For me, personaly, the main difference between 9500 and 9300 is , a two way remote. 9500 works well with beolink 7000, as well as MCP 6500, 6000 etc. The CD is one of the greatest ever build on the 9500 with great DAC , unfortunately almost impossible to repair if fail ...
The beocenter 9500 was discontinued leaving the 93 as top of range for this system. I still prefer the 9000. Despite having the amplifier rebuilt to give more output power.
Thanks for your reply. Indeed the 9300 did replace the 9500as top of that range. It was seen by many as a cost cutting exercise by B&O, hence lack of phono stage, 2 way remote, 1 less aux input etc, yet in my view is still a great machine in its own right. Just don’t buy one expecting it to be the same as a 9500, as the appearance may suggest, because it clearly isn’t. It’s basically a Beosound Overture fitted in the shell but was a very popular choice at the time as it remained in production for over 6 years. My 9500 was gifted to me, how could I say no. To me it’s the king of the range, no question, ad it has everything. I don’t know so much about the 9000 except it’s the first of this generation, and I’m sure a great machine . What the differences are compared to the 9300/9500 I’m not sure. I have heard there was a problem with the cd spindle on the 9000, hopefully that was easily sorted.
Tks a lot for these nice informations !!! Just bought a second Hand 9500 (without Speakers !) Could you please advise What ideal Speakers should I Buy to Connect my 9500. Many Thanks in advance
@@SamirKhoudja Hello Samir. Glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. The BC9500 is a wonderful piece of hifi, so congratulations on your purchase. Regarding speakers, the 9500 is an extremely versatile machine as you can use virtually any passive speaker or, using the power link connections, any Beolab speaker from their existing or previous range. It really depends on your budget, size of room and placement of the speakers. I myself with my 9500 use a pair of passive Bang and Olufsen Beovox S80’s and this seems to be a very good pairing. The passive amp in the 9500 is rated at 40 watts so any good speaker rated at about 50-100 watts will be fine. Doesn’t necessarily have to be B&O, in fact they haven’t made passive speakers themselves for a very long time so if you do decide to stick with passive B&O check carefully for condition, especially bass drivers that may require re foaming on certain types. For active Beolab speakers the Beolab 8000 is always a good choice with very good performance (as you will have seem with my 9300), but may require a sub woofer in a larger room. The 8000 is a beautiful aesthetically pleasing speaker too and just looks timeless if looks are important to you. If your budget allows the Beolab 9 is also a good choice, much more powerful then the 8000. Also Beolab 3 are very good , about the same price and power as the 8000 but much more compact and will probably suit a smaller room. Older but still an excellent speaker are the Beolab Penta’s. The passive speaker connection on the 9500 is a 2 pin din. Don’t be put off my this, these are easily available online and then the other end can be used with just about any other passive speaker. Hope this helps,please don’t hesitate to contact me again if you need any further advice. Enjoy your 9500🙂
Thanks. And thank you for watching my cringeworthy video, I hadn’t watched it for ages so your comments prompted me to watch it again. It’s dreadful but I hope has been helpful to anyone considering buying either of these machines . Anyway, 9500 and pentas with the display on is , to me, B&O at its best. I hope you are still enjoying that system today, if so then that’s money well spent.
Thanks for watching the video. The 9300 was produced over about 7 years and I think there were some minor variations of trim and finish over that time. Some also had the mirror finish top panels, mine had the brushed aluminium. I also think the early 9300 also had the cd mechanism carried over from the 9500 ( curved movement) before the overture cd was introduced.
Hi. When I first got the 9500 I did a very quick, amateurish side by side comparison between the 2 machines. I set both to the same sound settings ie bass, treble, loudness and first used a pair of Beolab 8000 speakers, followed by a pair of passive Beovox S80’s., and of course playing the same cd’s. On both occasions I felt the 9500 had a very slightly more fuller sound, more noticeable with the S80 than the BL8000 so possibly the difference lies in the internal passive amp in the 2 machines. I must stress this is purely subjective, just my casual observations and frankly if I had to do a blind comparison I doubt very much whether I would be able to tell which was which. Both machines are great, and if you’ve got or getting a 9300 that performs as it should, you won’t be disappointed. There are technical differences in the cd player, the 9500 has 2 way remote and as mentioned the inbuilt phono stage but this doesn’t detract from the 9300 still being a B&O classic. The machines appear the same but are different in several ways, that’s all. I hope this helps and thanks for your interest.
