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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.

Image in factory of Beosystem 9000
Image with with white glove and CD player

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.

 Vintage living room with original Beosound 9000
 David Lewis with Beosound 9000

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.

David Lewis with a Bang & Olufsen CD player

David Lewis

According to legend, Lewis’ idea to display six CDs linearly as the design for Beosound 9000 came to him as he walked past a record store in London which had laid out six CDs in a row in the window.

Beoosund 9000 and Beolab 8000

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.

Beosystem 9000c recreated classic

The 9000 today

Re-emerging as the limited-edition Beosystem 9000c, Beosound 9000’s original deep black and natural aluminium finishes have been inverted to enhance the graphic edge of the CD player paired with matching Beosound 28 speakers.

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.

Beosound 9000 on the table broken apart in all components
  • Beosound 9000 open being restored
  • Men restoring Beosound 9000 in the factory

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. 

Product image of the Recreated Classic Beosystem 9000c, the iconic CD player and a set of Beolab 28 speakers in front view

Beosystem 9000c

£45,000
Beosound 9000 being restored in the factory
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