rmihai

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $600.00 from private

Summary:
By far the best turntable for the money. If you can find one get it - soon they will reach $1000. Forget about Rega's, Project's and other similar turntables.

Strengths:
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Weaknesses:
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Similar Products Used:
Lirpa

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Noel Cloney Audio

Summary:
My TD125 was purchased second hand in 1982. It is fitted with a Grace G707 arm which in turn has been modified to take a George Hadcock headshell. With this combination, it was obvious that almost any decent cartridge would return excellent results. I've used cartridges ranging in price from £15 to £100 (in the 80s!). It is a least as good a turntable as the Linn Sondek, and though more fiddly to level and set up is a much better value alternative to the Sondek. It's only weakness is the isolation from vibrations in the floor; it really needs to be mounted on a lightweight (but strong) shelf which is screwed directly to a solid wall.

Strengths:
Superb, refined, transparent sound.

Weaknesses:
Prone to interference from footfalls on the floor!

Summary:
I have aspired to own one of these tables since the early 1980's, and finally managed to find one locally.. After some very tedious re-assembly since this table was in pieces, I am delighted with the result. This one came with the excellent SME 3009 arm, and I installed a Grado Signature 8MR cartridge which I have been using on the above mentioned TD-166.. Well it is more than a world of difference between the two despite using the same cartridge.. Careful setup of this table and arm really pays off. Definitely the best analog I have ever heard in my system, subtly better in all respects than my Lambda Drive/Assemblage combo on well recorded material. If you want great analog for a reasonable price this combo would be pretty hard to beat.. Initial impressions indicate a substantial increase in the width and depth of the sound stage, greater presence, and more detail, almost like it highlights all the little things in a performance that make it more interesting. Did I say more detail?? Tight, well defined bass.. Clearly the arm/table combination are allowing my cartridge to perform at its best, I have a much better impression of this cartridge now - it is a real performer.

My system consists of all custom tube electronics, and JBL Rhodes speaker systems.

Notes:
My table has a two piece wooden plinth which addresses some concerns about resonances in the stock plinth. Note that SME and others offered wooden plinths for these, and I think that would be the hot ticket.

The SME arm appears a little intimidating at first, but isn't particularly hard to set up, as long as you have a good set of instructions. Set up requires patience, and a 1.5mm allen key. This arm might not be a good choice for the hamfisted amongst us - I was quite nervous setting it up, and glad when it was done without incident, but in reality it probably isn't that fragile.. The stock SME wiring is good.

Strengths:
Excellent speed stability, low noise, relative lack of resonances. Excellent isolation at audio frequencies.

Weaknesses:
Somewhat difficult to level, sensitivity to footfall frequency band. (Typical for all brands with suspended or floating subchassis/motorboards.)

Similar Products Used:
Thorens TD - 166 MKII, AR-XA, Mitsubishi DP-EC7, Aureus Helius arm, AudioCraft 3000MKII arm.

Summary:
I got this Thorens TD 125 MKII from my brother for free, and he got it for free when someone was tossing out some junk. Thank goodness I got it! When the old BSR proved to have channel problems that couldn't be easily fixed, I swapped the Shure cartridge over to the Thorens (that had a broken needle). I had to cut off part of the bolts to keep them from dragging on the LP since the two turntables had slightly different cartridge mounting systems. After cleaning off the dust and plugging the system in, it sounded remarkably better than the BSR. However, I have problems with the old belt as I sometimes have to change the speed setting for a moment just to get the platter to get moving. Also, there are various features on the tone arm which I can't figure out, and so I wonder whether maybe I have a weight missing or something. Nevertheless, the needle positions and tracks very well and very lightly. Unfortunately, I have to adjust for a little more downward force than I would like because simply walking by the unit in the stereo cabinet causes a skip.

Strengths:
Solid platter, adjustable speed, decent looking cabinetry, and quality sound

Weaknesses:
old belt, confusing tone arm adjustments, vibration problems when I walk by on the hardwood floors.

Similar Products Used:
BSR automatic

Summary:
OK - I recently swapped out the original Thorens arm for an SME 3009 and I have to revisit my earlier review.

The SME has changed everything! My LPs have never sounded so alive. The difference in coherence is nothing short of incredible. The soundstage is exponentially larger and and the instrument detail is now very precise. Even with an MSB Link DAC, my CDs sound thin and pale by comparison. It's now very clear why you see so many Thorens TD 125s with SME arms - it's a great combination and a natural match.

If you own a Thorens table, I strongly recommend that you lose the garbage stock tonearm and opt for a high-end alternative, like and SME!!

Strengths:
Suspension, Speed stability, quiet

Weaknesses:
tonearm