Bang & Olufsen Beocord 1900
The Beocord 1900 is a three-head stereo cassette deck from Bang & Olufsen, part of the 1800/1900 series built between 1973 and 1975. It was the top-of-the-range model in that immediate group, and it is remembered today chiefly for what one collector forum describes as one of B&O's most idiosyncratic control layouts — a horizontal arrangement of pressure switches and sliding controls across the top panel rather than the conventional row of piano keys on the front.
Technically, the deck used a single capstan transport (a step down from the dual-capstan Beocord 1500 that preceded it), a large belt-driven flywheel, and a 4-pole motor. The transport was operated by logic-controlled "light" buttons — a soft-touch system that was still unusual at this price level in the mid-1970s. Frequency response is rated at 30 Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB. The 3-head configuration allowed off-tape monitoring while recording, a feature that placed the 1900 among B&O's more serious recorder offerings of the period. Contemporary reviews of the era's cassette decks emphasized features like tape selection and noise reduction, with models such as the CS-M02 offering metal-compatible playback and Dolby noise reduction (HiFI-Stereo, 1981, p.110).
The 1900 was sold during the era of the Beomaster 3000-2 receiver, and period buyers often paired the two. The deck carries a special DIN socket for interconnection, and collectors report that it works correctly with the 3000-2. One owner on a vintage B&O forum praises the machine's "very compact and handy design" compared to other decks of its day.
Documentation on the 1900 is thin. No original price, production figures, or detailed specifications beyond the above have surfaced in the research to date. For maintenance, the one concrete tip that appears in the record: make sure the large belt-driven flywheel is clean and that the drive belt has good tension — the usual aging-belt advice for a deck of this vintage.
Known Specifications
- Head configuration: 3-head
- Frequency response: 30 Hz – 20 kHz ±3 dB
- Motor: 4-pole
- Transport: Single capstan, large belt-driven flywheel
- Controls: Logic-controlled "light" buttons, pressure switches, sliding controls
- Connection: DIN socket for system interconnection
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