Micro Perophone 1926 MP3 Player

[OrthoFan]

The angles make me wonder if it was built by the people behind the Plano-Reflex tonearm,

I wondered about that too. The tone chamber, including the tonearm, looks to be a good five feet long, so it probably gives a relatively full sound, in spite of the portable style mouth.

OrthoFan

[Daithi]

If they ever bring the phonograph back, this is the first machine they need to copy. Make a simple, straightforward, lightweight machine like this.
I wish they were find-able in the United States. The angles make me wonder if it was built by the people behind the Plano-Reflex tonearm,

Even the later Chromogram models are hard to find over here and I suspect they were produced in greater numbers than this one. I have been unable to find any other pictures of this machine anywhere on the internet. Columbia built the Plano-reflex tonearm in 1929 a full three years after the MP3 Player, if you will excuse my calling it that. According to the notice discovered in the horn space the Patentee is an individual named Cullum. Doubtless there will be records of Columbia's patents regarding the plano reflex tonearm.

I have seen drawings of the Chromogram horn and it looks nothing like this bizarre looking item. So this horn may have been abandoned in favor of more conventionally shaped horns after a short production run.

[epigramophone]

Here is the Model M.P.3 as advertised in The Gramophone, December 1926.
I own a Chromogram Model M.P.23, featured elsewhere on this forum, and some years ago I wrote three articles on these machines for the CLPGS magazine.
I rate the Chromogram as one of the best gramophones most people have never heard of.

[Daithi]

Here is the Model M.P.3 as advertised in The Gramophone, December 1926.

Thank you so much for the fantastic advert. Its so hard to get any information on this machine. If you can tell me anything more about it I would be much obliged.
I have not heard it running yet as the motor is on spring break right now and the cabinet needs attention so I cannot confirm or deny the claims in the advert. I do have access to another machine(HMV161), made also in 1926 so I will be able to compare the two in time. Thanks ....

[VanEpsFan1914]

You know, I am kind of thinking about building an homage piece based on this tiny gramophone--I have a 1929 or 1930 motor by Grigsby-Grunow for an early radiogramophone and a 12" turntable to match. I've had various modern gramophone plans in my head but the Micro-Perophone, driving its own cabinet instead of relying on a horn & brute force, is great...

My cabinet gramophone is a 1914 Victrola. The plywood sides on it are heavy, heavy oak overlaid in heavy mahogany. It weighs in at about a hundred pounds empty, I think. Maybe it's 85 pounds. Either way it's a big machine. The mechanism doesn't drive the cabinet, it drives the horn; the cabinet is just to keep records in and dust out. To me this Perophone is a sort of revelation in gramophones. Thanks for the details!

[Daithi]

You know, I am kind of thinking about building an homage piece based on this tiny gramophone--I've had various modern gramophone plans in my head but the Micro-Perophone, driving its own cabinet instead of relying on a horn & brute force, is great.

I'm thinking of using a Pelican 1535 case to build a modern portable. It would be practically unbreakable.
If you need any further information regarding the MP3 Player let me know.

[epigramophone]

Here is the link to my post of the complete Chromogram catalogue, together with some pictures of surviving examples :

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11912&p=67370&hili ... ram#p67370

[Daithi]

Here is the link to my post of the complete Chromogram catalogue, together with some pictures of surviving examples :

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11912&p=67370&hili ... ram#p67370

Thank you Epigram. I notice that the Chromogram models feature a double skinned thin walled construction with a narrow cavity between the walls. These features are patented and described as "sound chambers". So in the Chromogram machines the cabinet construction is also an integral part of the soundscape and designed to resonate. How is the sound compared to a similar HMV cabinet model?
I notice that your MP23 and also the MP21 is very similar in size and style to the earlier MP3 Player while being rather more elaborate than it in their construction. The cabinet of the MP3 Player is 35"x20"x18".

[epigramophone]

In terms of horn size, the MP21 and MP23 are similar to the HMV156. The MP22 is similar to the HMV157, and the MP30 is somewhere between the HMV163 and 193.

The sound quality of my MP23 was vastly improved by substituting a Meltrope I soundbox for the Micro-Perophone original. It plays surprisingly loudly with a clear and forward sound. My friend's MP22 and MP30 are no louder, but the big MP30 in particular has more bass response.

Until I acquired an E.M.Ginn Expert gramophone, my Chromogram served as my everyday player for several trouble free years, and I still play it from time to time.

[OrthoFan]

There's an interesting video comparing the Micro Perophone Chromogram to the more conventional HMV 511, with (what I found to be) surprising results -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV8sMw-Q21I Based on what I heard, the 511 has a fuller sound and broader range.

OrthoFan