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Anybody go from Thorens 125 II to VPI?

Unfortunately I have got hooked on vinyl after 15 years of only digital - now I can hardly listen to digital and have a TT in all 3 locations where I listen. I have a mint Thorens 125 II with TD 16 arm and Shure V15VMXR at work, where the music is on 12 hours a day - and a VPI TNT jr with JMW 10 arm and Sumiko Blackbird in my basement (both bought used, mint) - question is: How would a VPI Aries 2 Extended with JMW 12.5 arm (for sale on A'gon and E-bay) compare sonically with the Thorens? The threads on many Thorens' devotees' sites is so enamored of Thorens that I thought I would ask on this forum, which was so helpful in getting me re-started and now fully addicted to vinyl. Anybody have first hand experience of the VPI TNT jr and Aries 2 with 12.5 arm in comparison to a mint 125 II? For the record, my vinyl yardstick is the Sota Cosmos III (vacuum) with Shelter 901 and EAR 324, in my main system. See what you guys have done to me?:)
Thanks for your input.
springbok10
perose
40 posts
 
I'd think with all the different spinners at your disposal you'd have a pretty good idea of the sonic finger print of the Thorens. I went from a TD-126MkII/TP-16(?)/V15VxMR to an SME-10/V15VxMR and the improvement was nothing short of amazing.

I donated my Thorens to the 9/11 charity auction and feel good about that but, I still have huge waves of nostalgia when I read about these great TTs. However, there is absolutly no way that I would give up the improvements that the SME-10 brought to the party. I had no idea vinyl could sound so good. The Thorens is good but, there are much better rigs out there and the state of the art has advanced since the 125 II.
pauly
1,012 posts
 
I cannot comment on the Cosmos or TNT, but an Aries will outclass a TD125 by a HUGE margin. No contest.

And no, I am not a Thorens hater. I owned a number of them and have many fond memories. The Aries is just in a different league ... and then some.

Regards
Paul
a_e_watkins
106 posts
 
I changed from the Thorens TD 125-II to a VPI Scout and arm with a Grado 'Sonota' about two years ago, and the difference is beyond discription.

The Thorens was a great TT, and I loved it, but it just didn't measure up to the new technology that has gone into turntables, since it was built.

Good luck and good listening.

Regards,

AEW
springbok10 OP
711 posts
 
Interesting. I have listened to both the VPI TNT jr and the Thorens now and, although the composition of the systems is so different, making comparisons almost impossible, is it possible that the VPI is "less alive" than the Thorens? The VPI is certainly more accurate, detailed - but am I detecting a lack of verve, life there?
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