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What TT upgrade from tweaked Thorens TD160

I have a tweaked Thorens TD160 - birch-ply base board with Black Diamond cone feet; Dynamat on subchassis, platter and wood plinth; Herbies TT mat; RCA outputs and upgraded interconnects - which makes the TD sound pretty good. The problem is that the suspended subchassis design makes it extremely vulnerable to vibration on my rack and so I must place it in a very inconvenient location resulting in my not using it very much any more. I'd like to go back to a non-suspended design - my former Music Hall MMF5 had no problems on my rack but the MMF5 was significantly outperformed by the TD160.
The question is:
How much am I going to have to spend - new or used - to beat the TD160 and what brands/models are recommended?? I'd like to keep the cost under $1000.
Ag insider logo xs@2xjgiacalo
thommas
60 posts
 
Yes, I believe altering the suspension on a thorens will take the magic away. I have read that the springy suspension is integral in thorens turntables.
armstrod
602 posts
 
Here's a suspension alternative:

http://www.theanalogdept.com/spring_alternatives.htm

I did this to my TD 150 and it worked quite well. It eliminated the footfall problem and provided at least as much "magic" as the springs. It also made balancing my far heavier Rega RB 250 arm much easier.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
FWIW, my suspension-less tables have far fewer footfall problems (viz., none) than my old suspended table, this on a springy wood floor. Bouncy floor + suspended table = problems.

If defeating the springs on the TD-160 is a fairly simple and reversible DIY, I'd certainly try that before shelling out dough to make what might be a lateral "upgrade"
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jgiacalo OP
446 posts
 
This evening I removed the springs and replaced them with drilled-out zebrawood blocks which completely eliminated the footfall problem. However, while it sounded good there was a bit of harshness (loss of 'magic'?) to it so tomorrow I will try the auto heater hose solution described in the link Armstrod suggested.

Thank you all very much for putting me on the path to solving a longstanding problem. I really appreciate your thoughtful recommendations. I'd just about given up on vinyl since it had become so inconvenient and I did not really want to spend the money to replace the 160. It now seems that experimenting with various solid materials to replace the springs will allow me to tweak the solid suspension approach to refine the sound.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Jgiacalo,

That's great news. The ability to trouble-shoot, adjust and tweak sonic results is part of the attraction of vinyl replay. Or maybe it's part of the annoyance. I sometimes forget which! ;-)

In addition to trying various footers to tame that newfound bit of edginess, you should also try very small adjustments in VTF and VTA. A slight increase in the former or decrease in the latter might do the trick.

Tolerate equipment, enjoy music!
Doug
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