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When less is more...10 reasons to own Thorens

I KNOW my Thorens TD-160 series is not the last word. I've pereviously owned an Oracle Delphi with SAEC arm, and a Rega P25, and can vouch for the superiority of both over the 166, but...

1. I can listen all day to my "simulated stereo" LPs and it STILL sounds good.

2. Fake reverb sounds convincing as intended by the record producers

3. Warp wow and off-center pressings are not usually an issue when motor cogging obscures these faults-- two wrongs DO make a right!

4. Motor, bearing, switches and everything else will stll work fine 20 years from now.

5. Bouncy spring suspension forces you-- the listener to stay put and listen to the entire side of your LP or risk walking across the floor and sending the tonearm and cartridge flying across the record surface.

6. Works great with Grado cartridges!

7. Sounds better than most CDs (*IMO) when comparing the LP to a good digital reissue

8. Easy tonearm upgrade, accepts many cheap used arms (Jelco, Linn, etc)

9. NO PARTICLE BOARD!!!

10. Like a drug, only safer and still legal to own and operate
cocoabaroque
ddarch44's avatar
ddarch44
40 posts
 
11. Lotsa real wood veneer.

12. Belt-driven, suspended sub-chassis tables have that "it" sound...that airiness around the notes that simulates...gulp...live sound

13. More aluminum and wood than plastic can not be a bad thing.
dean_man
90 posts
 

14. It's elegant simplicity provides an excellent platform
from which to learn about tweaking and turntable
design.

15. In tweaked form it's performance can be stupefying :)

Jim
catama
81 posts
 
You betcha! I've got two TD 125 MKII's and they perform flawlessly and exquisitely. Don't think I'll be letting these puppies go any time soon. Hurrah for Thorens! Consider me a believer.
bondmanp
1,832 posts
 
Yes Dean - I have had my TD 166MkII modded (but not the arm, which is all-original), and the performance has been brought up to another level. I owned it 26 years in full stock form, before the mod, and after the mod, I have no interest in TT shopping. Cartridges, that's another story!

And if your floor is solid (mine is a basement cement floor), you can do jumping jacks without distrubing a playing LP.

At this point, nothing below the level of a VPI Classic would be an improvement, IMHO.
hififile
236 posts
 
Bondmanp,
I just returned to Thorens after a 20 year hiatus. What cartridges did you like in your TD-166mkII? I just purchased the same.

I had a TD-160 in the 70's and loved it!

There is something I can't describe with words that I love about those tables.

Cheers!
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