SOLD: Excellent Original HMV 194 Gramophone - $5250

[Garret]

Up for sale near Washington, DC is this HMV 194 gramophone. It is in excellent original operating condition, and comes with the original key. The only defect is a couple of surface rubs on the front right hand corner. If you own this machine, you won't want another. The price is high, but if you know what this is, you will understand, as these are so hard to find. This is one of the best-sounding floor model phonographs ever built, and so few of them were made. It's been the pride and joy of my collection for five years, and a joy to use, but I have since moved to Europe and so would like to find this piece a new home. I am open to best offers, but will probably keep it and get it shipped over here if the offer price isn't met. Serious inquiries only. I am happy to provide more images to interested parties.

More images here: https://app.box.com/s/474xa63qx2f5k59ablh11wpwtnkhpu8f

Best,

Garret

[Garret]

Open to offers! Seriously, when will you see another? The 163 sounds better than the Credenza, and this is a better model than the 163...

[VanEpsFan1914]

This thing is so cool. I hope it finds a home somewhere--wish I could take it but there's no room nor money. Neat old phonograph! Wonder how it made it here from England?

[gramophone-georg]

This thing is so cool. I hope it finds a home somewhere--wish I could take it but there's no room nor money. Neat old phonograph! Wonder how it made it here from England?

"Turn left at Greenland"

[Garret]

It's a nice one, for sure. I will happily put it into storage if nobody bites.

Garret

[marcapra]

Is this HMV's answer to the Credenza? What does the horn look like? Is is metal? Thanks, Marc.

[Inigo]

The entire line of HMV console reentrant machines started in 1927 with king size 202/203, then 193/194, then 163 and the small one 157, sorted by size. The 157 is said to have an exponential horn, not properly re-entrant (folded) but I believe I've seen photos of the horn and it is like half of the re-entrant. The three superior models have true reentrant quadrifolded horns, descending in size with the model. They are made in terne plate, so metallic. And they sound great. The greater the size, the deeper the sound. The equivalence in size with the Victor line of orthophonics I don't know exactly. Some say the credenza is equivalent to the 194, others say it is t the smaller 163...
I happened to find a 194 some fifteen years ago for only €1000, which I knew it was one of those opportunities in life, and even my wife encouraged me to buy it, which I did. It's a very good sounding machine, when properly restored. See some videos of it playing in my youtube channel,
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpfs5B ... 6r5kMUd9ew
Still I have to upload more videos, for I have half a dozen already made waiting to be sorted and uploaded. Listen to that sound, taken into account they have been done with the mobile phone alone... just a poor representation of the real thing!
The sound is deep and warm, well equilibrated, with the original restored 5A soundbox and good bamboo needles.

[Garret]

Here are the details on horn size from a previous post:

I had archived the following information about HMV horn sizes, posted several years ago by a member of the old OTVMMB --

HMV 157 -- 5 ft. folded horn -- two partitions
HMV 163 -- 6 ft. re-entrant style horn -- four partitions
HMV 193/194 -- 7 ft. re-entrant style horn -- four partitions
HMV 202/203 -- 9 ft. re-entrant style horn -- four partitions

The 202 would be about a foot or so longer than the one used in the 10-50, and should exceed it's bass performance, while offering the advantages of a solid plated steel horn. With the more powerful Orthophonic sound box in place of the HMV 5a, it would probably blast the plaster off the walls, especially if a loud tone needle is used.

[Garret]

Price lowered.

Garret

[PeterF]

I have heard Garrett's 194 at length, in person, and can tell you that it is hands-down the best sounding acoustic phonograph I have ever heard in over two decades of collecting and critical listening. Plus it's beautiful and in exquisite original condition, including the reproducer, which sounds better than any rebuilt example I've ever heard.

Just used lots of superlatives, yes, but all true.