78s were manufactured across different periods using varied equalization techniques and speeds, I have written about this in detail on another thread. If you have 78s from the 1950s and 1960s (what little was produced then), you are likely to have decent quality pressings, provided nobody has attempted to play them using steel needles. Trying to re-create vintage sound is great and is highly personal. In my opinion, we Indians are likely to be familiar with low grade vintage sound as there was very little exposure for the "common Indian man" to hi-fi equipment back then. The staple was a little record player and a radio or a gramaphone or a radio gram. When my father visited the UK in the 1960s, he encounted vintage hifi for the first time - huge valve amps and horn speakers. I think we should aim a little higher, I am going to experiment with better quality 78rpm sound when my Garrard's cartridge arrives from Arizona. If you have the older 78s or those already been through steel needles, then there is no point in aiming high. As Mr. Kuruvila suggested, mono carts and a mono set up is the best for 78rpm reproduction but I would like to experiment further. Shall keep every one posted. I have 3 high quality 78s which I plan to use for testing.
