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Review 1 of 2
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I've been a big vinyl fan for a long time but got back into it over the past 3 years. I had a Dual CS-528 that I bought new in 1983 with an Ortofon OM-10 cartridge connected to an early Adcom GFP-1A preamp & GFA-2 amp into ADS L-570 Speakers. To give you a sense of my view of performance, I'd rate my system as an entry-level audiphile system. You may have another opinion, but that may help you calibrate my view to yours.
When my Dual crapped out 4 months ago I decided to upgrade. I've always considered the mid 80's as the golden age of vinyl & I've always thought that era produced the best turntables. Thorens was a natural choice, so I did my research & decided on the TD-147, which is identical to the TD-160 Super with the added convenience of auto shut-off.
I got one in outstanding condition that had recently had a complete tune up (new Stanton 681 EEE cartridge included). When I took it home I couldn't believe the amount of detail that the Thorens was able to extract from the records I've been listening to for decades. It's that good. Bass is tight, highs are crisp but still silky and vocals have almost as much "air" around them as you'd get from CD. Resonance control is also very, very good. The room I have it in has hardwood floors. The table rests on a wooden stereo rack that's about 1' away from the left speaker (I know it's not ideal, but the wife says that's where it needs to go!) and resonance, foot falls, feedback are all but non existent.
Overall build quality is outstanding. The platter alone weighs in at 10 pounds. The bearing is overbuilt, as is the motor. Like the TD-160 Super, there are factory damping materials applied throughout the sub-structure. The bottom base of the plinth is 3/4" partical board & it makes a great improvement in overall sound. I have the upgraded power supply & a 2nd ground wire that helps to reduce any hum. Several electronic components have also been replaced. For those that don't know about Thorens tables of this design, the platter & tonearm are suspended by 3 dampened springs while the motor is attached to the plinth, isolated by rubber grommets and connected to the platter via a belt. Very effective design.
For areas of improvement, I have a few: First, the optical auto-shut off is unnecessarily complicated. It's very very difficult to calibrate correctly. Mine doesn't work & a very talented & trusted technician that I know can't figure it out, either. I can live without it. Also, there's no way to adjust the level of the turntable. Adjustable feet would be a great add-on. My rack happens to be perfectly level, but I'd feel better with the option to tweak if I needed to. The cueing mechanism is good, but I wish it would lower the tonearm slower. My Dual was nice & slow. The benefit is you can cue a record & still have time to get to your chair & get comfortable before the music starts.
Overall, I'd say it's an excellent performer. Build quality is outstanding. The unit probably weighs in at close to 20 pounds. Unlike the Dual I hear zero wow or flutter. There is no pitch control, but tested speed is EXACTLY on target.
All Thorens of this design will be well built & offer great performance. The TD-147 and TD-160 Super offer additional benefits from their "factory tweaking" and represent an even better performing product. You don't see these every day but if you run into one, grab it. They typically go for no more than $300 (often a lot less) and if you wanted to get creative I know there are tons of resources online to tweak it even further so it could compete with the likes of the Linn Sondek or the like.
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