There is no single year when gramophones stopped being used. The word has covered three different things: an acoustic playback machine, the disc records it played, and, in some countries, any disc player. Each has a different history. Acoustic gramophones gave way to electrically amplified record players, shellac 78s gave way to vinyl, and vinyl gave way in most homes to compact discs and then to digital files, but none of these changes happened on one date, and vinyl and turntables are still sold today.
Three meanings of “gramophone”
Most confusion about this question comes from the word itself. Before answering “when,” it helps to be clear which of the following the reader means.
The machine
Emile Berliner patented the gramophone in 1887. It played flat discs, and it used a hand-wound spring motor and an acoustic horn with no electrical amplification. Early machines were heavy, and the sound was limited by the horn. Acoustic machines were made in large numbers for decades, but they were replaced in general use by electrically amplified players, starting with the electric recording and playback methods that came in the 1920s.
The record
The gramophone record is the disc itself. Berliner’s flat discs were commercially available in the 1890s. They could be pressed in quantity from a single master, and they were easier to store than the wax cylinders used by rival systems. Discs made of shellac were the standard format for roughly the first half of the twentieth century. Vinyl replaced shellac in the late 1940s and 1950s, so the disc format survived, but the material and the speeds changed.
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- [High-fidelity sound quality]:This phonograph features a 10W tweeter with a copper horn, engineered to maximize sound realism. It includes two 20W full-range midrange speakers integrated into the base, enhancing sound effectiveness, power, and clarity. The crossover processing delivers 360-degree stereo surround sound, ensuring exceptional clarity, depth, and envelopment in every track（To maintain sound quality, avoid playing at extremely low or high volumes）.
- [Multifunctional Gramophone]: Vinyl record player can not only play 3 sizes of vinyl records, but also connect various mobile devices Bluetooth for playback, but also as a radio to receive various channels of radio, but also equipped with USB interface. Combining vintage art and modern science, multiple functional modes converge in one, redefining the vintage phonograph.
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The word
In the United States, “phonograph” became the familiar general term for a record player. The Library of Congress essay “The Gramophone” notes that people in Great Britain and other countries continued to use the word for a disc record or a disc machine until World War II. So in some places “gramophone” remained a normal everyday word for much longer than it did in America, and the word itself faded over time rather than being retired on a set date.
A timeline of the transition
The table below lists the main milestones. Dates are approximate where the sources give a decade rather than a year, and the “what it means” column notes whether an event ended anything or simply added a new option.
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- 2+1+1 High Quality Sound: Speakers built-in two 10w full-range midrange speakers, speakers built-in a 3w tweeter, the bottom of the speaker assembly a 15w woofer. Crossover processing to provide 360-degree stereo surround sound, to ensure the clarity of the song and the sense of hierarchy（To maintain sound quality, avoid playing at extremely low or high volumes）.
- Multifunctional Gramophone: Vinyl record player can not only play 3 sizes of vinyl records, but also connect various mobile devices Bluetooth for playback, but also as a radio to receive various channels of radio, but also equipped with USB interface. Combining vintage art and modern science, multiple functional modes converge in one, redefining the vintage phonograph.
- Excellent Craftsmanship: 6 times hand polishing to ensure smooth and flat products. 16 environmentally friendly paint coloring surface luster delicate and moving. Metal Roman column using the ancient method of old craft, pure hand gold tracing more exquisite atmosphere. Restore every note, polish every detail, respect every quality.
- Elegant Home Decoration: The Gramophone Phonograph Turntable Vinyl Record Player can be used in hotels, clubs, bars, yoga studios, home or office decorations, or souvenir collections, or holiday gifts. Retro art style design, inherit the classic restore the old times.
| Period | Development | What it means for the question |
|---|---|---|
| 1887 | Berliner patents the gramophone, a disc-based recording and playback system. | The start of the disc machine. Nothing ends here. |
| 1890s | Flat discs become commercially available and can be mass-produced from a master. | Discs begin to compete with cylinders. |
| 1896 | Affordable spring-motor machines make recorded sound a home consumer product. | Home listening spreads; the acoustic machine becomes common. |
| 1903 onward | Double-sided discs appear and gradually displace cylinders. The Library of Congress says discs had far outsold cylinders by 1910. | The disc becomes the dominant format. |
| 1925 | Electric recording is developed, improving recording quality. | The disc remains the main medium; the method of making it changes. |
| Late 1940s to 1950s | The 33⅓ rpm long-playing (LP) record and the 45 rpm single become standard vinyl formats. | Shellac 78s are replaced for new releases, though they did not disappear on the same date everywhere. |
| Early 1980s | Compact discs are commercially introduced, bringing digital audio into the home. | A new format is added. Vinyl is not eliminated. |
| Today | Digital audio predominates. Vinyl records and analogue turntables remain commercially available. | Both formats coexist. |
Why the 1929 date does not mean what it seems
Edison stopped producing phonographs in 1929. That is the end of Edison’s cylinder machine, not the end of the gramophone or of disc playback. Readers who see 1929 in connection with “phonograph” should treat it as the end of one company’s product line in one format.
Why the change was gradual
The disc beat the cylinder for practical reasons. It was easier to copy in quantity, easier to handle and store, and the double-sided disc gave it more playing time. Those advantages meant discs were chosen over cylinders steadily through the early 1900s.
