Phonographs Books

This pre-amp does everything very well, but had I known the richer-sounding NAD and Cambridge Audio pre-amps are frequently available for only a little more I would've sprung for those. I'm not advocating audiophiliac tomfoolery, just stating that this competent product is exceeded by slightly more expensive products which shouldn't surprise anyone.

As it stands and for its asking price, this is a great product which does a great job of bringing my vinyl to life through my stereo. Very easy to set up, VERY fast shipping, and worry-free performance from the folks at Phonopreamps.com. I would buy from them again or recommend them to friends getting into vinyl, but as for me I'll move upmarket should this preamp ever fail.

Am a long time audiophile with a fairly modest system (about 5-6k). Love good sound, and also love a product that performs well beyond what one would expect. This is such a product....I had recently upgraded my amp to a really lovely sounding unit with vac. tube pre and solid state output, but it has no phono. Orig. planned to buy an entry level audiophile phono pre for about $300, but kept seeing good words about this little TC-750, and it was so inexpensive the risk was minimal. Long story short, it is a delight. Very quiet with good inner detail, and excellent bass. Cannot say for certain but it may be just slightly to the warm side of neutral (or that may be due to my tube pre in the amp). In any case, a VERY slight cut to the bass control and a tiny boost to the treble brings the balance to what sounds neutral to my ears. Can say for certain that you will need to spend very considerably more to surpass it.

This is so much better than the built in preamps some cheap turntables now have. Is sounds like a more expensive audiphile phono-preamp. Output level are high enough to drive most any sound card or audio equipment. Well made.

In order to use my N-Port software for my record recording I needed to buy a pre-amp to boost the signal with the N-Port device through the RCA cables. I also wanted to be able to use it with my Bose Wave Radio/CD player. I could record directly in other software packages through the USB connection on the turntable, but my perferred software could not use the USB source. I bought this unit because of it's simplicity, I didn't want to mess with adjustments and EQ settings. I got it yesterday and hooked it up and it works like a dream. The TC-750 improved the quality of my output signal and allowed me to use the software I perferred. It removed some distortion I was having on a certain record and the USB connection alone. Although it's more of a setup, it's definitely worth using for the improved sound quality.

I was considering the purchase of a USB turntable to archive some of my old vinyl. Then I thought .. HEY !! I haver a Creative Labs X-FI Platinum card and software out the wazoo for this kind of thing. I also have a variety of high-end amps, mixers, etc. but always ended up with weak signals or horrendous buzzes when I tried to capture disk to digital.

In my frustration, I looked at eBay for a phono pre-amp, but was not impressed with the affordable options. My next step, when eBay doesn't pan out (OFTEN)is to look at new stuff on Amazon (which ALWAYS comes through.)

As typical with Amazon buys, this showed up at my doorstep nearly INSTANTANEOUSLY !! At least, I ordered like midnight on Thursday, and it was here before noon Monday !!!!

I hooked it up in a few second (but realized the GROUNDING WIRE is key to killing the hum). Apparently a lot of units in this price range omit this ESSENTIAL feature.

My first record recorded like a DREAM !!! All the warmth of vinyl (minus the hiss and pops). The end result is better than the original. I produced a Jazz album back in the '80s and have been trying to find a way to get the originals of the BETA VH-1 tapes. Now I don't need to worry. The original master disks from vinyl sound better than the the digital masters to my ears.) I may just re-release it on CD this way.

WELL worth the low price, and as I've experienced with Amazon before, my expectations were far exceeded. Kudos to both companies !!

great book for those who want to know more about their machines. has helpful step by step instructions on how to repair the wood and metals of the phonograph. has washed out b/w photos that could have been color. but overall, this book is helpful for those who want to repair their machines and want to learn a little history behind phonographs as well. good low price for this valuable information.

