ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hello,
I have a century, and sometimes the door sensor works fine and opens glass door, other times you have to wave your hand about for a few seconds to open door.
I took the covers off and cleaned two little blue sensor looking things on outer right hand side (in middle) of circuit board - that point towards the door with an alcohol swab, still not working, or is the sensor behind the display?
Any suggestions would be appreciated very much, as I do like my little century - I think it is better compact unit than half the new stuff from B&O.
They've re-released the Avant, it's the century's turn.
I and a huge amount of others do not need or want a wi-fi connection every time I want to listen to radio or music. A la GENEVA products!!! THEY SELL. WAKE UP B&O!!!!!!
Thanks.
Hi Chaka,
I don't have a Century, however ... it's worth upgrading and looking in the service manual because there's lots of info there about upgrading the door sensor by fitting new resistors and diodes. I couldn't work out the exact location of the sensors but there is a separate IR transmitter (on the right hand side, behind the fret) and receiver (on the left hand side, behind the fret). I hope this helps.
Hi Chaka!
I have a Century and I also have the B&O Play A8. In many many ways, the Beosound 8 / A8 is the Century replacement!
Far far far better sounding and in touch with today and the last 10 years. FM radio in the UK offers very very little choice in the majority of regions dominated by the mainstream fat cats. Internet radio offers the World! DAB is dead in the radio industry with most broadcasting in 80/64kbps MONO. It's regarded as a late 90s format.
From day one, I had problems with the Century's door - always sticking, refusing to open if the temperature dropped slightly in the room. For me it was a real disappointment for something that cost A LOT of money.
It would be suicide for B&O to go back and develop a new type of Century. The FM radio, CD playing customer is a dying breed. For the majority, music is on the move and what better way than to use your smartphone / iPad for all services from Spotify to iTunes to Netflix streaming to World radio stations such as Ibiza Sonica.
B&O Play is on the right track with A8's and future streaming devices. An iPod Touch if you don't want a phone docked on an A8 would offer so much more than the Century ever did.
Would a system with FM and CD player still sell today for B&O? I don't think so - certainly not for the younger generation for who they are aiming at.
A quote from B&O PLAY stated this... "Everything is very digital. They stream their content; they make their Facebook and YouTube videos social; they push it from their devices up into loudspeakers and televisions"
I do have a beolit 12 which I like very much, but again, always a internet source for radio. It is ANNOYING, but the sound on the century still keeps up with it. If you have all the controls on the century on neutral, it sounds like rubbish. Loudness on, bass at 5 treble at 2, gives a very similar sound to beolit 12! The design of the century is still quite remarkable, considering its age. The beolit 12 will not be remembered for its styling.
Many older B&O speakers sound terrible on neutral settings (6000's atrocious, 2500's FLAT!! but reasonable with some fiddling!)
The speakers they make, and other manufacturers manufacture now are just more dynamic sounding, a result achievable playing with tone controls (you do not have to do this with other 'audiophile' equipment of the same vintage to get the same sound. Some people may like the sound, I find it terribly FLAT.
Bose and geneva sell thousands of the mentioned styled product, their mainstay, so I cannot see why B&O couldn't do the same thing.
There are people in their 50's plus and people who are not tech heads or that into hi fi, that just want something simple to use, hence the reason Bose crap radios sell by the truckload. You must have got a dud century. I have never heard of anyone having a problem with the door. I have had many, but never had a problem....
Yes I have the EQ app for my iPhone as I agree the flat sound is lifeless and really horrible without it on B&Os. Again, I have the loudness switched on and bass on +2 and treble on +4 for the Century. Even still, the sound does not impress or excite me. It's boring! It has no life in it. It's an old man. It has no youth in it.
I think I must have bought the Century during B&Os bad financial times as I had three in the first week, the first one had a huge scratch on the door caused by the plug of the AM aerial that had come loose in its packaging. I bought mine December 1999. CD skipping problems and the tape deck stopped working after four years of little use.
Some of the Bose kit is excellent - for us in radio the 802s and AM5 were bullet proof!
My opinion of the Century is of a very poor quality product at a huge price riding on the name of Bang and Olufsen. It took me a year to save for this and it was true let down.
Design wise, I agree the BeoLit12 is nasty - it looks identical to a food recycle bin that I have in my kitchen proved by our dustbin services. The BS8/A8 though is an iconic piece of art. All like the V1 I guess - you either love the design or hate it.
Good luck though in finding what you are looking for - maybe could just buy a micro system or separates from a hifi company? Remember B&O is more lifestyle not hifi.
I had a similar problem with my Century, it turned out to be the wheel that drives the opening, some of the teeth had worn away, so got that replace (AVA in Crawley for £140). Might be the same problem!