THORENS TD160 MK2 - Few Questions

[Wakefield Turntables]

1. As a deck are they any good?

2. Whats a good price to pay for one?

Andy

[DSJR]

They can be ok, although you can't beat a carefully sited old Rega Planar 3 with R200 in comparison. Don't know why, but hifi Dave and I have found this in two different locations and with totally different systems back in the day (we didn't know each other then)...

You need to be a suspension expert to fully understand how the 150 and 160 works. The 160 has eye-holes in the platter and top plate to aid centring and cam-washers on the spring bases to aid adjustment - you hold the levelling nuts still when adjusting centring and vice-versa - so many don't do this and give up as a bad joke. The belt MUST be a new genuine one and you'll need to make sure it isn't rubbing on the guide fork..

I have a TD160mk2 and a ready SME 3009 Improved fixed head ready to go, once the arm cable situation is sorted out (I need the old four pin plug which goes on the exit cable to finish it off). Hopefully it wont SOUND too much different to the TD125 I had for some years, but we'll see. The V15 III sounds rather good in my old system so that won't be a problem.

[bogle111]

They can be ok, although you can't beat a carefully sited old Rega Planar 3 with R200 in comparison. Don't know why, but hifi Dave and I have found this in two different locations and with totally different systems back in the day (we didn't know each other then)...

You need to be a suspension expert to fully understand how the 150 and 160 works. The 160 has eye-holes in the platter and top plate to aid centring and cam-washers on the spring bases to aid adjustment - you hold the levelling nuts still when adjusting centring and vice-versa - so many don't do this and give up as a bad joke. The belt MUST be a new genuine one and you'll need to make sure it isn't rubbing on the guide fork..

I have a TD160mk2 and a ready SME 3009 Improved fixed head ready to go, once the arm cable situation is sorted out (I need the old four pin plug which goes on the exit cable to finish it off). Hopefully it wont SOUND too much different to the TD125 I had for some years, but we'll see. The V15 III sounds rather good in my old system so that won't be a problem.

That is good advice IMO.

I always preferred the 125 IMO. The 160 seemed to share some similar problems with the 150. Few Thorens had decent plinths structurally, which is IMO their main downfall. Mr Traythorne with the 160 Super had a big battle to get Thorens to accept the weakness.

A well set up 160S is good to my ears and exceptional VFM. A good 125 is starting to get expensive.

[Rare Bird]

I don't understand why people have this compulsion to fart about with decks, if your not happy with it buy something else, if you are just use it.

[prestonchipfryer]

I don't understand why people have this compulsion to fart about with decks, if your not happy with it buy something else, if you are just use it.

Enthusiasm for better sound. Surely that's what it's about. Tuning equipment for perhaps improved audio performance. Not everyone can afford to buy something else (better?)! If your record deck needs a new belt and you fit a new one, is that farting about then? If your cartridge needs a new stylus/re-tipping and you replace it, is that farting about. Etc., etc.

[Rare Bird]

Servicing an old deck & mods are two diferent things.

[bogle111]

Servicing an old deck & mods are two diferent things.

There are mods and mods. I would improve a plinth (and a lot of them were the weakest part of many manufacturers offering) same way as I would use a decent stand or shelf, but I would not touch the electronics or mess with the platter, for instance. All of my kit is now bog standard, except for fused tweeters (bl**dy expensive and hard to get), which I too consider important to keep standard.

Modding a plinth to me is not "Hot Rodding" if the rest remains standard. A lot of today's desirable turntables were sold without plinths, like 125s.

Regards

[DSJR]

The law was changed in the mid 70's I believe and this killed off the old style chassis decks for the domestic market that needed to be wired by the end user. Even Linn offered plinth-less LP12's for a year or so after launch I remember..

The TD160 comes with a sensible basic design and effective production engineering in the important bits, but the plinth was little more than a thin frame made of chipboard and now the likes of Russ Collinson can make a simple but far nicer one for not too much money, it could make the TD160 the classic the 150 already is. FFS, there's enough of them about if spares are needed. The SME "Improved" fixed head arm is useless for moving coil types - FD200 damper be damned - , but with a highly compliant cartridge (Ortofon OM, Shure with SAS stylus etc etc) and with an improved exit cable to the amp (I have a Series III phono to phono cable and it's not very nice in all honesty - I haven't removed the little ceramic loading caps from the plugs though), I think the sound should be rather fine, if not ballistic and powerful as a Lenco or Techie may give you.