The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

At the estate sale today I had to buy this even though I'm not sure what it is, just looked interesting. It's an N&K Phonograph a Unit Model-W. It looks like it might be hooked you to a speaker or something else. Anyone have any knowledge on it?

Rich Gordon

Thats a little speaker that fits in place of the sound-box on a gramophone and utilizes the horn of the gramophone to produce room level sound from an early radio receiver. This was, in my estimation early 1920's when radios were flea-power and most were listened to by headphones. You could consider this a headphone for the gramophone.

That indeed is a driver. Designed to listen to radio via your phonograph. This attachment like most took the place of the reproducer. There was at least one model that allowed actually used the reproducer as well - where you placed the needle on the unit. Your driver would work better - while not the greatest of fidelity - it is basically the same principal of early radio horn speakers. If the coil is not open it should still work.