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Bang & Olufsen has launched its revival version of the Beosystem 9000c music system. The new kit features a fully restored and reimagined Beosound 9000 CD player from the Nineties paired with B&O’s Beolab 28 speakers.

Following the Beogram 4000c recreated turntable in 2020, Beosystem 9000c is the second project in the Danish company’s recreated classics series. B&O explains: “As well as showcasing our commitment to product longevity, we wanted to celebrate the revival of physical media that has taken place in recent years. Vinyl and CDs have returned to being something special, where people invest time and energy to connect with the music and artists they love. Longevity in design and the passion for music listening are essentially what we are celebrating with the launch of Beosystem 9000c. It is all about keeping listening choices alive.”

The company has sourced 200 units of the original Beosound 9000 CD player and returned them to its factory in Struer, Denmark – the same place where they were first created from 1996 onwards. The CD players have been disassembled and every component cleaned, repaired and then individually tested and fine-tuned.

Building on the original design of the CD player, Bang & Olufsen has inverted the deep black and natural aluminium finishes of the original colourway and then matched this to the Beolab 28s with their natural aluminium lamellas and cosmic black aluminium base. To achieve the various finishes, the aluminium has been hairline brushed, etched and pearl-blasted, while all the aluminium elements of the Beosound 9000 are the original parts that have been: “re-machined and re-anodised to create unity between products despite being decades apart.”

The 9000 was first introduced in 1996 as a differentiated music system with a six-CD changer and built-in AM/FM radio. “The key is the idea of ‘autovisuality’ where basic functionality is exposed so that music can be displayed and the user is ‘in touch’ with the music.” According to legend, the idea came to designer David Lewis when he was walking past a record store in London where six CDs were laid out in a row in the window. “This inspired his concept of displaying album art linearly rather than hiding it away in a black box. The visible six CDs, the swift movement of the CD clamper, and the glass lid relate to the user in an innovative way with a highly differentiated visual design and aesthetic expression.”

B&O explains: “The CD clamper’s linear movement is a complex construction allowing swift and soundless movement between the discs. It moves from the first to the sixth CD, holds it, registers the information and starts playback within seconds. With Beosound 9000,the auto-positioning idea was not essential for the use of the product, but it added an element of magic so that users are always able to read the text on the CD.”

When the Beosystem 9000c music system is switched on, the curtains on the Beolab 28 speakers slide aside and the speakers are ready to go. The position of the curtains indicates whether the beam width is in narrow or wide mode, staging the listening experience where narrow mode minimises wall reflections and wide mode widens the listening area by diffusing the sound around the room.

The music system comes with a Beoremote One that allows users to control the entire setup, but can also be controlled via the Beolab 28 speakers or smartphone.

Approaching the Beolab 28s, the physical interface on top of the speakers lights up, which makes it possible to playback, skip tracks and control the volume. With four favourite buttons, users are encouraged to add their preferred radio stations via B&O Radio or a playlist from their music streaming service of choice. Wireless connectivity amounts to a choice of AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Bluetooth 5.0. The only setback? The system will cost you £45,000 and is limited to only 200 units.

Available to buy now for £45,000, you can find out more about the Bang & Olufsen Beosystem 9000c here.