@@rogerdawe2684 Thanks for the interesting conclusion. There are many B&O users, including hifi magazine reviewers who all seem to agree with your opinion that the 9500 is the better sounding unit. I have personally compared the sound quality of the Beosound 3000, Ouverture, Core, Moment, and the 4. (I have owned all of them). So far; the Beosound 4 is definitely the best sounding unit, with a more holographic soundstage, (instruments appear to be floating in the air around, between and behind the speakers). I would be interested to find out how the Beocenter 9500 would fare against the Beosound 4.
@@ttrrooyyttrrootteerr Thanks for your comments. I’ve not had any first hand experience with the Beosound 4 but I believe it was the last B&O system with its own cd player. It always looks great. I also have a Beosound 3000 , mk1 version with small cd clamp. It’s good but I haven’t gelled with it somehow in the same way as the other machines . The sound is ok but the build quality isn’t what I would have expected. I much prefer either the 9300 or 9500 to this as both are much more versatile being able to drive passive or Beolab active speakers and having extra auxiliary inputs. Having said that the sliding glass doors on the 3000 always attracts attention and the design is a B&O classic. . Mine has the MCL2P dedicated passive amp attached driving a pair of Celestion speakers in the kitchen. It also has an AirPort Express attached for airplay 2 multiroom streaming ( as do the 9300/9500) so it serves its purpose I guess. You have a great selection of B&O items. It’s an addictive but enjoyable hobby. I forgot to add, I think the sound signature from the 9500 could be summed up as ‘warm’ or perhaps analogue. Being newer maybe the Beosound 4 could perhaps be brighter sounding?
@@rogerdawe2684 After hearing that from you, I’m now tempted to get myself a nice 9500. However the only problem with all of this B&O equipment is that they tend to fail after some time. That’s why I’ve been recapping them with brand new capacitors, internal wiring etc (so that they will last for another 15 or so years).
@@ttrrooyyttrrootteerr That’s great that you have that level of tech knowledge. Sadly I don’t and it so difficult to find anywhere local to me for this era of B&O service or repair. . I’m based in south west England. ( Cornwall). The 9500 is a fantastic machine but of course will need attention sooner or later as with anything of that age.
@@yonel-s4u Most definitely with Beolab 3000. You will need mk2 power link cable then you will get the added benefit of the display in the BL3000 showing source and volume level. A good choice of speaker.
My 9500 doesn't have "Dolby" over the tape door. Only has HX PRO, does that mean someone put a new door on my unit, or are there some 9500s that don't say Dolby 🤔
Hi and thank you for viewing the video. The short answer is I’m not sure. Are your panels polished or brushed aluminium? If they are the matt grey then they are off an 8000 or 8500 but I think this is unlikely. My assumption is as the 9500 was the top spec’d in that range it always had the polished panels and therefore the tape door would have the full inscription ie DOLBY NR HX PRO . If your doors are the brushed aluminium there is certainly a chance the panels have been swapped from a 9300 , perhaps because the original panels on the 9500 have been damaged - they look fantastic but are very easily scratched and show any dust or fingerprints. This is just my own thoughts. Maybe your unit was towards the end of the 9500 production run before the 9300 was officially launched and B&O started using the brushed finished doors with just HX PRO on them . The tech specs according to the Beoworld website is they both have HX PRO but I think the mechanism is different.I have also seen 9300’s for sale with the polished finish so maybe it’s just one of those B&O quirks. If my 9500 also had the brushed finish i would still like it just as much, I have no preference to either they both look great. Unfortunately neither tape deck is working on mine, likely due to belts needing replacing. As I don’t play tapes I have not followed up getting them repaired. Do you still play tapes? I hope my long winded answer helps in some way. Enjoy your 9500, it’s a great machine.
