2. analog
  3. 1310164077

When less is more...10 reasons to own Thorens

I KNOW my Thorens TD-160 series is not the last word. I've pereviously owned an Oracle Delphi with SAEC arm, and a Rega P25, and can vouch for the superiority of both over the 166, but...

1. I can listen all day to my "simulated stereo" LPs and it STILL sounds good.

2. Fake reverb sounds convincing as intended by the record producers

3. Warp wow and off-center pressings are not usually an issue when motor cogging obscures these faults-- two wrongs DO make a right!

4. Motor, bearing, switches and everything else will stll work fine 20 years from now.

5. Bouncy spring suspension forces you-- the listener to stay put and listen to the entire side of your LP or risk walking across the floor and sending the tonearm and cartridge flying across the record surface.

6. Works great with Grado cartridges!

7. Sounds better than most CDs (*IMO) when comparing the LP to a good digital reissue

8. Easy tonearm upgrade, accepts many cheap used arms (Jelco, Linn, etc)

9. NO PARTICLE BOARD!!!

10. Like a drug, only safer and still legal to own and operate
cocoabaroque

Showing 2 responses by bondmanp

bondmanp
1,781 posts
 
Yes Dean - I have had my TD 166MkII modded (but not the arm, which is all-original), and the performance has been brought up to another level. I owned it 26 years in full stock form, before the mod, and after the mod, I have no interest in TT shopping. Cartridges, that's another story!

And if your floor is solid (mine is a basement cement floor), you can do jumping jacks without distrubing a playing LP.

At this point, nothing below the level of a VPI Classic would be an improvement, IMHO.
bondmanp
1,781 posts
 
I am presently limited to MM or HOMC by my preamp. I have two arm wands, one with an Ortofon OM-30 Super, and one with a Denon DL-160 HOMC. The Ortofon tracks a little better, but the Denon offers a wider soundstage, more detail retrieval, and is smoother from the mids on up.

And you? What pickups do you like in your 166?
More to discover