The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

What would you consider the most economical phonograph to play? A talking machine with steel needles or Diamond Disc? I would think that a Diamond Disc stylus would be more costly in the end. Maybe I’m wrong?

I own both an Edison A250 and a Sonora Invincible and I can tell you that the diamond stylus on my Edison still works fine way passed it's 1912 installation date. I do enjoy playing Edison records without having to change the needle after every record. The music on my lateral 78 collection is simply not available on Edison records. The price of needles is around $5.25 for a pack of 100. I usually play both sides of the record with one needle which gives me 200 songs per pack. I think I can afford the price of the needles. Finding Edison records I enjoy has been more difficult and more costly than the laterals. In the end the Edison has been more economical.

I buy fancy needles and use them only once, so that's that...it gets expensive. But my only diamond machine is the Amberola 30. It's almost a perpetual motion machine, but it is tough finding good 4 minute records and then trying to store them. I must say that the Victor Victrola still wins unless you start counting costs of needles.