Thorens owners group

[Divotdog]

Great looking TT! :thmbsp:

 

[jed69]

Nice table Wes! Good luck with it.

If you like that M91ED, and have the funds at some point, check out the Jico SAS stylus for it; it really takes that cart to a new level. I was very impressed to say the least.

I just got my newly acquired TD 160 hooked up and dialed in, mostly as a test run since it came from the bay of E.
I installed a headshell that I got from a different ebay source, a Shure M91ED cartridge body I got on Bartertown, and a generic stylus, also from ebay.
Printed a Thorens protractor off vinylengine and dialed in the alignment, set the tracking force at 1.25 with a balance, set the anti skate...and crossed my fingers.

Wow. Very impressed. Right now it's in my family room system to try it out and even with that modest setup it's a very fine sounding table to my noob ears. It certainly blows away the Technics SL-20 that usually lives in that system.

I'm building a new bottom plate for the plinth now and I'm interested to see how that changes things, but I think that even if it stays the same, I can be happy with this in my main setup.
I do have a new tonearm--a modded Moth MK I--on the way for it, mostly due to things I've read (a danger, I know!) and the fact that I like the looks of that setup. I had planned to build a Well-Tempered clone but once I started adding up what that build would cost me, this Moth was a better bet. Plus, finding the time to do stuff like build a tonearm is nearly impossible!
The tonearm rest is broken so I'm about to go make a new one out of red oak.

 

[Fast_Eddie]

Cool. I don't pop in as often as I used to, but do use my TD 124 several times a week. I really enjoy it!

 

[Wes_in_VA]

Nice table Wes! Good luck with it.

If you like that M91ED, and have the funds at some point, check out the Jico SAS stylus for it; it really takes that cart to a new level. I was very impressed to say the least.

Yeah, thanks, that's pretty much my plan. I wanted to be sure that #1: the table was going to be in decent enough shape and #2: I like the Shure. Both of those have worked out! I'll plan to upgrade the stylus and keep this cheapie as a back for my less-than-perfect vinyl.

 

[jed69]

Good plan; I have the original stylus as well since it was in good shape when I got it. I ran it exclusively on my Dual 1019, but for the 160, I run AT carts as I really like their sound (they seem to me to be a livelier than the Shure (not too bright as some say), first a AT120e and then to a 155lc; they work great with my setup. I won't give up the Shure however...

Yeah, thanks, that's pretty much my plan. I wanted to be sure that #1: the table was going to be in decent enough shape and #2: I like the Shure. Both of those have worked out! I'll plan to upgrade the stylus and keep this cheapie as a back for my less-than-perfect vinyl.

 

[Derek92994]

Slight change in setup.

Thorens TD 165 is now running the Ortofon OMB10 cartridge
Thorens TD 160 Super is now running the Signet MR5.0b cartridge

I do not use the pioneer home theatre amp as a preamp (underneath TD 165), I use a Kenwood KR-A4020 which feeds through to a Pioneer SA-5300.

I must say the Ortofon sounds great on the 165

 

[Derek92994]

Sorry I missed your post, Nice turntable and tube pre-amp, I knew you would like the Thorens TD 160, I just got my TD 165 going again (had to replace headshell wires). Keep those records spinning.

I just got my newly acquired TD 160 hooked up
and dialed in

 

[80daytripper]

Alright folks, time to up this one.

Managed to purchase a SME 3009 II Improved arm with a fixed headshell. Now I'd like to hear suggestions for a cartridge with this arm? The effective mass is 6,5 grams, if I remember this corrrect. Shure M97Xe and Denon DL-110 are the ones I've been thinking, but do they match well with my new arms? Any other ones to think? I am listening mostly to 60's & 70's classic rock/pop/prog. Opinions, please!

By the way the belt issue (belt slipping/falling) I had was because of a poor belt, that was supposed to be new and genuine one. But a new belt tested and all problems gone now.

 

[jed69]

I know of one user of that Shure, and he loves it, especially with the damper; I can't comment on the Denon but I've heard that floated around for this arm.

I am an AT guy, and am currently running a 155lc that I love (it sounds absolutely fantastic); since I have the detachable head shell, I also have a MA 2002e that sounds really nice as well (although I've been favoring the AT lately). From everything that I've read/experienced, the higher the compliance the better for this arm. I run the AT at 1.4g and the MA at 1.25g. I have a Shure M91ED with a Jico stylus that I tried out but it didn't have the presence I wanted, so took it off. Before acquiring the 155lc, I was using an AT120e that sounded really great as well (after the break-in time of course), and the price of $99 was right.

I'm sure others will have other opinions...

Alright folks, time to up this one.

