Herman, the phonograph is a very low output signal. MC cartridges are lower output than any microphone, even ribbon mics. Almost all cartridges are a balanced source; with output levels that low there is in fact a benefit to be realized in the home- lack of hum, even without shielding. This allows you to reduce capacitive effects on the loading of the cartridge, yielding greater bandwidth. Its easy to demonstrate.
The argument of short cables is a red herring. It all depends on the amount of electrical noise in the environment, not the length of the cable. So a one meter length can make a hell of a difference if you have a computer, RF issues, powerful magnetic fields (like from an amplifier), like Bob says.
Why you care about the history of the phone company is that it is a very dramatic demonstration of the value of intelligibility, hifi notwithstanding. Balanced line is that powerfully better.
The argument of short cables is a red herring. It all depends on the amount of electrical noise in the environment, not the length of the cable. So a one meter length can make a hell of a difference if you have a computer, RF issues, powerful magnetic fields (like from an amplifier), like Bob says.
Why you care about the history of the phone company is that it is a very dramatic demonstration of the value of intelligibility, hifi notwithstanding. Balanced line is that powerfully better.