It's a Thorens TP13A arm, fitted as standard to the Mk. II versions of the Thorens TD150.
It's a good arm, though you are limited by the use of Thorens headshell and their unique arm coupling arrangement.
It's a Thorens TP13A arm, fitted as standard to the Mk. II versions of the Thorens TD150.
It's a good arm, though you are limited by the use of Thorens headshell and their unique arm coupling arrangement.
Barry
Cheers, Barry. I like 'fat' headshells like that, and the retro looks of the arm suit the turntable, but no doubt Adam will soon strap some modern SME onto it
What's the cartridge, Adam?
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!
Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!
Thanks for that Marco – it is rather neat, I will admit, but the plinth definitely doesn’t do the unit justice, sonically!
The story is that it belonged to our friend’s father; a chap called Derrick. He was a bit of a hi-fi fan and we used to chat regularly about this when one day he mentioned that he had this old 401 tucked away. Well, I nagged him about getting it back up and running but nothing happened until our friend grabbed it without his knowledge when she was visiting, with the intention of getting it fixed for a birthday present.
I cleaned and serviced it, her husband is a carpenter by trade and so made the plinth and then I sourced the arm and cartridge for it. The arm is a Thorens TP-13A and was originally fitted to the Thorens TD-150MkII. It’s a surprisingly good arm that cost me around £30 IIRC, but handily came with the original Thorens arm lift. This would have normally had a separate control on the original Thorens deck, but I linked it into the Garrard’s on/off switch so that when you start the deck, the arm lowers – Derrick had a major stroke around 30 years ago and so was in a wheelchair with greatly reduced mobility in his limbs. The cartridge is a good old Audio Technica AT-95E – again a sturdy and reliable performer but, importantly, with a cheap replaceable stylus in case of any accidents!
Well, Derrick was thrilled with it and used it a great deal over the 8 or so years he had it until he passed away about 7 years ago. It’s been sitting in his study gathering dust ever since until our friend cleared it out a few weeks ago. As mentioned, his widow hadn’t touched anything but her brother died recently too and she’s been sorting his house out, so I think she decided it was time to clear Derrick’s stuff as well. As a result, I have a massive pile of CD players, amplifiers, double cassette decks, speakers, subwoofers and a beautiful old portable stereo record player with a flip-down front to reveal the deck to sort out and sell.
As to the 401, our friend and her hubby have decided they’re keeping it as it’s almost a family heirloom. And rest assured, the arm won't be changing - they want it left just as it is, although I might try and persuade him to make a better plinth for it!
As an aside, it has inspired my to sort out my own Garrard 301. It's been sitting armless and gathering dust since I bought the Nakamichi nearly 6 years ago. Need to get my Alphason HR-100S onto it and get it back into use again.
Engineers: fixing problems you didn't know you had in ways you don't understand.
New toys! New toys!
First up, a new needle for me gramophone - Ortofon Cadenza Black.
This is intended to replace my old Kontrapunkt b which shed its diamond a few years back. However, in true audiophile style, the arrival of the new one has prompted me to sort out getting the old one re-tipped . It’s off to Expert Stylus Company next week.
Engineers: fixing problems you didn't know you had in ways you don't understand.
Second toy is another turntable, you’ll be amazed to hear. It’s a very rare Vestax - the PDX-8000. I had one and it was brilliant - I should never have sold it.
Even better, this one’s boxed, mint and unused.
Engineers: fixing problems you didn't know you had in ways you don't understand.
I was contacted over the weekend by a very nice chap I've had dealings with before. He said he'd been trying to sell some B&O gear but that no-one seemed to want it, so was I interested in the lot for £250 as he needed it gone? He then sent me some photos.
Let's just say, I didn't need to be asked twice...
Engineers: fixing problems you didn't know you had in ways you don't understand.
very nice Adam.. great scoop
Regards,
Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse
I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work.... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -
Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?
“Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".
“You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”
"You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”
“There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”
***SMILE, BE HAPPY***
bloody hell.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Wowzers!
Alex
Main System: Digital: HP Laptop/M2Tech Hiface/Logitech Media Server/FLAC; Marantz SA7001 KI Signature SACD Player and other digital stuff into Gatorised Beresford Caiman DAC Vinyl: Garrard 401/SME 3009 SII Improved/Sumiko HS/Nagaoka MP-30
Amplifier: Rega Brio R. Speakers: Spendor SP1. Cables: Various, mainly Mark Grant. Please see "about me" for the rest of my cr@p! Gallery
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Is it as good as Amstrad?
Buy Bose...And get your parking validated!.
https://youtu.be/ZCBe7-6rw4M
No Highs...No Lows....It Must Be Bose!