[Phono-L] Amberolas 1A and 1B horns
[Phono-L] Amberolas 1A and 1B horns
Hi Greg, Do they sound better than wood? I am very impressed by how much better wood sounds than tin, what a huge difference. I always sound test reproducers with my tin horn as all the defects are pronounced. Wood makes them sound better even when they are not. Steve Steve, the 1A and 1B horns are very odd. They're made of a fibrous material, molded or layed up against a form. Different from anything else that Edison ever did. Someone on one of these phono boards had the answer in a previous posting, but I can't remember the details. Hopefully they will respond with a clear description. Anyway, the horns are well damped due to this construction technique and don't exhibit the ringing and resonances that are common with metal horns, which is one of the reasons they sound so good. Greg Bogantz- Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:35 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1BThanks so much, what was the 1A horn made of? Steve From: gbogantz1 at charter.net To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:40:02 -0400 Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B I have all three machines, the Amberola 1A, 1B, and III. The III isvery close to the 1B in sound, but I think it's a little more midrangey due to the metal horn. But it does sound very good, and it's my second favorite 4-minute cylinder player on the basis of sound quality, the 1B being the best commercially produced 4-minute cylinder machine ever made in my opinion. George Paul and I are having this discussion currently over on the OTV board, and we both agree also that the 1A is the best sounding commercially available 2 minute machine. The horns used in all these machines were the best that anybody ever made for cylinder machines, the metal one in the III being a close derivative of the shape of the ones in the 1A and 1B. This metal horn has a fairly complex shape and was never used in any other Ediso n product. Greg Bogantz- Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 10:26 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1BHow does it compare with the 1B sound wise since the horn is different? Steve Hey Jim, My Amberola III is absolutely one of my very favorite machines. Sounds superblooks superb..plays wax Amberols like no other vintage machine I have ever heard... It makes me happy. Bestest, Michael Khanchalian (cyldoc) ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
[Phono-L] Amberolas 1A and 1B horns
Steve, it's not readily possible to compare the 1A and 1B horns with any others because of the unique fittings that they employ on the machines. Even so, there was no other horn shaped like the 1A 1B horns which probably has the MOST to do with their sound. In other words, you would have to make a wood horn with the same unique shape as the 1A horn to properly compare the effects attributable to the construction materials. But I would imagine that the two materials would sound rather similar since wood is a more intrinsically damped material than metal and is similar in damping to the jute construction of the 1A horn. Also, a solid wood horn would have different damping from that of a plywood construction. But overall, I would agree that I like the metal horns the least of all the constructions because of their poor damping. This could be improved by overlaying the outside of the horn with some plaster or other material which would add mass and damp the metallic ringing. I have heard of people actually doing this with a Credenza. Even though these are wood horns which are already pretty well damped, some people believe that filling the volume between the horn and the cabinet sides with CONCRETE !!! makes them sound better. Good grief, the beast weighs enough as it is. Who needs to add another several hundred pounds of stone just to damp the wood horn a little better? Oh well, ya pays yer money and ya takes yer cherce. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_nor...@msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 6:27 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Amberolas 1A and 1B horns Hi Greg, Do they sound better than wood? I am very impressed by how much better wood sounds than tin, what a huge difference. I always sound test reproducers with my tin horn as all the defects are pronounced. Wood makes them sound better even when they are not. Steve Steve, the 1A and 1B horns are very odd. They're made of a fibrous material, molded or layed up against a form. Different from anything else that Edison ever did. Someone on one of these phono boards had the answer in a previous posting, but I can't remember the details. Hopefully they will respond with a clear description. Anyway, the horns are well damped due to this construction technique and don't exhibit the ringing and resonances that are common with metal horns, which is one of the reasons they sound so good. