I have a brochure from 1964 and one of the products it lists is called simply the "Master". Basically its a BM900K. The only difference I can find in the specs is that it comes without the AFC circuit and no stereo light. Does any one know if it was ever actually produced or if any one owns one.

Woah, thats a big picture! The Brochure also lists the 900K as we all know it, I just wonder if the Master was ever sold anywhere.

What other strange versions of things are there, like the black 4401 etc.

It is a Beomaster 610K - it is the first version of the Beomaster 900 - they do come up for sale quite regularly - I think they were only out for a year or so before being rebranded.

Other oddities include the DAB version of the Beocenter 2500 and the 5000 stacking system with a wood finish.

Thanks for that Peter. Any pictures of a wooden 5000 system? Im not sure if it would look nice or not.

Martin has one and there is unit in the Struer museum. Only part of it has the wood veneer. In my view, definitely an oddity!

Another few are Beomaster 4401 and Beogram 4001, which are stock models with black anodized aluminium instead of natural colour. There are not many surviving examples that made it through the prototype test time, most were probably destroyed! 

The Master 610 exists alright.
Very similar to the Beomaster 900K but there are internal differences like no plug-in
support for a stereo decoder in the first units and the Master 610 was not available without speakers as
the later Beomaster 900 series (Beomaster 900M).
It does not have the "STEREO AUTOMATIC" lettering on the dial either.

I restored this one recently:

Note that the photo in the catalogue is of a prototype. It does not have the grey station "memory" bar
with the tiny black plastic sliders.

The Master 610 is considered rare but they do come up for sale from time to time.
There were a few more in-beween models that are very rare to see, they had
the S- type number designations.
The above Master 610 has S.13 and this is the inside serial number label of a S.264:



The S.264 is very close to the Beomaster 900K on the outside, except is has other station
names on the dial like Allois wheren nothing is printed on later models and Minsk on
the "Europa"-section of the dial where the later models have Praha:

Yeah, I know. I shall stop now. 

But let me add the grey Nextel covered Beomaster 1400 and matching Beocord 1500.
The Nextel gives a rubber-like surface. Looks ugly and is very difficult to keep clean.

Martin

Søren Hammer:

Another few are Beomaster 4401 and Beogram 4001, which are stock models with black anodized aluminium instead of natural colour. There are not many surviving examples that made it through the prototype test time, most were probably destroyed! 

 

The 4401 is real enough - I have one and Frede another. The Beogram 4001 is an invention I am afraid! It is a Beogram 6000 that was spoiled by damp conditions which I made match my 4401! Amuses me to see other sites pick it up!!

Martin, the brochure says it was equipped with a socket for adding the FM decoder but it does seem like it was a prototype so could have been different to the production model. I think they just copied the description from the 900k and took out the bit about the AFC circuit.

That 610 is an absolute beauty! Unfortunately its added another one to my wants list.

I wouldn't expect all Master 610 to be exactly the same.
There can easily be different versions (strange if not).
This model was obviously still developed while being produced
(which makes the different versions even more collectible  ).
I saw a S.290 too a couple of years ago but I'm not sure if I have any photos of it.

Oh, and watch out for that collector bug.
If it bites you, you may end up enjoying taking photos like this:

- and not a lot of people may understand you...

Martin

Dillen:

I saw a S.290 too a couple of years ago but I'm not sure if I have any photos of it.

Martin

My 900k that you did  a couple of things to is an S290 but I dont know if there are any differences between it and a slightly later 900k

Oh yes, there it is !

Here a Master 610 Type S.225 in my collection, awaiting restoration :

Martin

beaker:

Dillen:

I saw a S.290 too a couple of years ago but I'm not sure if I have any photos of it.

Martin

 

My 900k that you did  a couple of things to is an S290 but I dont know if there are any differences between it and a slightly later 900k

I have an S290 as well, and so did another guy in this excellent thread, so it can't be all that rare. Perhaps it was export only, and therefore more common outside of Denmark?

Mika,
That is indeed possible, and it would also explain the 6-position voltage setting switch that
we don't see in Denmark.
Does your S.290 have the same ?

Martin

Unfortunately I can't check for a while as it is currently in storage far away, but I'm sure it had some kind of a voltage selector. I bought it from Germany and oddly enough it had the stereo decoder as well (of course it could be a retrofit).

From the front, it is identical to the "proper" 900K I found here locally, unless the scale markings have some minute differences I missed.

Peter :

It is a Beomaster 610K - it is the first version of the Beomaster 900 - they do come up for sale quite regularly - I think they were only out for a year or so before being rebranded.

Other oddities include the DAB version of the Beocenter 2500 and the 5000 stacking system with a wood finish.

Forgive a n00b's question:  what pray tell is "DAB"?

Digital Audio Broardcast, a type of digital radio system

The DAB 2300 was an interesting little piece of kit. They were made as a small run - I think 500 was the number mentioned. They were operated by an Apple Newton as a remote!! They were supposedly all scrapped when this particular project was abandoned but a few found their way into the wild! There was one on eBay a few years (make that quite a few!) ago which I enquired about but I seem to remember that it was not complete.

Heres a couple of pics of my S290 900k. As can be seen it features the voltage control so maybe we can now say that the S290 was an export model.

Martin, if you have a wooden 5000 please put up a picture if its not hidden away.

Beocord 5000 in palisander.
Note the red label, serial number and the P3 stamp (type of palisander finish).

Martin

Dillen:

Beocord 5000 in palisander.
Note the red label, serial number and the P3 stamp (type of palisander finish).

wow ! I never knew they came like that ... I am not sure I like it ... but it is interesting !

Dillen:

Note the red label, serial number and the P3 stamp (type of palisander finish).

 

Martin,

just for curiousity: what does a red label mean?

Is it prototype or limited edition?

I own an BM5000 with a red label but shows no strange differences to the white label one.

Thanks,

  Gunther

It's a bit difficult to say exactly what the red label indicates but the ones I've seen
with red labels have been slightly different from normal in some way or another.
My guess is that they are prototypes and/or machines meant for testing purposes.

Could be interesting to see a photo of the Beomaster 5000, the label and the innards.

Martin

Dillen:

Could be interesting to see a photo of the Beomaster 5000, the label and the innards.

 

Innards will be a bit problematic as unit is already stowed away but I made a photograph of the label back then.

And just for another curiousity: what kind of funny person did this?

Gunther

All sorts of anomalies here! The type number is written 892416 by hand and the transformer cover has Beomaster 3000 on it!