The Compleat Talking Machine is not only a great resource for people interested in restoring old phonographs, it's also a good read -- Eric comes across as a real person with a sense of humor. He keeps his repair information and instructions general for the most part -- you may need to interpolate his instructions depending on the model of phono you have. Read carefully!

An excellent reference with great bibliography -but one warning - it focuses strongly on "table" model phonographs - has few pictures of upright floor cabinets. However it led me to buy a number of additional references to identify British machines.

I am a great fan of technical how-to books, and this is one of the most informative, well written books on the subject of phonograph restoration that there is. It covers disc phonographs, as well as cylinder phonographs. It covers too many topics to relate here. You will be impressed.

I'm amazed to see that no one has reviewed this book, not even in its earlier edition. That edition was written in 1987. The new edition came out a couple of years ago, but it's basically the same book.

Overall it is very intelligent, thought provoking, and witty. Eisenberg wrestles with the experience of listening to recorded music. What does listening to recorded music do to us, and what does the process of recording do to music?

It's a collection of twelve essays that can be read in any order. Eisenberg is very well read. He seems to have read everything anybody has ever said about music and recorded music. So it's like a crash course in the aesthetics of music.

Eisenberg studied philosophy, and he veers between the personal and the very philosophical. From time to time he throws in a word that seems to be there solely to make you consult a dictionary. "... we can hear Vaughan William's Sixth Symphony as a peroration on the absolutely empty field of a future war." At this point I bet that most of us need to look up "peroration."

How can I review a book that has been stolen from me, not once, but TWICE. Now it's out of print! Help . . .I need a copy

This book is really an anthropological analysis of music in our culture, and how the documentation of music through recording has changed music's role. It also esxpresses the idea that recorded music (which Eisenberg calls "Phonography") is to live music as film is to theatre. Told from the perspective of someone who has equal admiration and recognition to Caruso, Mozart, Elvis Costello, Frank Zappa and Aristiotle, this music-philosophy book is remarkabl;y readable and quite profound. written before "sampling" of music was a popular artform. Really Great Stuff.

If you ever wanted to know if someone else really loves music and atributes their life blood to it, this is the book for you. Eisenfeld portrays the role music plays in several distinctly eccentric individuals' lives throughout the chapter, giving the reader not only a beautiful portrait of the characters, but of the universality of music as well.

This book is the size of a coffee table book, but you can actually read it and learn something. It is difficult to find a good history of the phonograph, especially the business history of how it developed. This book fills the bill. It also features a large number of clear photographs so you will know what the author is talking about. If you are interested in antique talking machines, or need a good coffee table book, this is a good choice.

Nice color photos, easy read although there is so much information and names, one can get confused on who is who and what company they started and worked for. Covers the complete history of the phonograph and the records that play on it. Explains how it came about, all the patent wars between people and technology that changed the phonograph early on. Nice sized book, easy to handle, easy read. Beautiful color photos of phonographs of all types. Lots of information. Worth having if you love old phonographs.

This is truly a remarkable book. If you are interested in the subject of phonographs and how they got started then this is the book for you. It is filled with the history of the phonograph. Especially interesting was the story of how Nipper the dog came about. You can't go wrong with this book.

The Talking Machine: An Illustrated Compendium is an extraordinarily well-assembled collection of nuts-and-bolts information, fascinating anecdotes, and gorgeous photography. Those who are familiar with this subject will find as a great a plunder of knowledge as those who are just beginning their education. The book traces the invention, evolution and maturation of the mechanical "Talking Machine," variously known popularly as the phonograph, gramaphone, graphophone, victrola, etc., depending on manufacturer. We learn of the birth of this amazing instrument in the hands of Thomas Edison's labratory cronies, its period of idleness immediately afterward and its re-birth and "perfection" some ten years later. We follow the incredible and relentless period of patent lawsuits. Learn who among the famous helped "make" the invention with their visits to the recording studio. Discover the many small firms in the Chicago area which sprang up and were often as not just as quickly snuffed out by the "Big Three": National Phonograph (Edison), Victor Talking Machine, and Columbia. The well-presented text is sumptuously augmented with an amazing collection of beautiful color photographs. This book is not cheap at $70, but would be worth twice the amount in the invaluable information given!

