The Beomaster 3000 was an important and successful model for B&O. It was the first of a new generation of receivers that combined the quality of the very best Hi-Fi components with the easy of use of a normal radio. Launched to fit into the range between the Beomaster 1000 and the Beolab 5000system, the Beomaster 3000 also defined a new division in the B&O range, the “High Fidelity” range, which at the time included the Beomaster 3000 and the Beolab 5000 system. Models in the “High Fidelity” range included the best technology available to ensure maximum performance, and were also usually very powerful. The less exacting models, such as the Beomaster 900, 1000 and 1200, were classified as the “Audio” range, and tended to be cheaper and less powerful.

The Beomaster 3000 was a 40W FM receiver of compact proportions and modern, elegant appearance. Sliding controls, like those of the Beolab 5000, were used to good effect and these were supplemented by a row of neat lever switches machined from aluminium (an improvement over the flimsy plastic buttons fitted to the Beolab components!). These switches controlled all the functions of the Beomaster 3000, and were grouped sensibly and logically to simplify operation. Functions included switches for two pairs of loudspeakers, hi and lo filters, a compensated loudness control, stereo channel switches (that if operated together could be used to select mono operation), 5 FM radio preset stations and selectors for a tape recorder (which could be a three head type, such as the Beocord 1800, in which case monitoring was possible) and two record players, one with a magnetic pickup and one with either a ceramic pickup or a Beogram fitted with a pre-amplifier.

The FM preset radio stations were set by a row of tiny thumbwheels below the main tuning scale. These could be difficult to adjust, but a really effective AFC system was fitted , along with a dual-light tuning indicator and signal strength meter, so in practice good reception could usually be secured, even by an inexperienced operator. The amplifier section, noted for its neutral, uncoloured sound, was considered really powerful at the time and could drive two pairs of large loudspeakers easily. Unlike many early solid-state designs, the potentially fragile output transistors were well protected by an elaborate circuit called an “electronic fuse”. As a result, reliability was excellent. As with some of the other models, loudspeaker inputs were provided too. These were switched to whichever loudspeakers were switched “off” using the switches on the front panel.

Of course to make the best use of the quality of reproduction available it would have been best to connect B&O equipment to function as the auxiliary sources, provisions were made to connect whatever the owner could afford. To this end, both DIN and RCA type input sockets were fitted. Level controls, made accessible through holes in the underside, were provided to avoid large volume changes between sources. In order to aid their accurate adjustment, a switch marked “test” on the rear panel could be used. This configured the loudspeakers to sound only the “difference” between the two channels. Thus, if a mono tape or record was played on the source to be adjusted, the level controls could then be set for minimum output, corresponding to equal gain on both channels.