Anyone have a victrola

No, but I would love to have one even if just as a show piece if I came upon one in good shape and not too expensive. Don't know how likely that is though.

I recently recorded all my families heirloom 78s that used to be played on a Victrola years ago when purchased to CD and ripped the CDs to my music server. I picked up a 70's vintage ceramic cartridge 4 speed player made by Admiral at a yard sale for $10 specifically for this purpose. I connected it up to my system via line level inputs and the results were quite good.

These old recordings have very sharp microdynamics that makes for a distinctive and overall pleasant listening experience, despite the background noise, limited frequency range, etc. On a few of the better recordings I found the sound to be actually quite good, at about the level of some of the better professional remasters of other old 78 recordings to CD out there, like say many of the older cuts on the Ken Burn's "Jazz" collection.

Hearing these old recordings designed for the technology of the day spinnning and playing on a good modern system for the first time was quite cool, a definite eye and ear opener.

Wow that's cool Mapman. As for having one even just for show, that is not a bad idea. At times you can find them at an inexpensive price (at auctions). That is where my cousin and her husband found theirs. And it even worked pretty well.

The closest thing I have managed to-date with a Victrola is a rear lit clock on my wall behind my system with the RCA Victrola/Nipper logo on it. I found that from a vendor on Ebay for about $100.

I have one that was passed down through the family. I have a couple of boxes of the old thick 78s with it.

It's a fun unit and it has a lot of sentimental value.

I have two - one a table top (that is in MINT original condition) and the other a console model that I paid an expert to recondition the spring, reproducer and felt. The wood is not in quite as good of condition as my table top model but I have chosen to leave it in original condition.

I always get a kick out of the fact that I have a high-end system worth a crapload of money yet when my wife and I have company (other than my audio buddies), the only "audio" component I ever play for them is one of these Victrolas because it's such a hoot and is so appreciated.

I didn't buy them as an investment (which for the most part the large majority of these old Victrolas are not) but just because I love how they look and I am always amazed by both Edison and his genius and that something over 100 years old with no electric parts still plays so reliably (when my multi-kilobuck high-end gear seems to break down if I even look at it crooked!).

Finally, there is nothing quite like hearing the big band era music on an old phonograph to transport one back to simpler days gone by. Days when your imagination was something you actually used!

I guess I am just getting old!