Bang & Olufsen Beogram 8002

A high-end turntable from Bang & Olufsen’s 8000 series, with a microprocessor-controlled tangential arm and a precision direct drive system.

Overview

The Bang & Olufsen Beogram 8002 is a turntable designed as the top model in the 8000 series. B&O engineered it to be a technical showpiece, with high-fidelity audio performance and advanced mechanical design. It has a quartz-controlled direct drive motor, a die-cast aluminium plinth and a smoked acrylic top plate.

Specifications

Drive system	Quartz controlled direct drive motor
Platter	300 mm die-cast aluminium
Speeds	33 1/3 and 45 rpm
Wow and flutter	0.03% WRMS
Rumble	-78 dB (DIN B)
Tonearm type	Electronically controlled tangential tracking arm
Cartridge	MMC 20CL
Tracking force	1.2 grams
Tracking error	Less than 0.1 degrees
Dimensions (W x H x D)	460 x 140 x 360 mm
Weight	10.5 kg
Power consumption	15 W
Finish	Anodised aluminium and smoked acrylic

Design

A microprocessor-controlled motor drives the tonearm along a rail. An optical system reads the record groove to position it. The plinth is die-cast aluminium and the top plate is smoked acrylic, which adds rigidity.

Context

The Beogram 8002 was the flagship of the 8000 series, positioned above the Beogram 8000. It was designed to represent the top of Bang & Olufsen’s turntable engineering at the time, with the emphasis on accuracy, build quality and innovative drive mechanics.

Market

Pricing guides exist based on historical sales data, which points to collector interest. The unit is complex and can be expensive to repair. The MMC 20CL cartridge is proprietary and no longer in production, so replacement or retipping is difficult and costly.