Bang & Olufsen Beolab 500 (1987)
At 150 watts RMS per channel, this Danish-engineered active speaker doesn’t just fill a room—it commands it. HiFI-Stereo (December 1989, p.109) noted the Beolab 5000 speakers were priced at $2,055 a pair, reflecting the brand's premium market positioning during the era.
Overview
The Bang & Olufsen Beolab 500 emerged in 1987 as a bold statement in high-fidelity audio, combining precision engineering with the minimalist design language that defined B&O’s identity. Unlike conventional passive speakers of the era, the Beolab 500 integrated amplification directly into the cabinet, making it a self-contained three-way active speaker system. This design allowed for tighter control over driver performance and eliminated the variability introduced by external amplifiers.
Key Features
Three-Way Active Speaker System with Internal Amplification
Each Beolab 500 houses its own amplification, delivering 150 watts RMS per speaker, split evenly across the drivers—50 watts to the tweeter, 50 to the midrange, and 50 to the bass unit. This tri-amped configuration ensures clean power delivery and minimizes intermodulation distortion, a significant advantage over passive designs relying on a single amplifier to drive multiple frequency bands. The internal amplifiers operate at line level, feeding an active crossover before the signal reaches the drivers, allowing for steeper filter slopes and more precise phase alignment than passive networks.
25 mm Soft-Dome Tweeter for Extended High-Frequency Response
The 25 mm (1 inch) soft-dome tweeter soft-dome tweeter) is engineered for smooth, detailed high-frequency reproduction up to 20 kHz. Unlike metal domes that can sound harsh at high volumes, the soft-dome design contributes to a non-fatiguing listening experience, especially during extended playback. Its integration into the active system ensures it receives only the frequencies it’s optimized for, reducing strain and improving transient response.
100 mm Midrange Driver with Treated Paper Cone
Voices and instruments find their home in the 100 mm (4 inch) midrange driver midrange driver with a specially treated paper cone), which uses a paper cone treated for rigidity and damping. This material choice balances warmth and clarity, avoiding the brittleness sometimes associated with synthetic cones. Positioned between the bass and treble units, it operates within a narrow band defined by crossover points at 350 Hz and 3.5 kHz and 3.5 kHz (between midrange and tweeter)), ensuring seamless handoff across the frequency spectrum.
200 mm Long-Throw Bass Driver for Controlled Low End
The 200 mm (8 inch) bass driver bass driver with a long-throw design) features a long-throw suspension, enabling deep excursions for low-frequency reproduction down to 45 Hz). While not a subwoofer, its performance within the cabinet is tightly controlled, avoiding the bloated bass common in ported designs of the time. The active crossover and dedicated 50-watt amplifier allow for precise damping, resulting in punchy, articulate bass that integrates cleanly with the midrange.
Balanced XLR and Unbalanced RCA Inputs for System Flexibility
Input options include both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA connectors, a rare feature in consumer audio gear of the late 1980s.
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