The best Edison lateral adapters?

Victrolacollector · Post by **Victrolacollector** » Tue May 03, 2016 2:08 pm

What is the best Edison lateral adaptor? (One that is not made from pot metal and the best length and angle for playing 78's)?

NEFaurora · Post by **NEFaurora** » Tue May 03, 2016 6:08 pm

There were quite a few different manufacturers making them way back then, but I think the "Oro-Tone" Brand one seemed to be the most popular..and they seem to show up the most. There was another brand named "Kent" that was popular and they also show up.. They all basically look the same.

See pics below:

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

wtt11 · Post by **wtt11** » Tue May 03, 2016 10:54 pm

New England reproducer is among the best credit to its all brass body and ball bearing. It also comes in various finishes even oxidized, a plus. I constrain myself from getting any machine other than Edison. Therefore that reproducer does all the job when I play 78s. It's cool stuff and cheaper than Kent.

Valecnik · Post by **Valecnik** » Wed May 04, 2016 1:34 pm

wtt11 wrote:New England reproducer is among the best credit to its all brass body and ball bearing. It also comes in various finishes even oxidized, a plus. I constrain myself from getting any machine other than Edison. Therefore that reproducer does all the job when I play 78s. It's cool stuff and cheaper than Kent.

Not sure I've seen a New England. Could you post some pics?

Oro Tone is probably the most versatile as you can also play Pathé, (except center start) and even Edisons on an Edison machine with that reproducer. Not sure why you'd want to play Edisons with an Oro Tone on an Edison though...

The Kent is very good, probably amonng the best. I've got a Perfection with a Victrola no. 4 that sounds just great.

The Unions are early, very interesting with volume control but the sound quality is lacking.

wtt11 · Post by **wtt11** » Wed May 04, 2016 8:24 pm

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/10 ... reproducer. Just as Kent, victor reproducers are also applicable to this.

rodpickett · Post by **rodpickett** » Sat Jun 03, 2017 9:03 pm

I was searching TMF on another topic and saw this thread from a year ago.

Edison also produced and sold a high-quality brass adaptor, retailing for $1.75, to play 78's on the Diamond Disk phonograph. They were very short-lived and withdrawn a year later when DD record sales began to decrease.

The Edison adaptor is exceptionally hard to find today.

need4art · Post by **need4art** » Sat Jun 03, 2017 9:12 pm

I have the kent and the perfection, both in nickel and gold. I like the Perfection the best. It tracks extremly well and seems to me to have the least tracking error based an some very simple tools that I use to set tracking error on my modern turntables.
Abe

HisMastersVoice · Post by **HisMastersVoice** » Sun Jun 04, 2017 10:46 am

I've tried several, and the best sounding combo by far is the Kent adapter coupled with a Meltrope III reproducer. It sounds AMAZING. I hesitate to say this, but records played with this combo on my C-19 almost sound better than on a Victor. The only issue I have with this is that if you aren't watching, the needle can occasionally fly out of the runout groove at the end and scratch the label. This in turn causes obsenities to be screamed by the phonograph operator. I'm not sure why it does this, and it's mostly those with an eccentric groove that this happens with.

Uncle Vanya · Post by **Uncle Vanya** » Sun Jun 04, 2017 4:58 pm

I also have a Kent adapter set up with a Decca sound box (a re-badged Meltrope III, but finished in Chromium Plate to match the adapter), but find that the 1928 vintage Edison lateral adapter with the swan-neck arm and the Edison "E" reproducer (essentially a Viva-Tonal No. 15 with special cover and back plates) to be it's superior. The Edison reproducer is itself very fine, and the swan-neck adapter does not have the problem with "Swinger" records or eccentric grooves.

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/downlo ... &mode=view