@roger dawe yes, and thank you! My silver paneling is all made up of the polished, mirrored panels. Very shiny, essentially a mirror. My unit did have the belts replaced just prior to me purchasing it and yes, I listen to cassettes as well. It has the Beocenter 9500 emblem on the top left on top of the black grill, the Mic input in front, the silver 'stripe' around the side edges, and all mirrored paneling, the only difference I see is the "HX PRO" on my tape door. Hmm 🤔 I'm sure I will get to the bottom of this eventually. Glad I watched your video, else I may have never noticed but I'm glad I know now, I'll be looking into it! Thank you
Addendum: My 9500 is a US Type: 2508 - stamped December 1989, which I believe makes it one of the earliest production runs. I wonder if it being a US model factors in. If anyone knows I'd be interested to learn. Thx again.
@@jeffjeezy7170 Hi Jeff. This has now really caught my interest too. I think during the production run of the 9500 there were 2 or 3 different mechanisms used in the tape deck, so maybe the etching on the door somehow reflects that? Just a thought. Mine definitely has the Dolby NR HX PRO inscription, but it really hard to see in natural light. I know the serial number will clarify exactly which mechanism was used. If you do ever get to the bottom of this please let me know . I’m really curious now. Thanks.
For me, personaly, the main difference between 9500 and 9300 is , a two way remote. 9500 works well with beolink 7000, as well as MCP 6500, 6000 etc.
The CD is one of the greatest ever build on the 9500 with great DAC , unfortunately almost impossible to repair if fail ...
Beautiful setup Roger
Really nice video, well explained. Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks Steve, glad you liked it. I hope it helps anyone contemplating getting one of these wonderful machines.
The beocenter 9500 was discontinued leaving the 93 as top of range for this system. I still prefer the 9000. Despite having the amplifier rebuilt to give more output power.
Thanks for your reply. Indeed the 9300 did replace the 9500as top of that range. It was seen by many as a cost cutting exercise by B&O, hence lack of phono stage, 2 way remote, 1 less aux input etc, yet in my view is still a great machine in its own right. Just don’t buy one expecting it to be the same as a 9500, as the appearance may suggest, because it clearly isn’t. It’s basically a Beosound Overture fitted in the shell but was a very popular choice at the time as it remained in production for over 6 years. My 9500 was gifted to me, how could I say no. To me it’s the king of the range, no question, ad it has everything.
I don’t know so much about the 9000 except it’s the first of this generation, and I’m sure a great machine . What the differences are compared to the 9300/9500 I’m not sure. I have heard there was a problem with the cd spindle on the 9000, hopefully that was easily sorted.
Well done!
Thanks. It’s a question that has been often asked , hopefully this will be of help to someone.
@@rogerdawe2684 I don't think I'll ever own one but I love the looks of them and they still look the business today! very pretty!
Tks a lot for these nice informations !!!
Just bought a second Hand 9500 (without Speakers !)
Could you please advise What ideal Speakers should I Buy to Connect my 9500.
Many Thanks in advance
@@SamirKhoudja Hello Samir. Glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. The BC9500 is a wonderful piece of hifi, so congratulations on your purchase. Regarding speakers, the 9500 is an extremely versatile machine as you can use virtually any passive speaker or, using the power link connections, any Beolab speaker from their existing or previous range. It really depends on your budget, size of room and placement of the speakers. I myself with my 9500 use a pair of passive Bang and Olufsen Beovox S80’s and this seems to be a very good pairing. The passive amp in the 9500 is rated at 40 watts so any good speaker rated at about 50-100 watts will be fine. Doesn’t necessarily have to be B&O, in fact they haven’t made passive speakers themselves for a very long time so if you do decide to stick with passive B&O check carefully for condition, especially bass drivers that may require re foaming on certain types. For active Beolab speakers the Beolab 8000 is always a good choice with very good performance (as you will have seem with my 9300), but may require a sub woofer in a larger room. The 8000 is a beautiful aesthetically pleasing speaker too and just looks timeless if looks are important to you. If your budget allows the Beolab 9 is also a good choice, much more powerful then the 8000. Also Beolab 3 are very good , about the same price and power as the 8000 but much more compact and will probably suit a smaller room. Older but still an excellent speaker are the Beolab Penta’s.
