pop-culture icon
Beosound 9000 quickly became a symbol of status and sophistication, immortalised in pop culture through its countless appearances in movies and television shows – a testament to the CD player’s cultural significance. Whether in Miranda’s home in ‘Sex and The City’, Matthew McConaughey’s apartment in ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’, or Pete’s apartment in the cult sitcom ‘Friends’, Beosound 9000 is continuously portrayed as a coveted object of desire that speaks to the spectator.
Recreated. Replayed. Reborn.
This is made possible due to the craftsmanship capabilities of Bang & Olufsen’s Factory 3 in Struer, Denmark, which has taken in original units of Beosound 9000 and recreated them as part of the Recreated Classics Programme using the same tools and work stations created decades ago.
More than just a CD player, Beosystem 9000c creates synergies between the past and the present, offering listeners a glimpse into the evolution of audio technology while remaining a timeless icon in its own right.
Beosystem 9000c
Join the House of Bang & Olufsen
Enjoy new and limited products, exclusive events, special offers and much more before anyone else.