Best 45rpm reference book I have read to date. I have collected several 45 rpm players. Every machine I own is listed and/or pictured in this excellent reference book. The only thing missing would be more information for replacing the outdated 45 rpm cartridge. This book has been added to my "best read" recommendation list.

This book does a good job in bringing back to life this wonderful record player made primarily by RCA Victor Company. It shows the progression of styles, especially the early bakelite models that were always the envy of every young school person in the 1950's. You knew the real thing was yours, if you had one of the RCA Victor Bakelite models. The author, adds his own love of the machine along with an excellent job in tracing the history of the 45 record player from its' inception in 1949, when it was initially introduced to the public. Anyone owning one of these record players, or simply interested in seeing the transition it made from 1949 through the 1960's should get this book. Highly recommended.

Very nicely done. Lots of information that is useful if you are interested in the 1950's 45rpm Players. Because of this book, I acquired an Alice in Wonderland 1950's player and restored it using the information from the book and links to suppliers of replacement parts. I even created "New" decals from the old ones so my unit looks like it came right out of the box and plays as new....
My highest regards for the author and contributors to this book
Leland Faber

Tim Fabrizio and George Paul's 1996 book, "The Talking Machine - an Illustrated Compendium," ranks as the finest book ever written on the history of the phonograph. Lavishly illustrated, it is both authoritative and eminently readable. It is hard to imagine anyone, even the authors, improving upon this work, however they have done exactly that with "Discovering Antique Phonographs." What is so remarkable about this achievement is that this new book serves as a rich sequel to their first, yet stands independently as a superb work on its own. It is not surprising that Fabrizio and Paul were able to come up with hundreds more historic and fascinating phonographs to picture in the new book. What is surprising, however, is that this new volume, like their first, includes a very comprehensive history of sound recording. Amazingly, the authors cover the same historic ground as they did in their first work without being repetitious or redundant. They approach the same story from a whole new perspective, so that while both books are complete and authoritative on their own they are superbly complementary. Although the text is engagingly written, most readers will probably be seduced by the stunning photography and extremely detailed captions. The selection of rare phonographs illustrated in large color pictures is stunning, yet every one tells a story or makes a point -- nothing is an extraneous throwaway just for cheap thrills. Like the first book, "Discovering Antique Phonographs" can be read from cover to cover as a serious work of history, or opened to any page and savored in random doses. In fact, the amount of information to be found in the captions makes the text, wonderful as it is, almost superfluous! These captions offer a vast amount of detail, which these skilled writers bring to life with charm and wonder. Like its predecessor "The Taking Machine," "Discovering Antique Phonographs" is a bargain and a must for anyone interested in the history of the phonograph.

Tim Fabrizio and George Paul's 1996 book, "The Talking Machine - an Illustrated Compendium," ranks as the finest book ever written on the history of the phonograph. Lavishly illustrated, it is both authoritative and eminently readable. It is hard to imagine anyone, even the authors, improving upon this work, however they have done exactly that with "Discovering Antique Phonographs." What is so remarkable about this achievement is that this new book serves as a rich sequel to their first, yet stands independently as a superb work on its own. It is not surprising that Fabrizio and Paul were able to come up with hundreds more historic and fascinating phonographs to picture in the new book. What is surprising, however, is that this new volume, like their first, includes a very comprehensive history of sound recording. Amazingly, the authors cover the same historic ground as they did in their first work without being repetitious or redundant. They approach the same story from a whole new perspective, so that while both books are complete and authoritative on their own they are superbly complementary. Although the text is engagingly written, most readers will probably be seduced by the stunning photography and extremely detailed captions. The selection of rare phonographs illustrated in large color pictures is stunning, yet every one tells a story or makes a point -- nothing is an extraneous throwaway just for cheap thrills. Like the first book, "Discovering Antique Phonographs" can be read from cover to cover as a serious work of history, or opened to any page and savored in random doses. In fact, the amount of information to be found in the captions makes the text, wonderful as it is, almost superfluous! These captions offer a vast amount of detail, which these skilled writers bring to life with charm and wonder. Like its predecessor "The Taking Machine," "Discovering Antique Phonographs" is a bargain and a must for anyone interested in the history of the phonograph.

