So I went down to my local B&O store this Saturday to pay for my HD kit for BV7-III and got told that BS 9000 could be discontinued by the end of the year.  Out of shock, i quickly put down a deposit for the last limited white BS 9000 they have in the store......

Either its good marketing on their part or it could be true.  IF true. it is just sad that such an iconic product will no longer be available. 

I am very happy to have one and I will 4 sure not sell it, even CDs are outdated one time. But I am curious what will B&O offer instead then, BS5 is not a superior product for me as there is a lot to be done till the music can be played on it (downloading mp3 music via net, loading to BM5). It also only has internet radio, so terestial can no longer ne played.

Rubbish. 

Honestly, I think B&O would make a big mistake if they scrap the 9000.

At least not before they introduce a viable alternative. Though I think they should give the 9000 a nice update, both internally and externally and make it available in a multitude of colours. Nothing beats the interaction this unit gives.... more fun to watch it in action and change disks than looking at the static lcd display of the BS5.

This machine has plenty of life left into it if B&O plays its cards right. I saw the white version the other week and I fell in love it with all over again...

Not heard anything about this myself, and i suppose i'm pretty well informed?!

I wouldn't be surprised though if this happens in the not too distant future - it's been around a long time, and CD's are on their way out.  The BeoSound 4 can cater for CD lovers, so at least something in the range would be a solution for them.

A 'special edition' usually heralds a product nearing the end of it's lifespan - they do that with cars..

Lee

9 LEE:

Not heard anything about this myself, and i suppose i'm pretty well informed?!

I wouldn't be surprised though if this happens in the not too distant future - it's been around a long time, and CD's are on their way out.  The BeoSound 4 can cater for CD lovers, so at least something in the range would be a solution for them.

A 'special edition' usually heralds a product nearing the end of it's lifespan - they do that with cars..

Lee

Lee,

I thought the same thing, though I am sorry to say that the BS4 would definately not be an option for me. Personally I don't like listening to a whole album in one go. I have records and a turntable for that. I just love to pick out 6 cd's and put it on shuffle and just let it run it course. 

I find alot of people do download songs, but often rip their favourite cd's or compilations back to cd in the end....

 

 

I have heard the same Rumor, but I can't remember if it was from my dealer or here on the forum.

It was 20 years ahead design-wise when it was launched, and still is. 

Are you sure these rumours are not based on encouraging customers to purchase the product before it's gone for good?

I don't want to shock you, but most dealers are just sales people and, as salesmen, want to make as much money as possible. In these difficult times (I work in the magazine industry, where advertising is down 40% and it's desperate) it's easy to start employing tactics that are used to shock - ie. 'this might not be around much longer, so buying now is to your benefit'.

I'd trust what Trip and Lee have to say.

This is true.  Thank god someone has made the decision finally to end this unit.  It is a beautiful piece, sadly though the tech will become more outdated without serious investment shortly.

Get em while they're hot.

moxxey:

Are you sure these rumours are not based on encouraging customers to purchase the product before it's gone for good?

I don't want to shock you, but most dealers are just sales people and, as salesmen, want to make as much money as possible. In these difficult times (I work in the magazine industry, where advertising is down 40% and it's desperate) it's easy to start employing tactics that are used to shock - ie. 'this might not be around much longer, so buying now is to your benefit'.

I'd trust what Trip and Lee have to say.

Moxxey does have a point. I think I've heard, or read a rumour that there might be another B&O price increase... a big one... anyone else heard that?

just browsing through old beosound 9000 threads and came accross this one.

Now i agree as much as i have my beomedia and a cupboard full of cd's that i never play i think that my most recent cd's are the ones i play most often.

some good ideas for the MK4 coudl be DAB and MOTS on a beosound 9000 imagine that.

 

when i quized my local B&O store a few weeks ago, he said they weren't expecting any new "audio" products in 2009, but that's not to say nothing for 2010.

i think at a minimum Beosound 4 should incl a hard drive like Beosound 3200 since it can cater to multi source.  kinda disappointing you have multi source but just 1 CD, radio and an SD card slot only to play with!

Been doing some more "wishful" thinking

Beosound 9000 MKIV

6 Disk Changer that plays MP3 Disks

MOTS for all Disks

DAB Radio

 

Sounds good to me where is the recomendation box

There is a lifecycle to every B&O product, and the BS9000 has completed it - but so has the (even older) BL6k, BL8k and the BS3200 (updated, but introduced in -91). Looking at the speakers, the (then) new BL3 didn't meet the expected sales figures and dropping the still good selling BL6k and BL8k would have resulted in a drop in sales - and not a move from column to ALT sales.

I guess it is fair to say that the Danes will not drop a product that is still generating enough revenue (they also take into account if the sales of an existing product will limit the sales of a newly introduct product, in-store-traffic effect - the BL6k still creates a lot of traffic and sales).

The BS9k was suffering at one point, but even before the white version came out sales started to pick up again. That says a lot about the overall quality of the BS9k.

Regarding new audio products, the codenamed A21 (BS5 "light" w/iPod dock) will be released shortly - but it will hardly have any effect on the BS9k sales IMHO.

