New deck and Arm ... cartridge recommendations please

[lordmortlock]

I’m now the proud owner of Clive’s (and formerly Toms) Thorens TD135

http://i63.tinypic.com/8z2r78.jpg

I love how it looks. It arrived in sub optimal operational condition, so I’m in the process of tweaking, polishing and oiling to get the best sound out of it, which I’m finding very rewarding.

I’ve bought an old Shure M75 for beer money, just to get up and running, but I’m keen to know what cartridges might suit the arm best. Any good reccos from the AoS crew please? The deck cost me £350, so I’d like to try and keep a cart purchase in that region too.

[Barry]

First question to ask is your TD135 a Mk.I or a Mk.II? This is important as the Mk.I used a steel platter which has consequences when using electrodynamic cartridges, as the magnetic attraction between the cartridge and platter will affect the VTF (by as much as 1 gram).

I cannot find out the effective mass for the BTD-12S arm fitted to your deck, but reading around it would appear to be a medium mass design. (Actually whilst I describe it as being a BTD-12S arm, the arms fitted to the 135 had their bearings modified from those arms fitted to the TD124.)

Again reading around, most users favour Shure M44, M55 and M75 cartridges as well as the broadcast SC35. There are some that also use a Denon 103 moving coil cartidge. So there is quite a range of cartridges available you can use.

Good luck - let us know how you get on with your new project. :)

[chris@panteg]

Denon DL103 I would say might suit that deck and arm.

[lordmortlock]

Appreciate that post Barry, that’s good info, thank you.

It’s a Mk1. So there could Perhaps be carts to avoid given the steel platter? I’ll do some reading.

[walpurgis]

Grado and Decca cartridges can be unhappy used on turntables with steel platters.

[topoxforddoc]

Jake,

How about a Denon 103, which has just come back from Expert Stylus with their white sapphire cantilever and ultra low mass Paratrace upgrade? My other one sounds just fabulous and tracks at 2.2 g. This has not been mounted since it returned from ESCo, as it's my spare. It is still in its ESCo jewel box. I could bring it to you in Stroud this weekend, or alternatively feel free to pop up to Cheltenham, if you want a listen to some R2R. I'd like £395 firm for this, as I don't need to sell it.

Best wishes

Charlie

[Barry]

Grado and Decca cartridges can be unhappy used on turntables with steel platters.

Deccas especially, as one of the magnets in the cartridge is only a mm or so above the record surface.

[lordmortlock]

Jake,

How about a Denon 103, which has just come back from Expert Stylus with their white sapphire cantilever and ultra low mass Paratrace upgrade? My other one sounds just fabulous and tracks at 2.2 g. This has not been mounted since it returned from ESCo, as it's my spare. It is still in its ESCo jewel box. I could bring it to you in Stroud this weekend, or alternatively feel free to pop up to Cheltenham, if you want a listen to some R2R. I'd like £395 firm for this, as I don't need to sell it.

Best wishes

Charlie

Evening Charlie, hope you’re well!

That’s a very interesting offer, thank you. I’m going to get the Thorens set up with the Shure tomorrow/Monday and make sure I like using it day to day before upgrading the cart but this could be just the right thing. I’ll keep in touch on this if that’s ok.

[Barry]

Word of warning: the BD-12S arm has very limited height adjustment (if at all, especially when fitted on the TD135), as it was designed long before fine-line stylii were developed. The 'Paratrace' is one such, and like all fine-line stylii achieving the correct SRA is essential.

[topoxforddoc]

Evening Charlie, hope you’re well!

That’s a very interesting offer, thank you. I’m going to get the Thorens set up with the Shure tomorrow/Monday and make sure I like using it day to day before upgrading the cart but this could be just the right thing. I’ll keep in touch on this if that’s ok.

Jake,
Life is pretty good. Caught up on sleep after the Jazz Festival. Send me a text, as you've got my number.
Best wishes
Charlie

[lordmortlock]

Word of warning: the BD-12S arm has very limited height adjustment (if at all, especially when fitted on the TD135), as it was designed long before fine-line stylii were developed. The 'Paratrace' is one such, and like all fine-line stylii achieving the correct SRA is essential.

I have a series of screw in spacers so that Cartridges of different height can be used. Take your point though, they’d need to be bang on for the paratrace

[Barry]

Reading around all users of the TD135 have used cartridges with either spherical-tipped stylii, or at best, cartridges fitted with elliptical stylii.

To be perfectly honest I don't think the BD-12S arm is good enough for fine-line stylii, but if you have a set of spacers which allow you to alter the SRA in no more than 0.1 degree steps (i.e. using spacers with a thickness of no more than 0.4mm), then it might be possible. But I would play 'safe' and use a standard DL103C (with the conical tip).