Others are satisfied by the sound. Certainly cylinders of the 1890s sound better than Berliners, which were competing discs. Finding brown wax cylinders of the 1890s that have not been spoiled by mold is difficult. One early machine is the Gem, which is small and lacks power. Call it the baby of Edison phonographs.
More powerful models cost much more.
The Model D and later ones have a crank, not a key. Some were coin-operated, which are highly collectible. The Fireside model was successful when introduced in 1909. Some people are surprised when they learn that cylinders came in either a two or four minute format and that each format requires the right equipment. I feel two minutes is too short for a song but four minutes can get tedious.