I've read this in the local library. Great book, a real page-turner believe it or not, even if you're not a hi-fi buff (and I'm not). Fascinating history of the developments of the technology involved in the phonograph and phonograph records. I'd like to see someone update this for the digital age. Pity the book is out of print. Worth searching for.

If you read the book, you find out that the first edition actually appeared in the mid-1950's; only the last three chapters were added to an "updated edition" in time for the phonograph's centennial, in 1977. This is not a criticism; it is one of the book's strengths that the author was able to speak with associates of the engineers and inventors who were there to see the various improvements to the phonograph. Mr. Gelatt had something like a fifty-year head start over the researcher who would try to put this book together today, so he got a lot closer to the source. It is doubtful he could have known when the book was published that in five short years, the digital medium that eventually replaced the phonograph in most applications would make its appearance in 1982 in the form of a compact disc. Now it is 2002; the phonograph's 125th year, and the 20-year anniversary of CD in America. This book badly needs an update to include the digital revolution that occurred in the 25 years since it was published, but it is an excellent volume on the phonograph itself and related technologies that came and went along the way. It includes some technical explanantions of how the inventions worked, but on a level the layman can understand; it doesn't bog down in jargon. You need not be an engineer to enjoy and learn from it--you can be a student of technology, business, marketing, music, advertising, pop culture, or sociology and still find an angle on the phonograph from your perspective in this book. Well worth seeking out; in fact, I read it in the local library, but am now seeking a copy to keep for reference on my home bookshelf.

For readers interested in how recording technology has influenced the way that history and culture is represented, this book is essential reading. Brady has personally handled thousands of hundred-year old recordings of stories, folktales, traditional music, and other performances. She writes from a great familiarity with both the early recording technology and the material on the records, and she insightfully uses a range of research techniques and academic insights to demonstrate convincingly that the ability to make audio recordings has significantly changed the practice of folkloristic and anthropological fieldwork. Among the big changes that she documents are greater emphasis on listening to indigenous voices and a concomitant sense of increased ethical responsibility to the societies whose cultural traditions are documented.

This book is a fine addition to the history of the phonograph and other forms of recording technology. Erika Brady begins with a consideration of early recordings, focusing her analysis on relationships between perception and audio technology. She then winds her way through implications of how this relationship is relevant to developing ethnographic descriptions of folklore and other forms of expressive culture. The book will be useful to anyone interested in phenomenology, social history, intellectual history, and ethnographic description. Much of her work provides a strong basis for more nuanced readings of ways in which new forms of technology affect--and are affected by-- ethnographically-grounded research. Brady is an insightful writer and a fine stylist. Her subtle wit enfolds sharp commentary that reveals hidden nuances of history, and her arguments are always cogent, clear, and intriguing. The book is written from Brady's experience of working with hundreds of old recordings, and her practical experience of handling and listening to the recordings is clearly evident in her writing. The book is illustrated with historical and contemporary photographs that are well-chosen and provide rich context for the study.

Mr. Millard has done an extraordinary job of documenting the recording industry from Edison's invention of the phonograph to the present day. He integrates the social, technical and business issues into an easy-to-read, almost "unputdownable" form. Parallels in broadcasting and motion pictures are given the necessary coverage as well. To a student of recorded sound, the references and bibliography are invaluable.

This story really captures how the wind up phonograph can weave a spell over the listener. Every one that loves phonographs will LOVE this book.