The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Ive spent some pretty serious time playing 2 minute cylinders between my Home and Standard machines and it is my opinion that the Home produces a better sound. A fuller tone that is less trebly (tinny) sounding. I have exchanged reproducers and horns with each machine with the same results. So, I believe the Home sounds better due to the extra mass of the mandrel/feed screw assembly. I think the extra weight/mass causes a stronger vibration of the stylus to be transferred through the reproducer resulting in the fuller tone. I also feel that the larger case has some affect on the tone. This is only an observation. I would love to hear your opinions. Thanks, Cliff

Oops, I just traded my 2min Home for an early Amberola 30...

The Home has always been my favorite model. I have listened to a LOT of Homes and Standards over the past 50 years. Assuming the motors and reproducers are in excellent repair, there is no reason for me to discern any difference between their volume and tone. Both have enough mass in the mandrel to run equally steady. The governor is the critical component. The ONLY difference is that the Home runs quieter overall, due to no feed gears above the bed plate such as the Standard has.

hearsedriver wrote: I would love to hear your opinions.

I've never noticed any difference in sound quality or volume between an Edison Standard and Edison Home. And I've played both types lots of times. I do know that I prefer an Edison Standard hands down over any Edison Home because of the completely exposed feed screw which can be easily injured, the tedious adjustment of the carriage feed nut so that the carriage moves properly and the fact that the Home model is long, hefty and cumbersome to carry around versus the Standard models. The Triumph, with a similar open feed screw design, at least has twin feed screw nuts which helps with carriage travel.

Doug

I'll take an Amberola 50 or 75 any day over a Home or a Standard. Just my humble opinion.

This is a not a debate over which Edison is best. I hear a difference between the Home and Standard, however, I love them both.

My hearing is going down the hill but I seem to think the home produces a better sound due to the better connection with the ½ nut and feed screw. I found a couple of times that the second gear can affect the standard . If there is a slight bend in the second gear shaft it will make a difference on a standard that is very noticeable. I just got an Amberola 50 and that I can tell the difference easily. Tom B

The Amberolas are nice if you are into four minute only records. The Blue Amberols sound great up to the dubbed ones, and although the ones after 1914 have interesting titles, the sound quality is nothing like the pre fire , direct cylinders. I do though think that the Home does sound better than the Standard, and it may be how the feed arrangement works, also Triumph machines too, although some D standards when tuned up, sound very good to me.

I have both Homes and Standards. With the same reproducer, they sound the same to me. Heck, even a Gem with a good reproducer sounds just as good, though I prefer my Standards. Firesides sound good also. An Edison carriage fits the reproducers. As long as the reproducer is properly tuned, they should all sound good regardless of the machine.The only differences is the machine, motor, feedscrew, etc.
Harvey Kravitz

Im with you Harvey. I never noticed a difference between them until a friend of mine commented on the fact that he was surprised to hear bass notes from a cylinder record. I started listening harder and then switched the cylinder to my Standard A and could definitely hear the difference. I switched the reproducers and the Home sounded the same with either one. I think I have a better than average ear being a musician. I play several instrument by ear. I'll bet if you do a test with the same cylinder played on a Home and a Standard and focus on the sound of each instrument, you will find that the Home is easier to separate the sounds of the different instruments. Volume between each machine sounds the same to me. Im going to record each machine and run the recordings through my Pro Tools software to analyze this further.