Dobrescu George
Reviewer: AudiophileHeaven
I'm referring to shellac 78s, not vinyl LPs by the way. Each steel needle is good for one record side (4 minutes). After you use it you throw it away. I buy needles in batches of 300 at a time. There are three kinds of needles which each produce a different volume level... soft tone, medium tone and loud tone. Acoustic phonographs don't have volume controls. The dynamics are a straight line from record to the horn. The natural volume level that they heard when it was being recorded.
The acoustic recording chain is the same on both ends, just inverted. The singer sings into a horn > vibrates a diaphragm > cuts grooves in beeswax > record is played > vibrates a diaphragm > sound comes out a horn. In essence you are hearing 100 year old vibrations.
Nice video limpid! I have that record. It's a good one. That is an Orthophonic Credenza in that video, the top of the Victor line. Saturday, I am getting the main competition for the Credenza, a Brunswick Cortez. The cabinet looks about the same, but the Credenza has a re-entrant folded horn and the Cortez has a huge straight horn made of carefully molded spruce. The Credenza has a little bit more bass, but the sound is a little bit muffled. The Cortez isn't quite as full but the overall sound present and very clear. Cortez's are very rare, because not many of them were made. I'll post a video when I get it.
Phonographs seem a very fun way to spend time.
Though I think that buying so many needles might be too expensive in the end.