Bang & Olufsen Beosystem 9000c
Six CDs displayed like objects, a mechanism fast enough to become theatre, and a format everyone else tried to hide.
Bang & Olufsen's recreated classic pairs a restored Beosound 9000 six-disc CD player with Beolab 28 speakers. The transparent vertical chassis leaves the media, mechanism and motion visible instead of disguising them behind an anonymous black box.
The evidence sheet
Physical media as visual information
The design argument is unusually strong because the discs are not decoration added after the fact. Their visible presence is the interface. What is playing, what is next and what the owner chose to keep are all legible from across the room.
Admire
It is an absurdly expensive way to play CDs and a remarkably coherent way to make recorded music physically present again.
The catch
The economics depend almost entirely on the object, provenance and industrial design. Anyone optimizing sound-per-dollar or convenience-per-dollar should spend dramatically less.
Independent perspective: Air Mail review.
Price and system configuration are manufacturer-stated. Row & Ledger has not auditioned this system.