Phonoland

Hi,

Its always been my interest to find out which brand and type of machines sound best, I will omit the off-brands, except in those I think my Magnola Talking Machine with the volume control and wooden internal horn sounds great.

But lets rate these machines:

Victrola Orthophonic
Columbia Viva-Tonal
Edison Diamond Disc
Edisonic

Which model in each of these categories is actually better or am I missing something cause I would like to know which one is best and which model is best.

In my opinion it is:

Victrola Orthophonic (VV 10-50)
Edison Diamond Disc (Model 200)
Columbia Viva-Tonal (I dont own one so dont know)
Edisonic (Don't own one so dont know)

The Victor 10-50, and HMV 202&203 re-entrants are the best sounding internal horn machines you'll ever find.
Standard Diamond disc machines came with 3 different size horns- the 100, 150, & 250. Pretty much any model using the No.250 horn will sound better than the smaller horns. Any model using an Edisonic reproducer will sound better than one using a standard reproducer.
IMO, the Brunswick Panatrope models out perform any of the Columbia viva-tonals I've ever heard.

Of course, if you want THE BEST sounding acoustic machine ever made, you need to find an EMG senior handmade gramophone. These blow even the orthophonic/re-entrant models out of the water!