[78-L] 78s (sort of) and Cylinders in the news

[Jack Raymond]

I remember vividly George Blacker's jury-rigged cylinder player with the 
long balsa arm, which worked very well indeed.  And others on the List 
have mentioned the "ACT" reproducer that fits on an Edison machine, as 
well as the Archeophone.  I remember visiting Adrian Cosentini to get 
some cylinders transferred on his great custom-built cylinder player, 
with remarkable results.  And of course there's the Archeophone, of 
stellar reputation and high price tag.

But I wonder if there are others on this list who have availed 
themselves of the Symposium, which was built in England back in the 
1990s and sold at the time, in limited production, for about $800, if I 
recall correctly.  I've used the Symposium since then, with pretty good 
results.  The Shure cartridge accommodates a wide range of styli, the 2- 
and 4-minute speeds are widely adjustable, and the machine came with 
three different-sized mandrels, including one for concert cylinders. 
Operating the machine takes some getting used to:  for one thing, the 
cylinder is played in a vertical position, from the lower end to the 
top, and changing from 2-minute to 4-minute operation involves changing 
belts.  But for the money, it was a good buy.

-- Jack Raymond