Why was Thaddeus Cahill’s Telharmonium impractical for widespread use?

Thaddeus Cahill’s Telharmonium, introduced in 1906, was considered impractical for widespread use primarily due to its immense complexity.1

As an electromechanical instrument, it relied on massive rotary generators to produce electric waveforms, which were then transmitted through a network of wires to subscribers in New York City. The sheer scale and technical intricacy required to operate and distribute music through this system made it difficult to maintain and scale, leading to it being quickly superseded by more practical electronic instruments. Despite these limitations, the Telharmonium was a pioneering invention that laid the groundwork for future developments in electronic organs, synthesizers, and modern background music technology.21