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Does anyone know the purported technology behind the design?

They were just a gimmick I think Tinkerbell. I've got a few of them here, & I cant notice any difference in sound quality compared to ordinary steel needles. They are good quality needles though.
Im not sure what claims the manufacturers made about them.
I've never been able to work out whether the zig-zag should run with the groove, or across it, but again I cant notice any audible difference, regardless of which way you place them in the soundbox.

Well the lid translates to:

The tone refinement wave-ennoble “Ondulette” are almost indispensable for electrically taken up records. The “Ondulette” needles plays without each background noise and ensures due to its elasticity a highest possible indulgence of the disks.

They were produced in a town in bavaria near to me called Schwabach, once one of the major wire drawer citys in old europe.

I also had some of them - No difference in sound to other needles.
If they cause lesser record wear, as said in the ads, I didn´t know....

That is a neat set of all the three different types. The idea behind the Ondulette needles is to reduce the lateral needle compliance which is the acting force to the groove for transmitting sound.

By using a longer needle you can reduce this force, however, there is a limit for a suitable needle length, especially when used with later tonearms. Otherwise, the reproducer may lift sideways, causing the needle to rest in the groove at a harmful angle.

What they did was, to use a needle of the maximum possible length and then extend it further by the wave shape. They could have gone even further by the shape of a spiral. With the extra way of the wave shape, the steel needle now has a slightly higher flexibility than a regular one.

So, in theory, you actually have a reduced wear to the record. However, it might be the difference between an ordinary soft and medium tone needle. You will also find the treble to be reduced. In my opinion, their greatest advantage is their beautiful appearance when being used.

So do you orient the squiggles vertically or horizontally?

Good info, everyone, thank you for your responses.

I, also, would be interested to know their correct placement/orientation.

I might bid on them just because of their curiosity value (to me).

Well, according to the pictogram, the needles should be used with the waves in same direction as the groove. This is the way I have been using them without any problems.

If the waves in the needle are supposed to make the needle more complient shouldn't the waves in the needle align with the lateral movement in the grooves ie side to side? Just a thought...

Swing Band Heaven wrote:If the waves in the needle are supposed to make the needle more complient shouldn't the waves in the needle align with the lateral movement in the grooves ie side to side? Just a thought...

Good point, but the sound it already heavily dampened by the depicted use through the extended way of the traveling sound. I'll give it a comparison trial to see if there's a noticeable difference.