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 1B> > > > Thanks 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 is > >> > very 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 > > superb....looks 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 list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
