Which horn sounds better: straight or Cygnet??

[Lenoirstreetguy]

That is my question for you folks. I have always felt that a Cygnet horn gives the best results from an Edison machine. This is based on comparison with my two large floral Hawthorne and Sheble morning glory horns. In that case the Cygnet horn won hands down. But the thing is ,I don't own any of the Edison " new equipment" straight horns, that is to say the ones they supplied with the machines after 1907. How do they compare to the Cygnet horn for sound quality?

Jim

[OrthoSean]

Those Edison horns sound exactly the same as your H&S ones, so in short, I'd say the cygnet wins. I've never heard better sound than my Triumph and Cygnet setup.

Sean

[gemering]

I agree completely with Sean.
There is nothing like a good playing Triumph, Fireside, Home, or Standard with a Cygnet Horn.
-Gene

[gramophone78]

In my opinion.....horn options were more a sales/money maker of the day. Also an aesthetic thing. I can't honestly tell the "real" difference between a metal horn and a wood horn. To me......they all sound the same.... . That said......I also believe the reproducer can and will do a lot to improve sound quality.

[Valecnik]

They sound very good, I'm in agreement but those cygnets tend to be too high. If you set a cygnet horn machine on a typical cabinet the horn can be above ear level and the motor, (an hence motor noise) closer to ear level. That may be one of the reasons the Opera was designed with such a squat elbow.

The Amberola 1A & B seem to project the sound just right but the 1As can be noisy.

[Phototone]

It is a well known audio fact that sound is better coming from at or above ear level. The height of a Cygnet horn is ideal based on this. Also the common Edison type Cygnet horn is somewhat bigger than the most common straight horns, thus that is a plus.

[mf77]

I have a cygnet & straight horn, both 11 panels, and IMO the straight horn sounds much better.
However, I think there is a reason for this.
When I bought my straight horn, it was in very poor condition, and the whole horn was peppered with tiny holes due to corrosion.
After treating the horn with a rust converter, I then applied several coats of spray putty to fill & smooth the surface & solidify the horn.
I then applied a few coats of black japan to finish up.
This was over 20 years ago, and when I obtained a cygnet horn for another machine a couple years ago, I was actually disappointed with the sound quality & wondered why so many collectors recommended them for superior sound quality.
I took me a couple of months before I finally realised that it wasn't the shape of the horn that was producing better sound, but it was the spray putty that was responsible.
I didn't know it at the time, but I had done for Edison what Terne plating had done for HMV's sheet metal horns in the 20's.
I have to admit I love the convenience of my cygnet horn & not having to fight with 3 feet of horn every 2-4 minutes, but I've found I love the sound quality of my straight horn even more, and the machine with the cygnet very seldom gets used.
So if you're a collector on a budget who wants better than cygnet sound, it may be worth considering that cheap rusty straight horn on ebay, provided you know how to use sandpaper, a paint brush and a spray can.