My choice, from best to worst:
Denon: Only if working well. This has the best specifications, the best tonearm which will make any cartridge look good, the longest tonearm (and so least tracking error), a choice of straight or s-shaped tonearm wands, and it’s the heaviest turntable. The electronic tonearm damping means it will match well with any compliance cartridge, as long as it balances the tonearm. Highly recommended, but complex, so if it's not working faultlessly, don't be tempted.
Dual: This does have the advantage that it’s the only 3-speed turntable of the five, as it has 78rpm if needed. It has a tonearm the same length as the Pioneer, but beats it due to its straight, low mass design, which will match well with quality high and medium compliance cartridges. It has the second best specifications of the five, and is a fine design.
Thorens TD-147: This has the excellent Thorens name – they knew how to make good turntables. The tonearm is a good low mass design, the second-longest behind the Denon, with interchangeable tonearm tubes. Thorens wrote some engineering papers explaining the reasons for the tonearm design, and they made good sense. There were also some plug-in combined cartridge/tonearm tubes, both MC (cartridge design by EMT) and MI (Ortofon LM internals), for very low mass and good rigidity, although probably only the Ortofon ones would be a good choice now - they take the LM and OM-series styli. Has the well-proven Thorens sprung chassis design for low acoustic feedback. Slightly lower specifications than the Pioneer, but the lighter and longer tonearm and sprung chassis move it slightly ahead of the Pioneer – it’s also a newer design, and less complex if maintenance is needed. This would be near the top of my list of Thorens turntables to buy
Pioneer: Quite a good design, if rather conservative, by one of the best turntable manufacturers of the 1970’s. However, it’s one of the oldest from this group, and there are well-known annoying problems like the sprung feet, on which the rubber falls apart. I once owned one briefly, that went missing somewhere between Adelaide and Melbourne while being freighted to me, luckily with fully insured freight, so the freight company’s insurance repaid my purchase and freight costs. I suspect someone dishonest may have decided they needed it more than me!
Still, I only lost a bit of time.
Philips: The worst specifications, and some info (such as tonearm length) just isn’t included in the rather sketchy specifications. This is probably the only one I wouldn’t want to own now – all the others have their own good points, and I’d happily own any of them. It has a rather strange headshell design and cartridge mounting system. I almost bought one of these in my youth, mainly because it was relatively cheap, and a well-known brand, so that certainly attracted me, as a poor schoolboy! Comes home panting a long way behind in the race, so only if it's quite cheap, and still working faultlessly, with no damage.
