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Re: General Brand Advice for Neophyte Purchasers?
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 9:07 pm
by gunnarthefeisty
Django wrote: Thu Feb 03, 2022 4:28 pm
gunnarthefeisty wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 7:47 pm
Django wrote: Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:52 pm
I agree with the feisty one. Some Brunswick machines are plain, but others have beautifully carved cabinets. The motors are nearly silent and many have the Ultona reproducer that will play Edison diamond discs as well as lateral cut records. They are excellent machines.
Victor machines are an excellent choice as well. If you want to keep the quantity down, (best of luck with that), a good Brunswick with the Ultona reproducer and an orthophonic Victrola will take care of playing any disc up through World War II.
Welcome to a wonderful hobby. It is one of the few ways to authentically experience a bygone era.
If opting for Edison as a main feature, I would shoot for a nice C19 or C150- common enough and often in quite nice shape. While Brunswick machines are really quite excellent sounding with Pathé and Acoustic records (possibly the best sounding, due to the massive diaphragm), the lack of feedscrew would make me wary with Diamond Discs.
I would not choose Edison discs as my main listening choice. Edison micromanaged the music that his company recorded, so I generally tend to listen to his competition for what is in my opinion anyway, a better selection. Regarding the lack of a feed mechanism, the Brunswick tonearm moves very freely and the Edison has a lot more mass to move, thus requiring the feed mechanism. I have never had an issue playing Diamond Discs on my Brunswick, but I am not really an authority on the subject. Maybe this has been discussed in the past. I would like to hear from those more knowledgeable than myself on the subject.
From what I've heard, requiring the record to move the stylus results in the stylus carving up the groove wall. Given that the Brunswick tonearm is light, this wouldn't be a problem unless you played a disc, say, a few hundred times- but it does worry me a bit.
Re: General Brand Advice for Neophyte Purchasers?
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 10:08 pm
by 52089
When playing a Diamond Disc on a Brunswick Machine, IIRC, you are supposed to move the counterweight backwards, which would significantly lighten the tracking weight on the disc. The preferred way of playing these will always be a well-tuned Edison machine, but the Brunswick - with the Edison-specific 2-head Ultona arm - is the second-best choice.
I don't think I would play Diamond Discs on a 1-head Ultona, however. The required diamond point stylus is virtually guaranteed to damage records, at least in my limited experience.
Re: General Brand Advice for Neophyte Purchasers?
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:35 pm
by JerryVan
gunnarthefeisty wrote: Thu Feb 03, 2022 9:07 pm
From what I've heard, requiring the record to move the stylus results in the stylus carving up the groove wall. Given that the Brunswick tonearm is light, this wouldn't be a problem unless you played a disc, say, a few hundred times- but it does worry me a bit.
Just because the Diamond Disc machines have a feed screw, it does not mean that there is no lateral load on the stylus/record grooves. The hinged weight of a Diamond Disc reproducer has considerable weight and is constantly moving laterally, requiring the record to move the stylus/weight, in order to compensate for lateral runout in the record.
Re: General Brand Advice for Neophyte Purchasers?
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:51 pm
by Django
JerryVan wrote: Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:35 pm
gunnarthefeisty wrote: Thu Feb 03, 2022 9:07 pm
From what I've heard, requiring the record to move the stylus results in the stylus carving up the groove wall. Given that the Brunswick tonearm is light, this wouldn't be a problem unless you played a disc, say, a few hundred times- but it does worry me a bit.
Just because the Diamond Disc machines have a feed screw, it does not mean that there is no lateral load on the stylus/record grooves. The hinged weight of a Diamond Disc reproducer has considerable weight and is constantly moving laterally, requiring the record to move the stylus/weight, in order to compensate for lateral runout in the record.
That was my thought as well. My Brunswick tonearm moves nearly effortlessly. I have never heard of any issues regarding record wear and mine sounds clear and full, although I cannot do a direct comparison because I don’t own an Edison disc machine.
Re: General Brand Advice for Neophyte Purchasers?
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:52 pm
by Django
Django wrote: Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:51 pm
JerryVan wrote: Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:35 pm
gunnarthefeisty wrote: Thu Feb 03, 2022 9:07 pm
From what I've heard, requiring the record to move the stylus results in the stylus carving up the groove wall. Given that the Brunswick tonearm is light, this wouldn't be a problem unless you played a disc, say, a few hundred times- but it does worry me a bit.
Just because the Diamond Disc machines have a feed screw, it does not mean that there is no lateral load on the stylus/record grooves. The hinged weight of a Diamond Disc reproducer has considerable weight and is constantly moving laterally, requiring the record to move the stylus/weight, in order to compensate for lateral runout in the record.
That was my thought as well. The groove still guides the stylus. My Brunswick tonearm moves nearly effortlessly. I have never heard of any issues regarding record wear and mine sounds clear and full, although I cannot do a direct comparison because I don’t own an Edison disc machine.