The passive speaker connection on the 9500 is a 2 pin din. Don’t be put off my this, these are easily available online and then the other end can be used with just about any other passive speaker. Hope this helps,please don’t hesitate to contact me again if you need any further advice. Enjoy your 9500🙂
@ Many thanks Roger !!!
@ Very Kind of you !!!!
У меня 9300 в наличии и две версии 9500 и много проигрывателей пластинок.))
Lucky you got the 9500 foc. I paid over £2000 for one with a pair of Penta speakers. In 2010
Thanks. And thank you for watching my cringeworthy video, I hadn’t watched it for ages so your comments prompted me to watch it again. It’s dreadful but I hope has been helpful to anyone considering buying either of these machines .
Anyway, 9500 and pentas with the display on is , to me, B&O at its best. I hope you are still enjoying that system today, if so then that’s money well spent.
I have a 9300 with the white stribe !
Thanks for watching the video. The 9300 was produced over about 7 years and I think there were some minor variations of trim and finish over that time. Some also had the mirror finish top panels, mine had the brushed aluminium. I also think the early 9300 also had the cd mechanism carried over from the 9500 ( curved movement) before the overture cd was introduced.
What specific differences did you hear between the 9500 and the 9300? Better 3D soundstage on the 9500?
Hi. When I first got the 9500 I did a very quick, amateurish side by side comparison between the 2 machines. I set both to the same sound settings ie bass, treble, loudness and first used a pair of Beolab 8000 speakers, followed by a pair of passive Beovox S80’s., and of course playing the same cd’s. On both occasions I felt the 9500 had a very slightly more fuller sound, more noticeable with the S80 than the BL8000 so possibly the difference lies in the internal passive amp in the 2 machines. I must stress this is purely subjective, just my casual observations and frankly if I had to do a blind comparison I doubt very much whether I would be able to tell which was which. Both machines are great, and if you’ve got or getting a 9300 that performs as it should, you won’t be disappointed. There are technical differences in the cd player, the 9500 has 2 way remote and as mentioned the inbuilt phono stage but this doesn’t detract from the 9300 still being a B&O classic. The machines appear the same but are different in several ways, that’s all. I hope this helps and thanks for your interest.
@@rogerdawe2684 Thanks for the interesting conclusion. There are many B&O users, including hifi magazine reviewers who all seem to agree with your opinion that the 9500 is the better sounding unit. I have personally compared the sound quality of the Beosound 3000, Ouverture, Core, Moment, and the 4. (I have owned all of them). So far; the Beosound 4 is definitely the best sounding unit, with a more holographic soundstage, (instruments appear to be floating in the air around, between and behind the speakers). I would be interested to find out how the Beocenter 9500 would fare against the Beosound 4.
@@ttrrooyyttrrootteerr Thanks for your comments. I’ve not had any first hand experience with the Beosound 4 but I believe it was the last B&O system with its own cd player. It always looks great. I also have a Beosound 3000 , mk1 version with small cd clamp. It’s good but I haven’t gelled with it somehow in the same way as the other machines . The sound is ok but the build quality isn’t what I would have expected. I much prefer either the 9300 or 9500 to this as both are much more versatile being able to drive passive or Beolab active speakers and having extra auxiliary inputs. Having said that the sliding glass doors on the 3000 always attracts attention and the design is a B&O classic. . Mine has the MCL2P dedicated passive amp attached driving a pair of Celestion speakers in the kitchen. It also has an AirPort Express attached for airplay 2 multiroom streaming ( as do the 9300/9500) so it serves its purpose I guess. You have a great selection of B&O items. It’s an addictive but enjoyable hobby.
