A phonograph adapter that's DA BOMB!!
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 2:52 pm
While I am hardly the first one to construct something like this, I spent this past weekend enjoying my homemade phonograph adapter that allows my digital music collection to be played through my 110-year-old Victor 0! Its sound quality rivals that of an Orthophonic, and best of all, it doesn't need to be wound after every play 
Here's what I used to construct the adapter, which is air-tight, reproduces from 200-20k Hz, plays for about five hours on a full charge at 80% volume and does not damage the tonearm whenever it is put on/removed:
-A Bomb speaker (about $9-$10 at Wal-Mart)
-A water bottle with a neck opening the same diameter as the Exhibition reproducer flange opening (mine was a 20 fl oz Dasani for $2)
-Scissors
-Packing tape (only a few pieces are needed, not an entire roll)
-Vaseline (a pea-sized amount)
-About fifteen minutes of free time away from external distractions (in my case, a lovably annoying family member)
First and foremost, completely drink the water in the bottle; it is best to perform the following tasks while well-hydrated. Second, mark the bottle where the bulbous/curved portion on the top of the bottle matches the height of the Bomb speaker (it must be a near-perfect match, if it is too tall or too low, the tape will not hold and it won't stay air-tight and secure.) Cut the bottle at this mark, discard the bottom portion and completely dry the top portion before attaching the speaker side of the Bomb to the water bottle top with the neck facing out. Then, make sure everything is level before taping it tightly with packing tape (take care to not tape over the ON/OFF switch located at the bottom of the speaker) and place a dab of Vaseline inside the neck bottle (this will make it easier to put on and remove the adapter as well as ensure an airtight seal.) Then, simply attach it to your machine and enjoy!
I hope this helps other collectors, and I am curious to know if anyone can alter these instructions to construct an adapter for cylinder machines? I no longer have a cylinder player so any advice on that regard would be appreciated!
Here's what I used to construct the adapter, which is air-tight, reproduces from 200-20k Hz, plays for about five hours on a full charge at 80% volume and does not damage the tonearm whenever it is put on/removed:
-A Bomb speaker (about $9-$10 at Wal-Mart)
-A water bottle with a neck opening the same diameter as the Exhibition reproducer flange opening (mine was a 20 fl oz Dasani for $2)
-Scissors
-Packing tape (only a few pieces are needed, not an entire roll)
-Vaseline (a pea-sized amount)
-About fifteen minutes of free time away from external distractions (in my case, a lovably annoying family member)
First and foremost, completely drink the water in the bottle; it is best to perform the following tasks while well-hydrated. Second, mark the bottle where the bulbous/curved portion on the top of the bottle matches the height of the Bomb speaker (it must be a near-perfect match, if it is too tall or too low, the tape will not hold and it won't stay air-tight and secure.) Cut the bottle at this mark, discard the bottom portion and completely dry the top portion before attaching the speaker side of the Bomb to the water bottle top with the neck facing out. Then, make sure everything is level before taping it tightly with packing tape (take care to not tape over the ON/OFF switch located at the bottom of the speaker) and place a dab of Vaseline inside the neck bottle (this will make it easier to put on and remove the adapter as well as ensure an airtight seal.) Then, simply attach it to your machine and enjoy!
I hope this helps other collectors, and I am curious to know if anyone can alter these instructions to construct an adapter for cylinder machines? I no longer have a cylinder player so any advice on that regard would be appreciated!
