The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

In addition to what's already been said, the case is thin and feels cheaply put together. The motor is inferior quality to that in most portables from the same camp.

The back of the horn is rexine and painted cardboard. The motorboard is cheap and thinly made. It really is a cheap and nasty thing which really doesn't instill any pride of ownership.

Oh and don't be fooled by that gold finish. The "Z" nomenclature relates to the gold paint used in place of chrome plating when there were wartime and immediate postwar shortages.

They are budget and cheaply made however the sound box on these produce sound well above what you would expect.

Many thanks Steve. I see clearly what you meant, now.

The next trivia question would be, what was the original selling price of the 88Z. I know that the HMV 102 sold for around 5 pounds during the 1930s, which was about $25-35 USD during the period--or the equivalent of about $500-$700 today. ( https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/ ) I'm not sure what the HMV 102 sold for during the 1940s. (During the 1940s, one UK pound was worth about $4 USD. )

OrthoFan