Bang & Olufsen Beosystem 5500 (1988–1990)
The Beosystem 5500 was Bang & Olufsen's second-generation integrated music system, introduced in 1988 to complement the earlier Beosystem 4500 and produced through 1990. It arrived early in the CD era, and B&O positioned it as a full-room solution rather than a simple stack of components.
The system comprised four main pieces: the Beomaster 5500 receiver/amplifier, the Beocord 5500 cassette deck, the Beogram CD 5500 compact disc player, and Beovox CX 50 loudspeakers. The amplifier section delivered 2 x 55 watts, and the FM tuner covered 87.5–108 MHz. Audio (January 1987, p.54) highlighted the system's Master Control Panel — a two-way remote that not only sent commands to the components but received and displayed system status information like tuner frequency or tape recording level, and could be used from anywhere in the house. A simpler secondary remote was also available for additional rooms.
Surviving documentation on the Beosystem 5500 is thinner than its contemporary prominence would suggest. The system carried a prestigious status when new, and its ability to feed audio signals to B&O's self-powered Beolab Penta speakers — nine-driver, three-way line-source designs — was a notable selling point. What isn't well recorded: original pricing, detailed specifications for the individual components (DAC circuitry, tape transport specs, tuner sensitivity), and any owner-level reliability lore. Most of what circulates today traces back to a single enthusiast source, so treat the specifics above as moderately reliable rather than fully corroborated.
Known components and specs:
- Beomaster 5500 receiver/amplifier — 2 x 55 W, FM 87.5–108 MHz
- Beocord 5500 cassette deck
- Beogram CD 5500 compact disc player
- Beovox CX 50 loudspeakers
- Two-way Master Control Link remote with status display
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