Managed to purchase a SME 3009 II Improved arm with a fixed headshell. Now I'd like to hear suggestions for a cartridge with this arm? The effective mass is 6,5 grams, if I remember this corrrect. Shure M97Xe and Denon DL-110 are the ones I've been thinking, but do they match well with my new arms? Any other ones to think? I am listening mostly to 60's & 70's classic rock/pop/prog. Opinions, please!

By the way the belt issue (belt slipping/falling) I had was because of a poor belt, that was supposed to be new and genuine one. But a new belt tested and all problems gone now.

 

[kermit z]

I'm not sure why I never posted up a photo of my TD-160, but here it is. I have picked up the screw covers at this point, and am running a Jico SAS stylus on the N91ED. Man I do enjoy this table

 

[80daytripper]

I know of one user of that Shure, and he loves it, especially with the damper; I can't comment on the Denon but I've heard that floated around for this arm.

I am an AT guy, and am currently running a 155lc that I love (it sounds absolutely fantastic); since I have the detachable head shell, I also have a MA 2002e that sounds really nice as well (although I've been favoring the AT lately). From everything that I've read/experienced, the higher the compliance the better for this arm. I run the AT at 1.4g and the MA at 1.25g. I have a Shure M91ED with a Jico stylus that I tried out but it didn't have the presence I wanted, so took it off. Before acquiring the 155lc, I was using an AT120e that sounded really great as well (after the break-in time of course), and the price of $99 was right.

I'm sure others will have other opinions...

Thanks mate, I appreciate!
I am leaning towards Shure M97xE, plus maybe a Jico SAS would be ideal for that. And that is right out of the budget then!
AT-440Mla is another option I am considering at the moment.

Great table Kermit!

 

[classic carl]

I'm not sure why I never posted up a photo of my TD-160, but here it is. I have picked up the screw covers at this point, and am running a Jico SAS stylus on the N91ED. Man I do enjoy this table

Nice TD160. I just bought a TD160 Super about 3 weeks ago. I'm liking it a lot too. I need to figure out how to get in into my main system. For now, it's at the back of the room in the laptop system.

 

[bob06]

Nice TD160. I just bought a TD160 Super about 3 weeks ago. I'm liking it a lot too. I ned to figure out how to get in into my main system. For now, it's at the back of the room in the laptop system.

Looking good Carl. :thmbsp:

 

[ehoove]

Nice TD160. I just bought a TD160 Super about 3 weeks ago. I'm liking it a lot too. I need to figure out how to get in into my main system. For now, it's at the back of the room in the laptop system.

That looks a bit familiar!
Regards,
Jim

 

[kermit z]

Nice TD160. I just bought a TD160 Super about 3 weeks ago. I'm liking it a lot too. I ned to figure out how to get in into my main system. For now, it's at the back of the room in the laptop system.

That looks real nice Good luck working it in

 

[Bob Clobber]

My TD-160 is about to get even better. Due to an unfortunate accident, my stubby finger broke the stylus off my DL-103. I've sent the cartridge off to Soundsmith for the mid-level retip, which I understand is a significant improvement.
Has anybody here done the same?

 

[manogeorge]

Finally I've gotten this thing presentable, only took 5 years! It was a TD165 I got off of Cl that had a gutted arm with the wires soldered directly to a straight Sony headshell. Shortly after I replaced the arm with a stock TP11 and RCA jacks. At the furniture restoration shop I used to work at we built the plinth, and bottom plate. Then years of experimenting with everything I've read about on the web (good and bad). It's now got the subplatter and subchassis of a 160, a newer motor, and the RB300 arm. Then just last week I had them cut me a piece of cherry ply to replace the beat up top and I got my Linn black springs in the mail. It doesn't have much room for suspension travel because of the thickness of the top, but it works. I'm looking to upgrade the arm next and make a nicer armboard with a beauty plate to cover the rectangle cutout since my jigsaw cut isn't perfect. The camera adds some glare, it actually looks better in person.

I've bought several decent turntables since I started this (VPI & Rega), and I keep going back to this one. And I hate to tear apart a classic, but it was hacked when I got it so for me that justifies it.

 

[Derek92994]

Looks Brilliant! Fantastic effort, Patience is the key.

 

[bob06]

The camera adds some glare, it actually looks better in person.

It looks good to me. Nice work. :thmbsp:

 

[Wes_in_VA]

I've bought several decent turntables since I started this (VPI & Rega), and I keep going back to this one. And I hate to tear apart a classic, but it was hacked when I got it so for me that justifies it.

That's a very fine looking table!

I love reading these threads as I head towards doing the mods on my own. Quite good education and motivation