Belgarchi

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from 0

Summary:
This turntable is a classic. Very well built : excellent, all directions suspension ; heavy platter ; suspended base made of cast metal (!). The wood base, though, is flimsy but can easily be upgraded. The sound depends on the tonearm and cartridge used: the TD-125 is transparent.

Strengths:
Suspension, build quality

Weaknesses:
Flimsy base

Similar Products Used:
Garrard, Lenco, Thorens, Dual, Era

Summary:
I too picked up a TD125 for about $200US, but with an SME3012II arm and a Shure V15III. Unfortunately the cart was dead in one channel, so a Grado Gold was ordered and the Ortofon 510 (from my '62 Dual 1015) used while waiting. The TD125 was fed new oil & belt as s.o.p. and fired up.
Naturally, it flattens the Dual. There is a little more, umm, metallic resonance in the surface noise than with the Pro-Ject 6.1 I heard recently. (Try turning the volume up LOUD on the lead in groove to hear this)

However a new mat (cork, rather than rubber) should help here.

The Grado does as Grados do - it picks up humm from the power supply. Shame, as it is a delightful cart. (Just have to get an outboard PS TT to go with. Spare Gyrodec anyone? :-)

I'd really like to do a side-by-side comparison with a stock Rega 2.5 or 3.

An absolute bargain at the price. If you see one cheaply snap it up!

Summary:
A few months ago I picked up for $240, mint plus, a Thorens TD-125 with an SME 3009 MkII Improved arm and Grado 8MZ Signature cartridge. This is outstanding, realistic sound reproduction. It's also a very handsome looking system. The Thorens/SME combo may be over 25 years old, but its sound is in my opinion superior to any moderately priced (under $2K) TT combo I've heard in the last 5 to 10 years.
Associated equipment: SAE 8000 tuner, Mac C-22 (reissue) preamp, CJ Premier 4 amp, Thorens TT w/SME 3009 MkII arm & Grado 8MZ cartg, Pioneer PD65 Elite CD, Denon DRM 740 cass deck, and Martin Logan Aerius i speakers.