Beogram 4000
A record player with a tangential tonearm, designed by Jacob Jensen for Bang & Olufsen in 1972.
- Designed by
- Jacob Jensen
- Made by
- Bang & Olufsen
- First made
- 1972
Pictures © Bang & Olufsen, from bang-olufsen.com.
Why it is renowned
The Museum of Modern Art in New York holds a Beogram 4000 in its Architecture and Design collection, given by the manufacturer in 1973.1 In 1978 MoMA gave Jensen's work for the company an exhibition of its own, Bang & Olufsen: Design for Sound by Jakob Jensen.2 Bang & Olufsen brought it back in 2020 as the Beogram 4000c, a limited edition for the company's 95th birthday.3
The story
Jacob Jensen designed the Beogram 4000 in 1972, in aluminium and wood.3 The example at MoMA is rosewood, aluminium, stainless steel and plastic, made by Bang & Olufsen in Struer.1 Its tangential arm keeps the needle in line with the groove, as in the making of the master record; the player senses the size of the record and sets the arm itself; and the deck sits on leaf springs, so people could dance around it without the needle jumping.34 Since 2020 original players have been cleaned, refurbished and fine-tuned by hand in Factory 3 in Struer under the company's Recreated Classics programme.4 The recreated player is also offered as the Beosystem 4000c, a Beogram 4000c paired with Beolab 28 speakers.4
Sources
- Jacob Jensen. Beogram 4000 Record Player, MoMA. moma.org, read 29 September 2026.
- Jacob Jensen, MoMA. moma.org, read 29 September 2026.
- Turntables, Bang & Olufsen. bang-olufsen.com, read 29 September 2026.
- Recreated Classics, Bang & Olufsen. bang-olufsen.com, read 29 September 2026.
Last checked 5 October 2026, against the maker's own pages.