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TT belts...sonic improvement?

Dave Bowman

Dave Bowman

It's a way of life!
My belt is not original to my Thorens, and I have found a new belt (made my Thorens) but the cost is $38.00 US! ouch!! Is there a sonic improvement compared to the cheaper belts? (If at all) should I shell out the bucks or find a cheaper belt in the same diameter as the original Thorens belt?


Thanks all!

Dave
 
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You will want to have a belt as close to the original spec as possible, too taught or too slack will be a problem. But if you aren't having any issues with your current belt IMO I would just keep it for now.
 
The rule of thumb is always go with the OEM belt when possible, there can be more to the correct belt than just its length.

Buying your turntable's drive belt by price alone is like buying your cars new tires by price alone......
 
yeah, some of the aftermarket belts (PRB, etc) aren't precision ground and suffer from higher wow, even when they fit right.
 
FWIW, I got the correct belt for my TD125 MkII from Q-audio, I think they're in Boston. That turntable requires a very lightweight belt of almost exactly the right length. First I bought a cheaper belt ($10) from one of the online belt dealers. That belt did its best to try to bend the spindle of the motor, and the speed kept perfect time with the motor. It truly sucked. I went and spent $30, which I should've done the first time, at Q-audio, and am very happy. My table runs like a champ. He's a russian or eastern European fellow, very nice guy, knows his belts.

Good luck, don't pinch a penny on a belt. You'll pay for it and then some if you damage that motor.

rooster.
 
What if chains were used, instead of rubber belts? I'm sure some high end electronic companies can figure out a way to pull that off. And they would litterally last a lifetime.

After all, Garrard managed to make whisper quiet idler driven turntables (referring to my Garrard 3000)
 
Chains are noisy, vibrate a lot, and can be subject to cogging when one of the pulleys--say the motor drive pulley--is small. Plus, they wear out, and for long life, they should be lubricated requently (in industry, we even run them in an oil bath sometimes).

Chain's main advantages: they're cheap, they're usually easily replaced, they're adjustable, and they can handle moderately high horsepower. However, their disadvantages outweigh their advantages in many cases. Chains really aren't the preferred method of power transmission in industry anymore; timing belts are quieter and can handle lots of power now without the high maintenance requirements of chains.

For a TT, I'd say the vibration and cogging would effectively nix chain from consideration.

p.s. Nope, not a stupid comment at all!
 
rooster18 said:
FWIW, I got the correct belt for my TD125 MkII from Q-audio, I think they're in Boston. That turntable requires a very lightweight belt of almost exactly the right length. First I bought a cheaper belt ($10) from one of the online belt dealers. That belt did its best to try to bend the spindle of the motor, and the speed kept perfect time with the motor. It truly sucked. I went and spent $30, which I should've done the first time, at Q-audio, and am very happy. My table runs like a champ. He's a russian or eastern European fellow, very nice guy, knows his belts.

Good luck, don't pinch a penny on a belt. You'll pay for it and then some if you damage that motor.

rooster.
Click to expand...

I'll second rooster's comment about Q-Audio. I've bought 3 or 4 belts from them and never had a problem. Quality belts at a fair price, IMHO.
 
Given I sell restored Thorens all the time, I am always on the look out for good quality belts at the best price.

When a seller insists on genuine Thorens, I use the belts from Q-Audio, as noted.

However, there is an eBay seller with a VERY good quality belt, his eBay name is "tableterner" and they are 11 dollars with free shipping.

At that price, it is worth a try.

Dave

PS Happy Valentine's day...giving up one of my "trade secrets."
 
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