Best Sounding and Looking upright 78 player

[PeterF]

Dave is right about playing the later (post-WWII) stuff. Not good for your records, or your ears, to play that stuff on acoustic phonographs.

Sorry for not mentioning it earlier, though the thought had crossed my mind when composing my earlier note.

[Jerry B.]

The Victrola 8-8 is down to $1695 in Portland, OR.

Jerry B.

[Phono-Phan]

That is a very attractive price on the 8-8.

[danohallaron]

I'm going to catch for this, but, if what you have is rock 'n' roll and country and blues of like vintage (or, for that matter, from the middle or late '30s on), my answer would be: none. Get a good modern, light tracking turntable with 78 speed (for records of that vintage, you can probably do without much pitch control), a good magnetic cartridge, and a good set of various stylus sizes and play the records electronically through a flexible preamp that can select between a wide range of equalization curves (*not* one that just has a one-size-kinda/sorta-fits-all "78" setting). RnR records in particular came long after acoustic playback was a thing only for portables at picnics. Upright acoustic machines are great fun for earlier records, but I would (in fact, I do) refrain from playing later ones on them.

No, I'm the one who will catch hell for this. I have a 78 capable cartridge turntable on the garage shelf, but other than classic rock (and a touch of Spotify) played on a Sansui/Klipsch combo, I enjoy the music on my acoustic. The 78's are 30's and 40's with a few 50's, Bob Wills, Hank Williams and so on and are just for my entertainment, as I rarely sell anything. And while I am trying to learn from this group, I am not a purist. A friend gave me a reusable stylus that sounds just fine and appears to do minimal damage to the records. And, in reality, these records were far from perfect as I obtained them. I have a couple of other Victor and Columbia machines, but they mainly just look pretty.

However, my interest is almost entirely Edison cylinder players, and I do my best to keep them working well. I'm sure I have horns that were produced after the machines on some players and my reproducers never know what machine they will be on next week. But hey, I set them up as I choose. After all, I'm just passing through the life of these machines. I take great care of them and the next steward can do as they enjoy best!

My sole Amberola, a Model 30, plays very well and is dependable as the sun rising in the morning. There is no disrespect and was none intended. With Triumphs, Fireside's, Homes, Standards and Cygnets pointing at me in every direction, it's just not my go-to. It wouldn't surprise me at all if an Amberola can sound better than a Triumph. But we all love what we love and the external horn machines are my cup of tea (especially Triumphs).

Thanks to all for the advice on a replacement for my floor model. And I would probably jump on the one in Oregon, except for the fact that I'm in the Midwest.

[Jerry B.]

danohallaron

PM sent.

[drh]

...
Thanks to all for the advice on a replacement for my floor model. And I would probably jump on the one in Oregon, except for the fact that I'm in the Midwest.

What about this one, which is in Ohio, from our very own Yankee Trader section? viewtopic.php?f=9&t=56534

It would at least be something out of the ordinary. I don't know how well the Actuelle reproduction system works with late electric recordings, but it might be a good choice if it tracks less heavily than a conventional arm-and-reproducer lashup (others can speak better to that; I have no personal experience with the Actuelles, although I very much liked the sound of my related Diffusor, shown as my "avatar" machine). And if fitted with a sapphire ball it would allow for playing Pathé vertical cut discs, too.

I hope those with more experience of Actuelles will jump in with thoughts. I'm just floating it as an idea.

By the way, the seller helped me out with transportation once. He's a good guy.

[Roines]

Living in the UK, about six years ago I acquired the ultimate in upright gramophones - an all-original 1935 external-horn Expert Senior model, complete with 4-spring soundbox, large Collaro D-30 double-spring motor, tone-arm weight adjuster, and table stand. Horn mouth 28.5 inches diameter; total acoustic length almost 12 feet; total height 6ft 8ins. Cabinet in French-polished mahogany veneer.
Maybe not the best-looking instrument, but superbly realistic sound with magnificent response in all the frequency range. Natural deep bass.

[An Balores]

That horn looks quite perky compared to many Expert horns nowadays!

[travisgreyfox]

Although, I like the look it does look like you purchased it from the town of Bedrock on the flintstones Is the horn made of stone?

[Lah Ca]

Interesting thread. Thank you everyone.

There must be a point in the evolution of acoustic machines where engineers, struggling to keep up with the expanded frequency and dynamic ranges of electrically recorded disks (a technology which was also evolving in leaps and bounds), reached a zenith of performance after which any continued effort was a costly exercise in diminishing returns in what a was a losing battle. And from this point on, acoustic machines fell into a rapid decline, any new manufacturing increasingly relegated to cheaper and cheaper picnic portables.

It would be nice to find a perfect machine from that zenith--best ever reproducer, arm, horn, and motor combination.

Comparatively among forum members here, I am a relative noob, someone with neither an extensive collection of machines nor a depth of decades and decades of experience. But I do have a good ear and have been an audiophile since my teens (and I won't tell you how long ago that was).

The best and most versatile reproducer from among my tiny collection of machines is undoubtedly the HMV 5a. With appropriate needle choices for the records being played, its performance ranges from surprisingly good (on electrically recorded disks--Elvis sounds good albeit with a truncated frequency range on both ends) to spectacular.