Colony / VV 4-5

Colony / VV 4-5

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The Colony (also referred to as the VV 4-5 in some of the factory literature) was one of four premiere Orthophonic models that were introduced in the late fall of 1925. These machines provided far better sound-quality than any of the earlier Victrola models, with superior frequency response, higher volume, and a far less "canned" sound quality than was experienced with the previous generation of acoustic phonographs. For a description of the Orthophonic machine concepts, please refer to the page Basics of the Acoustic Phonograph. Two of the four introductory models, the Credenza and Consolette had secretly been in production at the Camden plant through the late summer and early fall months, and dealers were stocked with these two machines in time for the formal introduction of the Orthophonic line. Interestingly, production of the Colony (and Granada) models did not start ramping-up until October. So on the official Orthophonic launch-date of November 2, no Colony models were available for sale at Victor dealers; however they began appearing in time for the 1925 Christmas selling season. The Colony was a very modest step-up from the lowest-priced Orthophonic Consolette floor model. As was the case with the Consolette, early-production Colony models did not have a cover over the horn opening, and used a very basic single spring motor which must be wound after each record is played. It also used the same small (unfolded) pseudo-exponential horn as was used on the Consolette; so the only difference between the two models was that the cabinet on the Colony was 9 inches wider, allowing room to store a few record albums on either side of the horn (picture on right). This came at an added cost of $25.00 above the Consolette, which was quite a premium to pay for a few inches of record storage space. Plus the large front doors, which needed to remain open while playing records, were a bit awkward to use and required a lot of open space on either side of the machine. Initial sales of the Consolette models probably did not take-off quite as strongly as expected. At the time of introduction, both these low-cost models likely suffered from the perception of being cheaply made in comparison to competing phonographs that were available in the same price range. Their small, underpowered motors and the gaping open horn cavities that faced listeners may have given buyers the perception of substandard quality, especially when compared to the ornate cabinets and powerful motors of the previous generation of Victor machines. So in late December 1925, a grille cloth was added to cover the horn opening, and a vastly improved double-spring motor was added to enhance the Colony's appearance and performance (these same improvements were also made to the entry-level Consolette model). Sales of the Consolette then took off, but even with these aesthetic improvements, the Colony remained a slow seller. It still provided identical acoustic performance to the Consolette, and was priced 25% higher. The Colony was abruptly discontinued in mid-1926. It was available only in a blended-stain mahogany finish and bright nickel-plated hardware was provided. No electric Colony models were produced. The original 1925 selling price of the 4-5 was $110.00, which equates to about $2,100.00 in today's money. An estimated total of 20,000 Victrola 4-5's were produced.

For details regarding the compromised exponential horn design (used on the Consolette and Colony) during 1925's 'panic' product development program, please refer to the Consolette product page.

The current survival database shows the earliest existent Colony to be S/N 535 and the latest to be S/N 20460.

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