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Cartridge options for a Thorens TD-160

edwinh

edwinh

Active Member
I have the above turntable with the stock arm. Right now it has a Grado Silver cartridge on it which works reasonably well (no hum, which is nice), but it's a bit old, probably about 12-14 years. I'm assuming the stylus assembly doesn't last forever, so I'm thinking about either getting a Gold stylus for it or maybe moving to something else. An AT VM540ML seems to come up as a good option. I know cartridges can get spendy, but that's as far as I would want to go, price wise.

Preamp is a McIntosh C33.

Suggestions? Ideas? Other cartridges to consider?

TIA!
 
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The Gold styli are apparently better examples of the Silver styli (the cream of the crop), so in that respect I'm not sure whether you would notice a significant difference. On the other hand, the more recent Silver/Gold2 and Silver/Gold3 styli are supposed to be an improvement over earlier styli, so that might be a reason to simply replace the stylus of the Grado.

The AT-VM540ML is indeed popular but I think it would deliver quite a different sound than you are used to with your Grado, probably clearer and more detailed but thinner. The Grados are well-known for their warm, full-bodied sound. A better option might be the AT-VM95ML, which is actually cheaper but still sports the MicroLine stylus. The VM95 cartridges have a fuller sound than the VM500 cartridges, so may be less of a departure from the sound of your Grado.

I got a TD-160 relatively recently and haven't had to install a new cartridge but the mounting method looks non-standard in that you have to insert the mounting screws from the bottom. If so, this will rule out cartridges that use captive screws that must be inserted from the top, so you should look out for this. Someone more experienced than me with the TD-160 may want to confirm this and provide more advice.
 
If you like the Grado sound the 8MZ stylus is a recommended upgrade for not a lot of money. The wood body Grados are a definite step up but need to mount from the top, if that's an issue then it won't work.
 
I agree with the 8mz stylus. I did this with a Grado MG Reference series cart and itsit fantastic on the Thorens! I'm known for sticking with vintage carts in vintage tables and upgrading the stylus. Even when I get a cart with what looks like a great condition stylus, often the suspension in the stylus isn't what was when new.
 
Chrisxo55441 said:
you can modify the head shell to accept top mount very easy to do. i did it with mine and put an AT 440mla on it i also use an Ortofon OM mounted on a spare and switch between the 30 and 40 stylus and really like the 30 on that table. here is a link to the mod
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...mod-to-accomodate-various-cart-mounts.482956/
Click to expand...

With this I would suggest the OP stretch his budget $50 and move up to the Reference Platinum wood body. When mine was destroyed I picked up the 8MZ hoping it would be a less expensive alternative to retipping the Platinum, it wasn't. Sounded great in my G1 and the Prestige Blue, just not the full body the wood body Platinum had, though a more sophisticated stylus.

That was a time ago, now it's possible to get the Platinum retipped for the cost of the 8MZ. Though debatable whether an independent contractor would make it identical to original as Grado would have.
 
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It is my understanding that the Grado 8MZ stylus is no longer nude mounted but now bonded which makes it no better than the standard Prestige and hence no upgrade at all.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I see no advantage to recommending switching to an 8MZ these days unless one can come up with an NOS replacement from a bygone era.
 
SB12345 said:
It is my understanding that the Grado 8MZ stylus is no longer nude mounted but now bonded which makes it no better than the standard Prestige and hence no upgrade at all.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I see no advantage to recommending switching to an 8MZ these days unless one can come up with an NOS replacement from a bygone era.
Click to expand...

The 8MZ is still the twin tip profile, hence a step up from the standard elliptical whether bonded or nude.

GRADO 8MZ STYLUS

The Grado 8MZ stylus for the highly regarded Joseph Grado Signature 8MZ phono cartridge is a brand new production by Grado for LP Gear. It fits all previous Signature and Prestige models and can be used to improve their performance.

The current Signature replacement styli are identified by the model inscribed on the top of the plastic housing. The stylus is packaged in Grado's small plastic box with MCZ handwritten on the back.



Original Grado 8MZ Stylus Specifications
- Output: 3.5mV @ 3.5 CMV (45 degrees)
- Controlled frequency response: 10Hz-50kHz
- Channel separation: Average 25dB, 10Hz-50kHz
- Stylus: Diamond, twin tip
- Input load: 47k Hz
- Inductance: 45 mH
- Resistance: 475 ohms
- Tracking force: 1.5 g
- Pick-up weight: 5.5 g
- Capacitance: Non-sensitive to capacitive load
 
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