Hi everybody!

I am considering buying a Beosound Century for the guest room as a nice feature. Can someone tell me if this is a good idea? Does the Beosound Century change much in it's 11 years of production or did the system stay the same?

Regards.

If you have other beo stuff in your home you might be better off with a product that can make use of masterlink.

If Archenoah is considering a unit for the guest room (exclusively). I would caution against something with masterlink, or at least getting a unit and connecting it WITH masterlink. I would prefer to have a guest unit unconnected to the rest of the system less the potential for unwittingly fiddling around with units in other rooms.

The Century is a wonderful little product, but have you considered the Beosound 1? Though it doesn't have cassette, it is a less expensive unit, less fiddly bits to go awry (no door, no door wires, etc), but has probably the features a guest would want the most: Radio and CD, and provides a very robust enclosure. Along with multiple not-delicate placement options.

Just my two cents :-)

Sal

Sal is right. If you don't need Masterlink and a stand-alone is all you need, the Century but also the Beosound 1 are both worth considering. I own the Century, and I am happy with it although I never use the tape deck. I don't think it has changed in 11 years.

So bottom line is you can't do much wrong with the Century as long as the door sliding mechanism is in good condition as Sal pointed out.

Good point Sal! I did not consider the guests : ) 

You can not go wrong with a beosound 1 they are EXCELLENT. i miss mine. The sound was incredible and it was ridiculously easy to operate.

Oh, also, Guests can use the BS1 as a speaker for their iPods / other MP3 players as well. Sal

I like Centuries which I think have a better sound than the BS1. The Century did have a few variants - some have AM as well as FM radio and the later ones have an aluminium clamper.

I installed a Century on the wall in my oldest sons bedroom.  It sounds great and is very "B&O".  I have an audio cable hooked up so he can connect his MP3 player to it via aux.

I love the BS1 and considered buying one since the Century is no longer made. At almost the same time I found a very nice Century with the aluminium clamper in excellent condition, that included a beo 4 remote for $300 on E-bay.  That pretty much nixed the BS 1.

Can't go wrong either way.  The BS 1 still interests me, just not sure where I would put it now.

Roger

 

Blimey Roger - that was a proper bargain!!!

Medogsfat,

It was the quickest "buy-it now" purchase I ever made.  I literally saw it minutes after he listed it.  Felt very lucky, I honestly think the seller didn't know what he had, his sellers history was for mostly cheaper used "boom-box" type radios from the 80's and 90's for $15-$25.  $300 may have seemed like a big number.

Roger  

We have a century on the wall in the kitchen and love it! It is superb stereo and because it is not ML'd as it gives other options for listening in that room if the CD/tuner is being used elsewhere. I am probably going to install a 3500 in the kitchen shortly but will still leave the century for its looks alone.

  All in all a classic imo!

Hi there!

I've had my Century for 10 years now and I love it! The sound quality is excellent and I love the design of it. I think the design is so much nicer than the BS1 and BeoCenter2 in fact, I'm just not warming to the new B&O hifi range i'm afraid and Ive loved their products since the 1970s!!!

Only real fault is the CD is very sensitive to scratches and fingerprints and it does jump if the sound is very loud - a very very bad B&O design fault in my opinion. The cassette deck is actually is very high quality unit and makes crisp recordings.

If you get the chance buy one - their design is iconic!  My all time favourite B&O has to be the Ouverture and 5000series from the 80's with Beolab 6000 speakers! I think the Beolab 5 and 9s are the ugliest things i have ever seen - i wouldn't give them house room!

I have just bought  a Century  ca 9 years old. I thought this might be a nice stereo for my daughter . I must say it is a beautiful piece and I love it. Try to buy as new as ossible is my advice.

another small difference, the later ones had a headphone socket at the back bottom, where as the earlier ones didnt, im not sure what serial number they made this change from or if you can add the socket to the earlier ones , does anyone know?

ArcheNoah:

... I am considering buying a Beosound Century for the guest room as a nice feature...

Just wait until the November prize draw... first prize is a Century!

Ralf

kallasr:

ArcheNoah:

... I am considering buying a Beosound Century for the guest room as a nice feature...

 

Just wait until the November prize draw... first prize is a Century!

Ralf

Ooh I just checked the november prize draw.....lovely piece of kit .... would look great in my kitchen or bathroom (well any room .....)