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:35 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1BThanks so much, what was the 1A horn made of? Steve From: gbogantz1 at charter.net To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:40:02 -0400 Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Resea rch: Amberolas 1A and 1B I have all three machines, the Amberola 1A, 1B, and III. The III isvery close to the 1B in sound, but I think it's a little more midrangey due to the metal horn. But it does sound very good, and it's my second favorite 4-minute cylinder player on the basis of sound quality, the 1B being the best commercially produced 4-minute cylinder machine ever made in my opinion. George Paul and I are having this discussion currently over on the OTV board, and we both agree also that the 1A is the best sounding commercially available 2 minute machine. The horns used in all these machines were the best that anybody ever made for cylinder machines, the metal one in the III being a close derivative of the shape of the ones in the 1A and 1B. This metal horn has a fairly complex shape and was never used in any other Ediso n product. Greg Bogantz- Original Message -- --- From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 10:26 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B How does it compare with the 1B sound wise since the horn is different? Steve Hey Jim, My Amberola III is absolutely one of my very favorite machines. Sounds superblooks superb..plays wax Amberols like no other vintage machine I have ever heard... It makes me happy. Bestest, Michael Khanchalian (cyldoc) ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org __ _ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing
[Phono-L] Amberolas 1A and 1B horns
It's interesting to note that when I sold stereo equipment Wharfdale speakers that I sold and still have were made from wood pannels filled with sand-of all the speakers we sold they had the sweetest sound-and are still being made today and shipped to th US from England. Abe Feder On Fri, Oct 31, 2008 at 4:00 PM, Greg Bogantz gbogantz1 at charter.net wrote: Steve, it's not readily possible to compare the 1A and 1B horns with any others because of the unique fittings that they employ on the machines. Even so, there was no other horn shaped like the 1A 1B horns which probably has the MOST to do with their sound. In other words, you would have to make a wood horn with the same unique shape as the 1A horn to properly compare the effects attributable to the construction materials. But I would imagine that the two materials would sound rather similar since wood is a more intrinsically damped material than metal and is similar in damping to the jute construction of the 1A horn. Also, a solid wood horn would have different damping from that of a plywood construction. But overall, I would agree that I like the metal horns the least of all the constructions because of their poor damping. This could be improved by overlaying the outside of the horn with some plaster or other material which would add mass and damp the metallic ringing. I have heard of people actually doing this with a Credenza. Even though these are wood horns which are already pretty well damped, some people believe that filling the volume between the horn and the cabinet sides with CONCRETE !!! makes them sound better. Good grief, the beast weighs enough as it is. Who needs to add another several hundred pounds of stone just to damp the wood horn a little better? Oh well, ya pays yer money and ya takes yer cherce. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 6:27 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Amberolas 1A and 1B horns Hi Greg, Do they sound better than wood? I am very impressed by how much better wood sounds than tin, what a huge difference. I always sound test reproducers with my tin horn as all the defects are pronounced. Wood makes them sound better even when they are not. Steve Steve, the 1A and 1B horns are very odd. They're made of a fibrous material, molded or layed up against a form. Different from anything else that Edison ever did. Someone on one of these phono boards had the answer in a previous posting, but I can't remember the details. Hopefully they will respond with a clear description. Anyway, the horns are well damped due to this construction technique and don't exhibit the ringing and resonances that are common with metal horns, which is one of the reasons they sound so good. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:35 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1BThanks so much, what was the 1A horn made of? Steve From: gbogantz1 at charter.net To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:40:02 -0400 Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Resea rch: Amberolas 1A and 1B I have all three machines, the Amberola 1A, 1B, and III. The III isvery close to the 1B in sound, but I think it's a little more midrangey due to the metal horn. But it does sound very good, and it's my second favorite 4-minute cylinder player on the basis of sound quality, the 1B being the best commercially produced 4-minute cylinder machine ever made in my opinion. George Paul and I are having this discussion currently over on the OTV board, and we both agree also that the 1A is the best sounding commercially available 2 minute machine. The horns used in all these machines were the best that anybody ever made for cylinder machines, the metal one in the III being a close derivative of the shape of the ones in the 1A and 1B. This metal horn has a fairly complex shape and was never used in any other Ediso n product. Greg Bogantz- Original Message -- --- From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 10:26 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B How does it compare with the 1B sound wise since the horn is different? Steve Hey Jim, My Amberola III is absolutely one of my very favorite machines. Sounds superblooks superb..plays wax Amberols like no other vintage machine I have ever heard... It makes me happy. Bestest, Michael Khanchalian (cyldoc) ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono
