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Need Tonearm help for a Thorens TD124 Mark II

I've had a NOS Thorens TD124 Mark II for awhile now and it's still in the box but lately have considered taking it out and putting it into service. I have a couple of other turntables so is it even worth putting into service. If I do, I need some help in choosing a tonearm. I do have a NOS SME 2009 Series II Improved tonearm that has never been mounted. Should I go with something like that or a modern tonearm. I don't have a cartridge picked out yet but I do have a sealed Denon 103D and a NOS Shure V15 Type VxMR. I am inexperienced in setting this up but want some advice as to what other owners or people who heard a TD124 think, or what direction they would go in with what I'm working with. Thanks all for Your help!!!
michaela
cousinbillyl
190 posts
 
michaela, it's time for you to add another forum. Lenco Heaven. 

The website is all about idler drives. Lencos, Garrards, and Thorens.

For those of us who moved from belt drive to idler drive, there's no turning back.

Once signed in, you go to market place, from there you go to traders. Start reading.

A new oversized bearing is mandatory. Sien (moniker sph) is doing a production run right now. Just order it!!!!.

Once the Thorens is in a new, heavy plinth, motor dismantled, cleaned, greased, and reinstalled, new bearing etc. etc. you will wonder how anyone would buy anything else. It is that amazing.

Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. Effort equals reward, and this will be rewarding.
jls001
17 posts
 
Your 3009/II Improved is a low mass arm and will work best with the Shure V15 VxMR.

I used to mount my TD124/I with 3009/II non improved, and it sounded okay. Later I went through a series of arms and settled on a Schroeder clone.

The 124 comes alive with high mass plinth, preferably mounted on high mass platform. I find that ceramic ball based footers also work better than brass cone footers.
glennewdick's avatar
glennewdick
1,692 posts
 
another option for not too much outlay in $ are the Jelco 750 Arms of various lengths. I use a 12incher on my Garrard and IOM its a better arm then the SME 3009 any series but that of course is my listening preference. I'm sure you could sell that SEM and with the funds buy all the toys for the Jelco and have money lefty over.
michaela OP
314 posts
 
@cousinbillyl  - Thanks for the info. I registered for the forums, just waiting on the approval to get fully into it! I appreciate sending me in that direction!

@jls001 - Thank you, I had been thinking about a heavier duty plinth. I had seen ads for slate plinths over the years but never pulled the trigger on one. I had gone more classic route with the Ortofon plinth.

@glennewdick and @kon5t - thanks for the recommendations, I really appreciate hearing others experience with this table. Seems I need to do more investigating!
cousinbillyl
190 posts
 
michaela, just installed the new bearing from sien (sph) at LencoHeaven. Truly unbelievable. My noise floor dropped to a vanishingly low level. I also installed the Synergistic Research Blue fuses, and now I have no noise floor, it's gone.
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