Roger

Haven't these rumors about the 9000 being discontinued been wafting around for the past couple of years? I do think, though, that the limited edition white would be a sign that discontinuation was at least being considered if it were not for the fact that other products were also being marketed in white. I agree with other posters that the 9000 is at least one piece of gear I won't sell off. That and the my trusty beogram 6500 turntable. Sal

They would be stupid to do such a thing. Also, although the white edition was a limited edition, it was nothing more than a means to generate some quick cash in difficult times.

IF the BeoSound 9K was to be discontiued, B&O would create a new, Final Edition version of it AND market it as THE LAST BS9Ks!

So no rushes :)

Good on you b&o if it is true move away from the antiquated/dinosaur products and welcome to the 21 century,very encouraging news

As for moving away from the BS 9000, it is in the cards, but to call one of the most recognizable icons, and still sought after products an "antiquated dinosaur" may be a bit harsh.  The "21st Century" products from B&O could be seen as marketing failures in comparison to the aesthetic and interactive pleasure of the BS9000.  Many of the "21st Century" B&O products have come and gone, or are going out with a wimper.  BS9000 while, not current will be greatly missed when it's removed from the product line.    

Obviously, at one stage, BS9000 will be discontinued, but I don't know when.

What I don't understand in B&O's present policy is the need to launch new products, when a simple & inexpensive solution would have been to update its present range. In the BS9000's case, when will B&O:

- make the CD drive playback CR-RW, MP3 and WMA CDs, all this with the same speed between 6 MP3 CDs? That is a real challenge!

- make the radio DAB compatible

- fit the back or side of the system with a USB input that will be able to scan all audio files on your pendrive, SD card or IPOD, or Serenata, and playback the whole files with

- a new display similar to BeoCenter 2/ BeoSound 4's, or even a Serenata-sized display on the present CD-clamper with CD cover and CDDB info scrolling on the present display; this would be possible with:

- an Ethernet or wi-fi connection to your router/modem for proper CDDB info, software upgrades and maybe even NRADIO becoming accessible without BeoPort or BeoSound 5..

- a built-in BeoLink Wireless transmitter for all your other rooms.

Am I asking too much?

 

Chrisreunion:

Am I asking too much?

I totally agree with your (many would think conservative) praise of BeoPort as you expressed it elsewhere here, Chris, but this ... no! No more Dr Frankensteins, please.

BS9000 is as good as the CD era goes plus a good bit more to help one with a transition to the next stage of digitalized music sources, but ... that's it!

No doubt, in the (near) future it will be discussed in a similar fashion as the BeoGrams and Soundsmiths' cartridges have been for some years now - with one exception: there were many of them, but only one BS9000!

(My view might be biased as I have owned BS9000, I own it and will own it until my/its days are counted.)

    

Chrisreunion:

Obviously, at one stage, BS9000 will be discontinued, but I don't know when.

What I don't understand in B&O's present policy is the need to launch new products, when a simple & inexpensive solution would have been to update its present range. In the BS9000's case, when will B&O:

- make the CD drive playback CR-RW, MP3 and WMA CDs, all this with the same speed between 6 MP3 CDs? That is a real challenge!

- make the radio DAB compatible

- fit the back or side of the system with a USB input that will be able to scan all audio files on your pendrive, SD card or IPOD, or Serenata, and playback the whole files with

- a new display similar to BeoCenter 2/ BeoSound 4's, or even a Serenata-sized display on the present CD-clamper with CD cover and CDDB info scrolling on the present display; this would be possible with:

- an Ethernet or wi-fi connection to your router/modem for proper CDDB info, software upgrades and maybe even NRADIO becoming accessible without BeoPort or BeoSound 5..

- a built-in BeoLink Wireless transmitter for all your other rooms.

Am I asking too much?

 

Chris I couldn't agree more. While B&O should always strive forward in design and technology, the "landmark" products such as BL8000, BS9000, BL5000 (speaker) etc... should have been updated and kept in the lineup. I for one absolutely love the Beolab 5000 speakers. 

 

 

I enjoyed me Lab 5000 when I had them

Sadly I think the rumour will turn out to be true. Whether the timing suggested turns out to be exact or happens to be out by 6-12 months we will see. The BS9000 is/was a truly fantastic product and there will be many of these held as precious antiques in 100 years time. Not only for its stunnning design but also its hidden engineering genius.

So, for those of you who want to grab a piece of history, make sure you have the BS9000 within your budget plan for the coming 12 months.

If it's any consolation, i bought myself a Limited Edition White BS9000. It's a low double-digit number of the 1500 that is my birth date, my lucky number and also my wife's families lucky number (all of their children were born on this number day too).

I will keep it as long as i live and hand it down to my children when i depart - such is my belief that this product defined the company i love, in an era that i worked so closely with it.

Sounds a bit soppy - but it's the truth. B&O has that effect... i guess you all know that!

Lee

 

I suppose all good things do eventually come to an end and what a great triumph it will be for the BS9000. It has stood the test of time most proudly; broken all sorts of records in design and engineering and firmly established itself in museums and people's homes across the globe. What a great testament the BS9000 will be to represent '...all things B&O' when the end is nigh.

It will certainly be staying in my home for many more years to come and as others have commented, I certainly don't see the BS5 as a replacement product. In my opinion they have yet to make one.

Simon.