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Later changes followed the same pattern. Electric recording improved sound without removing discs. Vinyl introduced longer-playing records and small singles, which replaced shellac for new recordings. Magnetic tape, cassettes, compact discs, and digital audio each offered another way to record and listen. Each new format was added to the list of options rather than wiping out the older one, which is why a reader today can still find all of these in use in different settings.
Vinyl, CDs and the formats still in use
Compact discs were commercially introduced in the early 1980s, and digital audio now dominates how most people listen. Vinyl and analogue turntables are still commercially available, and they are sold as a deliberate choice rather than as a leftover. Anyone asking whether the gramophone “stopped” should understand that the playback principle of a disc under a stylus is still in use, even though the typical home now uses a different medium.
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- Professional stereo acoustic effect: 2 of10W Built-in full range stereo speakers and 1 of 15W bass speaker (woofer ) inside the base which provides a 360-degree stereo surrounded sound with rich and multi-layer feeling. And inside the horn there is a high-frequency speaker ( tweeter ) too; together with the horn, they will amplify the sound and make it be more effective, powerful and impressive.
- 3-Speed (33/45/78RPM) Turntables: vintage gramophone record player Turntables Support Vinyl Record Of 7"/10"/12". Featured fine and sturdy wood base, this beautiful vintage phonograph is expertly handcrafted by highly skilled artisans with several processes. Its smooth lines with the hand-colored paint nicely detailed in all of the sides. The horn is riveted by 8 petals of metal by hand with the antiquated surface.
- Classical Old Fashion Design Phonograph gramophone: European retro art style horn vinyl turntables featured with fine sturdy wood base, high quality speakers and copper plated metal trumpet, this beautiful vintage phonograph is sophisticatedly crafted. You can just enjoy the remarkable music with this phonograph turntable with long lifetime. And it is suitable for home decorations, big offices, hotels, restaurants, meeting halls, music halls, parties, birthday gift, Christmas gift, classical collections, antique enthusiasts, etc.
- Multi-functional phonograph record player: support USB audio in /Vinyl record play/ Bluetooth audio in and FM radio. It can also act as a vintage look music player. This gramophone can not only stream your favorite music from your smartphone or your music player via Bluetooth or with USB input port. It can also be easily controlled by the gramophone functional panels or by remote control.
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Playing inherited 78 rpm records
Many people today find 78s in family collections or attics, and these are the records most likely to be damaged by the wrong equipment. The National Archives of Australia advises using correct equipment for playback and handling records carefully, but it does not recommend any particular player or model. Before playing an old disc, check the following points.
- Speed: A 78 is designed to play at 78 rpm. A turntable that only offers 33⅓ and 45 rpm will play it at the wrong speed.
- Stylus: Shellac is harder and more abrasive than vinyl, and a stylus designed for LPs can wear quickly on a 78. Confirm that the stylus is rated for 78s and matches the groove size.
- Condition: Cracked or chipped records should be handled with care, because the stylus can catch on damage and cause more.
- Storage: The National Archives of Australia recommends archival-quality sleeves and packaging for preservation.
What the sources do and do not establish
The dates above come from the Library of Congress and general histories of recorded sound, and they are firm for the milestones they describe. The sources do not provide a national survey of how many gramophones or 78s remain in use in any given year, so no claim about current numbers is made here. Readers researching a specific country should check national broadcasting, archive, or trade histories for local timing, because the shift from 78s to LPs and from acoustic to electric players varied by market.
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- Professional stereo acoustic effect: 2 of 10W Built-in full range stereo speakers and 1of 15W bass speaker (woofer ) inside the base which provides a 360-degree stereo surrounded sound with rich and multi-layer feeling. And inside the horn there is a high-frequency speaker ( tweeter ) too; together with the horn, they will amplify the sound and make it be more effective, powerful and impressive.
- 3-Speed (33/45/78RPM) Turntables: vintage gramophone record player Turntables Support Vinyl Record Of 7"/10"/12". Featured fine and sturdy wood base, this beautiful vintage phonograph is expertly handcrafted by highly skilled artisans with several processes. Its smooth lines with the hand-colored paint nicely detailed in all of the sides. The horn is riveted by 8 petals of metal by hand with the antiquated surface.
- Classical Old Fashion Design Phonograph gramophone: European retro art style horn vinyl turntables featured with fine sturdy wood base, high quality speakers and copper plated metal trumpet, this beautiful vintage phonograph is sophisticatedly crafted. You can just enjoy the remarkable music with this phonograph turntable with long lifetime. And it is suitable for home decorations, big offices, hotels, restaurants, meeting halls, music halls, parties, birthday gift, Christmas gift, classical collections, antique enthusiasts, etc.
- Multi-functional phonograph record player: support USB audio in /Vinyl record play/ Bluetooth audio in and FM radio. It can also act as a vintage look music player. This gramophone can not only stream your favorite music from your smartphone or your music player via Bluetooth or with USB input port. It can also be easily controlled by the gramophone functional panels or by remote control.
- Grand big size horn vinyl record player and easy to assemble retro gramophone: Item dimensions (L x W x H): 20'' x 15.75'' x 27.55'', 19.4lbs. It is study, heavily and big size made. Simply install it with a very easy understanding manual within 10 minutes, no skill or tools needed. And package for this vintage turntable is secure, compact, fully protected with polystyrene foam, ensuring safety and preventing damage during transportation. Ready to enjoy your favorite music!
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