I forgot to add, I think the sound signature from the 9500 could be summed up as ‘warm’ or perhaps analogue. Being newer maybe the Beosound 4 could perhaps be brighter sounding?
@@rogerdawe2684 After hearing that from you, I’m now tempted to get myself a nice 9500. However the only problem with all of this B&O equipment is that they tend to fail after some time. That’s why I’ve been recapping them with brand new capacitors, internal wiring etc (so that they will last for another 15 or so years).
@@ttrrooyyttrrootteerr That’s great that you have that level of tech knowledge. Sadly I don’t and it so difficult to find anywhere local to me for this era of B&O service or repair. . I’m based in south west England. ( Cornwall).
The 9500 is a fantastic machine but of course will need attention sooner or later as with anything of that age.
does the 9500 need speakers or are the speakers integrated ?
@@yonel-s4u Hi. No integrated speakers. Both the 9500 and 9300 can use either passive or Beolab active speakers.
@rogerdawe2684 tks
As far as you know can it work with the beolab 3000?
@@yonel-s4u Most definitely with Beolab 3000. You will need mk2 power link cable then you will get the added benefit of the display in the BL3000 showing source and volume level. A good choice of speaker.
@@rogerdawe2684 thanks
My 9500 doesn't have "Dolby" over the tape door. Only has HX PRO, does that mean someone put a new door on my unit, or are there some 9500s that don't say Dolby 🤔
Hi and thank you for viewing the video. The short answer is I’m not sure. Are your panels polished or brushed aluminium? If they are the matt grey then they are off an 8000 or 8500 but I think this is unlikely. My assumption is as the 9500 was the top spec’d in that range it always had the polished panels and therefore the tape door would have the full inscription ie DOLBY NR HX PRO . If your doors are the brushed aluminium there is certainly a chance the panels have been swapped from a 9300 , perhaps because the original panels on the 9500 have been damaged - they look fantastic but are very easily scratched and show any dust or fingerprints.
This is just my own thoughts. Maybe your unit was towards the end of the 9500 production run before the 9300 was officially launched and B&O started using the brushed finished doors with just HX PRO on them . The tech specs according to the Beoworld website is they both have HX PRO but I think the mechanism is different.I have also seen 9300’s for sale with the polished finish so maybe it’s just one of those B&O quirks. If my 9500 also had the brushed finish i would still like it just as much, I have no preference to either they both look great. Unfortunately neither tape deck is working on mine, likely due to belts needing replacing. As I don’t play tapes I have not followed up getting them repaired. Do you still play tapes?
I hope my long winded answer helps in some way. Enjoy your 9500, it’s a great machine.
@roger dawe yes, and thank you! My silver paneling is all made up of the polished, mirrored panels. Very shiny, essentially a mirror. My unit did have the belts replaced just prior to me purchasing it and yes, I listen to cassettes as well. It has the Beocenter 9500 emblem on the top left on top of the black grill, the Mic input in front, the silver 'stripe' around the side edges, and all mirrored paneling, the only difference I see is the "HX PRO" on my tape door. Hmm 🤔 I'm sure I will get to the bottom of this eventually. Glad I watched your video, else I may have never noticed but I'm glad I know now, I'll be looking into it! Thank you
Addendum: My 9500 is a US Type: 2508 - stamped December 1989, which I believe makes it one of the earliest production runs. I wonder if it being a US model factors in. If anyone knows I'd be interested to learn. Thx again.
@@jeffjeezy7170 Hi Jeff. This has now really caught my interest too. I think during the production run of the 9500 there were 2 or 3 different mechanisms used in the tape deck, so maybe the etching on the door somehow reflects that? Just a thought. Mine definitely has the Dolby NR HX PRO inscription, but it really hard to see in natural light. I know the serial number will clarify exactly which mechanism was used. If you do ever get to the bottom of this please let me know . I’m really curious now. Thanks.
@@jeffjeezy7170 Possibly, but I think being a US version the main difference was the voltage supply. I may be wrong though 🙂