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Thorens TD 147

V

vargr616

New Member
Hi all, I'm new here, and this is the first turntable that I own.

I have recently came into the possession of a nice Thorens Td 147, that has been unused and in storage for quite some time. It seems to mostly work, but it also has some serious issues. First, there is a loud buzz coming off of it. I have made sure it is grounded, but I think it's from the RCA cables, as simply holding it or slightly moving them makes the buzz a lot worse. Should I just replace these? I have already ruled out the speakers and the phono, as close to no humm can be heard without the table plugged in. And what makes me think it's the cables, it's the fact that simply plugging them in, with the power supply disconnected, also creates the buzzing.

Secondly, it's the speed of it. It seems to need 3-4 seconds to get up to speed, and it also doesn't reach 45RPM at all. I guess this should be the easier fix, just replace the belt in the first instance, and see if that fixes things right?

Other than that, what else should I look at? I'm planning on making these repairs myself (I work with electronics and know how to solder)
 
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Hello,

  1. The first thing would be to try with different signal cables (maybe a friend can lend you theirs) and check if the issue improves, worsens, or stays the same. It wouldn't hurt to also check that the ground connection is correctly attached to the turntable chassis. Open it up and verify; it’s not complicated.
  2. Replacing the belt is something that wouldn’t hurt, especially considering that you mentioned it has been stored for a long time. The current one might need to be discarded. Check those two things and report back with the results.
    Regards,
    Javier.
 
I used to own a TD-147, very nice TT. Yes, do replace the cables - they are a weak spot. Changing the belts can't hurt, as Javier says, but it is never going to come up to speed as fast as a direct-drive table. Just wait the few seconds before lowering the tonearm.
 
Sorry, I got distracted and thought the cables connected to RCA connections, and that it was as simple as connecting new ones from the turntable to the phono preamp;:eek: it's just that the Thorens I have (150) was modified to have RCA connections so I could connect cables directly. Apologies again.

The fellow who just responded made me realize my mistake. Although what I said isn't entirely dismissible if you can get other cables to try. Of course, in your case, it might be better to just change them directly, especially if others who have had the same unit suggest it. Good luck and keep us updated. Javier.

Post data: Of course, I assume that the ground cable is also in good condition and fulfilling its purpose. Is that right? ;)
 
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Sorry for the late update, but i just now got around to working on this.

So, I've changed the belt and can happy report that it now reaches speed quite fast, plus can also get to 45rpm.

I've also opened it up and replaced the cables (did my first soldering job on a TT, but it ended up being good). The static noise was significantly reduced, but it was still there.

Then I've just added a second ground cable, soldered directly to a screw on the underside metal part. Connecting either ground cable still has some audible buzzing, but when hooking both to the phono preamp, it's completely gone (have to get the speakers to 95% to hear a very slight buzz).

Everything works great now, but I'm wondering about the cartridge stylus itself. Afaik, it's the original one. The cart itself is a Stanton HZ6E Epoch II with an E9S stylus. From my research, this is a rather rare piece. Should I try to find one online on ebay, or can I find some more modern compatible replacement?
 
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Hello again. I'm glad to hear that everything seems to have improved significantly. Indeed, the combination you mention is quite rare nowadays and therefore difficult to find. Perhaps it would be better to consider replacing the cartridge with a more modern one.

But my question is: if everything is working fine, why do you want to change it? As a friend of mine says: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Best regards and good luck,
Javier.
 
Mostly because I read that an old needle can wear out the records faster. And at one point, I'll have to replace it anyway. Re-tipping seems too expensive for the gains, so I guess I will try selling the cartridge with the needle as-is right now, and then use those funds towards a new cartridge.

I've been looking at the Ortofon 2M Bronze, seems like a fitting replacement. Only thing is, on the arm that I have (tp16 mk iii), the connector is at the beginning of the armwand, so I can't use one of those premounted cartridgres, and replacing it seems to require just a bit more work as you have to screw it from below.

otherwise, the AT VM740ML (or its cheaper brother, the 540ML). But I'm not sure if this one would work well with the tonearm? Some posts I found suggest it should be fine, but the vinylengine calculator implies that the resonance might be at around 13Hz for this combo, which is possibly too high
 
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