4/5/2023 0 Comments Linn turntable![]() ![]() We’re talking, of course, about movement. There’s certainly a good argument for Linn and those daunting upgrade paths, but let’s talk about going back to the heart of a suspended design. All the time.)īut those two aforementioned design innovations clarify the argument about the first/finest/bestest suspended TT-it isn’t about which company came up with the design, but which company took it to another level into modern times. (I still think about that AR ES-1 I had back in 1981. That discussion, where Anthony brought up two major design points, quickly evolved into something more fun-two long-time vinyl lovers discussing our favorite suspended turntable designs. It was one of those calls where you discuss major design points, innovations, or any other detail that could be useful for the reviewer. (The TD-1601 has balanced XLRs if you need ’em, so there’s that.)Īnthony called me just after the Thorens TD-1601 arrived at my house. That brings up the question of whether semi-automatic operation is worth an extra $500-if it was my credit card, I’d buy the 1600 since I’ve been using manual turntables since 1981. The price of the Thorens TD-1601? Try $3499 with arm. Someone chirped in: “Looks like a Linn to me.” Anthony Chiarella, who reps Thorens in the US and has obtained a TD-1601 for himself, replied “Sounds like one, too.” That was designed to be provocative-a fully-loaded Linn Sondek LP-12 Klimax will set you back about $20,000 right now. That happens a lot in high-end audio.Īnyway, I thought about the Suspended Turntable Wars when I first posted pics of the Thorens TD-1601 on Facebook. Oh wait, did we forget about the Thorens TD-160? I’m not about to weigh in here, not until I’ve done a little more reading on the subject. But instead of comparing the new 1600-Series with any of those vintage models, maybe we should look at the bigger picture, that contentious place where everyone argues about suspended turntable/sprung sub-chassis designs. The semi-automatic Thorens TD-1601, along with its manual twin the TD-1600, are updates of the TD-160. Thorens should just re-release those models in special Anniversary Editions that start in the five-figure range because OMG, it’s a brand new TD-124! How much would you pay for a sealed in-box TD-124? Millions? Zillions? II or a TD-160 Super! Those were perfection, or at least far closer to perfection than we knew at the time. How dare I compare any contemporary Thorens table with a TD-124 or a TD-125 mk. But this Thorens TD-1601? The one that was based on the suspended design of the TD-160? The one that’s brand new and not vintage at all? Could it be the Thorens that makes me the happiest? It’s certainly in the running.īack to the Future, Dorky Audiophile Edition I’m sure I’d be happy with any of those vintage Thorens turntables. “Get it to original specs, put a good arm and cartridge on it, and spend the rest of your life happy.” Dave Archambault of Vinyl Nirvana, one of the most famous restorers of vintage Thorens in the US, really loves the TD-125-he even builds a long-base version of the TD-125 to accommodate 12” arms. ![]() They told me to buy a TD-125 mk.II instead. I once had dinner with a couple of audio engineers and I asked them about the TD-124. I’ve considered a TD-124 over the last few years, one of those amazing and meticulous restorations with a gorgeous heavy plinth made from exotic wood and a $5000 SME arm stuck on top. Which Thorens turntable is your favorite? The idler-driven TD-124, a sixty-year-old design that can compete with today’s finest? The TD-125 for its superb mechanical design and its extraordinary reliability? The TD-160 for bringing this exquisite engineering to a model that almost anyone could afford? How about the Thorens TD-1601? I really like that one, but more on that in a minute. ![]()
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