Hi all. I plan to upgrade my TT soon. Currently using a Rega P2 and will most likely upgrade to a P6. However i do like the look of more substantial turntables. As much as i’d love an LP12, i just couldn’t afford one so was looking at similar looking decks from Thorens. Cant seem to see many reviews online so was wondering if anyone has any experience of them - how would the SQ compare to a P6 ? looking at the TD148 or TD1600.
My amp is (will be) a Supernait 3
Thanks
Thorens have a great reputation. But what is your budget?
TD1600 looking very nice indeed!
My turntable is a Thorens TD 160S which looks to be the grandaddy of the TD1600. I bought it 40 years ago fitted with an SME Series IIIS arm. At the time it was thought to come near the legendary LP12 in performance but was of course a lot cheaper. I’ve changed the belt twice in that time, but it has not even been serviced. With the table revolving and the volume maxed there is no discernible rumble, and to my ears at least there is no wow and flutter I can detect. The build quality is excellent, and when the ugly plastic lid is removed the deck looks classy and modern. The only operational problem with it was the tendency to cast the belt when switching to 45rpm, but I havent played a 45 in years, so no issue. I cant speak for Thorens quality these days, but if I were in the market the TD1600 would be top of my audition list. To complete the picture, the cartridge is a Grado Reference Sonata 1, the preamp is an ifi micro, then Naimuniti 2, then Castle Howard S3 speakers and Klipschr100 sw sub.
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For the cost of a new P6 I’m sure a linn dealer could put together a nice pre loved LP12 for you.
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I too had a Thorens TD160 S fitted with an SME arm and Ortofon ( ? ) cartridge it was much cheaper than the LP12 Grace Supex combo owned by one of my colleagues .
Mine was coupled to a Quad valve set up with Electrostatics , his was to a Radford valve amplifier with Tannoy (Gold ) speakers .
Both systems sounded pretty good.
My turntable was retired to a cupboard when I tired of hifi and eventually was passed to my son who still uses it but his preference now is a heavily modified Garrard 301 with SME IV.
Thorens was well built , easy to set up and 40 years later is as good as new.
Regards
Michael Fremer on Analog Planet has reviewed some recent Thorens turntables so it might be worth a look there.
Budget up to 2k euros
I´ve owned some Thorens (TD-145, TD-160, TD-160 Super, TD-125 with SME 3009, TD-126) over the years and joined many comparisms with other TTs, but I´d rather stay with my LP12, Garrad 401, EMT 930 or direct drive units than to re-source any of those long gone Thorens.
For about 2k you´ll get a well serviced second hand LP12 with Cirkus, Valhalla and Akito. That´s what I would vote for.
Thanks for the input. I’m based in Dublin and there are actually no Thorens or Linn dealers in Ireland (Linn dealer in Belfast is the closest) We are not well served!
If i was to go for a 2nd hand LP12 i’d ideally prefer to be close to a dealer.
The LP12 Majik with the Adikt MM is approx €3.5k and i would need to go to Belfast for this. The TD1600 is about €2.5k without cartridge and i would have to order online…
Plenty of Rega dealers though so maybe the P6 is the way to go?
Cloney Audio may have a s/h LP12 Aro Armageddon Troika worth checking out. I would also consider Clearaudio and the Technics 1200 which is a stunning performer and if it was inside your budget the one I would pick.
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Clearaudio don’t get the acknowledgment they deserve on these pages, but that is a result of Rega being very strong.
I have a Clearaudio and very pleased, though I did need to get a very good phono stage to get best results.
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For that budget, you could get a LP12 made up. A dealer can utilise pre-used parts, which means you can get a better deck then buying a new one.
The nice thing about a LP12 is that they are upgradable and as such there are always pre-used parts readily available.
Have a chat with a local dealer and see what they can do.
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I think there’s another choice there. The Thorens and LP12 are subchassis players that are fully adjustable. I.e. perhaps more difficult to setup, but also allow for more experimentation with cartridges etc. The Rega is plug and play, and will be less kind to other non-rega cartridges or alignments etc.
So I guess a question is do you want to hook it up and forget about it, or do you want to perhaps play around with it in the future?
I’ve been really intrigued by the Thorens TP-92 arm BTW, I would like to try it on my deck at some point.
Ideally I would not be looking to upgrade anything major other than the cartridge - I’ve done it myself on my current Rega without any issues.
I will probably make the trip to Belfast once the current lockdown is over to audition the LP12 Majik
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