a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

classic analog rigs Thorens, Garrard, Lenco, EMT, etc..

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a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby vintage_dog » Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:40 am

hmmm, 3 folks I know have asked about the TD124 just this month. that's unusual...the TD124 has been around a long time now and only a handful WS guys own them. why th esudden interest? :wink:

a recent issue of Stereophile (magazine) has an article on the TD124 ... bingo, so that's what started this sudden interest :-)... i guess, Stereophile has such a strong following locally that anything they feature must be good, right? well, not all the time, but this time, YES! in fact some folks think you don't qualify as a high-end guy locally unless you have gear featured at Stereophile...hehehe? right? wrong.

guess, the guys who really started using the TD124 in a serious rig were the setup boys. a visit at the JELabs site gives you some helpful info on this classic table....the Tono boys are also Thorens fans (4 out of 5 own a Thorens, 3 are TD124s)...interesting, 4 of 5 Tonomen own a Clearaudio too! anyway, have you noticed, more interest now on the SET amps? hehehe...look at the JELabs site...been there for years...you mean, it's only now folks are discovering the "pure" sound? :D you guessed again, Stereophile has started to feature more SET amps on their pages, thus the renewed interest...

watch out for vintage amps...been there for years, and long been ignored. wait when Stereophile features them...then suddenly the rush to own them locally ... hehehe... i think they have featured the Eico HF81 recently...any buyers?

back to the TD124. is it worth the price? donno, but here's my experience and take.

i must admit, i've been influenecd by the passion JE had on these (including the Garrard), so i started to hint one at ebay. a seller posted a unit (near mint) with extra parts and even 3 headshells/carts. it didn't come cheap of course.

it arrived in great shape, except for the aluminum top platter (got dented along the way due to packing). eveything else was as described. condition of the mechanicals was superb. seller even included extra rubber mushrooms and wheel. the SME arm was also in very good shape. i was happy. except that when i plugged it in (110v), it didn't move. turned-out the sleeve at the spindle was stuck...i asked for help from one of the TD masters (setup2). after a couple of weeks, i had a running unit...thanks to setup2!

lessons learned:

1. make sure the sleeve on the spindle is in good condition. if not, replace them. an earlier model has plastic sleeves. replace these with metal ones no matter what others tell you.

2. use the manual to properly set the platter and top platter...lubricating as per instructions. platter should spin effortlessly and almost indefinitely even when motor turned off...its swiss, and indeed a precision device.

3. aluminum top platter - if yours is in perfect shape, use it. however, i prefer operating the table without it. some actually like this set-up (without top platter) better, but if you're a purist, go ahead and use the top platter. to compensate for the height, i used a machined acrylic platter and a record mat on top. if i have the time, i'll have the platter re-painbted to some flat black (it's light green stock). i adjusted vta of course. well, i have a more solid sounding rig with lower noise floor than using the top platter. but experiment yourself.

4. suspension - it has none. use the rubber mushrooms as per instructions to secure and isolate the table from the plinth. table must be in a stable location.

5. plinth - the best plinth are those made of solid wood or layers of plywood. this helps dampen resonances and vibrations. the common ones are those that only box the table. this is not advisable. some may look good but they are not as effective. the Sterophile article features one of those solid ones. JELabs site has detailed instructions for DIYers. forget the box types which are hollow inside (i have two of those and they are yours for free if you like them).

6. arm - go for the classic SMEs. mine is a 9 incher but the 12 would be better. it's a fine one (am sure there are others better, but more expensive) and somehow complements the sound and the looks of the 124.

7. headshell/cartridge - have at least two. makes cart-rolling a breeze. for carts, there are lotsof options. skip the ultra expensive ones (over $1000). go for the classic carts as well which other 124 owners use.

finally, the sound: a good set-up will reward you with a warm/lush and engaging sound - decent bottom with less detail and extension than modern tables/carts. if you like the classic sound of nat king cole, sinatra, ella, jobim, coltrane, miles, the 124 will not disappoint... only quibble - it has a higher noise floor and when you crank up the volume a little past normal, you can hear the table, the motor...but these easily get drowned by the music... just relax and enjoy!
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Postby yellowpaper » Thu Jun 22, 2006 12:11 pm

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Postby vintage_dog » Thu Jun 22, 2006 1:03 pm

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Postby m_shoe_maker » Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:49 pm

Para atang gusto ko ulit mag Thorens ah. :o
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Postby Bedroom Eyes » Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:54 pm

Gusto naman yung nasa likod ng thorens :oops: :shock:
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renewed interest on TD124

Postby 3jal » Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:04 am

http://www.windlab.net/maywind/td124.html

interesting site for TD124 maintenance 8)
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Postby audiophileman2002 » Wed Oct 18, 2006 12:16 am

To those interested, a company Norma Hylee Tech re-manufactures Thorens TD 124 and Garrard 301. The Stereophile review of 4/06 & 5/06 (Art Dudley) were samples of a TD 124 provided by Lawrence Blair of Brinkmann USA the North American distributor of NHT. The reviews in Stereophile:
http://stereophile.com/artdudleylistening/406listening/
http://stereophile.com/artdudleylistening/506listen/

Due to my interest in the TD 124, I phoned Lawrence and learnt that apparently not only does NHT do restoration for units brought in, they also sell already re-manufactured TD 124s. Once I have time, I'll pay him a visit in PA for an audition.

The website of Brinkman USA:
http://www.brinkmann-usa.com/
go click on Norma Hylee Tech for more info
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Postby Hyperion » Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:40 am

Lawrence is a fellow chatter at Audio Asylum chat. :D
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Re:

Postby cow.carab » Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:21 pm

vintage_dog wrote:Image

here's another good site:

http://www.soundfountain.com/amb/td124page.html


This TT is real beauty. anybody else there can post pics of there treasured Thorens and Gar. just love to view pics of these. awesome.
thanks
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby lovejbl » Mon Dec 01, 2008 9:07 pm

Few people have problems with the noise of TD 124 but very easy to resolve. Overhaul of the Thorens TD 124 motor is one of the most well known solution for noise problem. Visit this site http://homepage2.nifty.com/pantone/thorens/overhaul_1.htm
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby stereophile » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:43 pm

lovejbl wrote:Few people have problems with the noise of TD 124 but very easy to resolve. Overhaul of the Thorens TD 124 motor is one of the most well known solution for noise problem. Visit this site http://homepage2.nifty.com/pantone/thorens/overhaul_1.htm
lovejbl


Thanks for the link jerry. I saw this before but wasn't able to save it. It's a big help for those restoring their 124s. :clap:
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby pigdog » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:10 pm

i am not a fan of the td124 i got the MK 1 and am hoping to find a new home for it. besides it is sitting in my room gathering dust. the fact that the mk 1 has a magnetic platter makes is not suitable for MC carts and i am not in the market for buying anymore carts at this stage.
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby lovejbl » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:19 pm

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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby lovejbl » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:22 pm

stereophile wrote:
lovejbl wrote:Few people have problems with the noise of TD 124 but very easy to resolve. Overhaul of the Thorens TD 124 motor is one of the most well known solution for noise problem. Visit this site http://homepage2.nifty.com/pantone/thorens/overhaul_1.htm
lovejbl


Thanks for the link jerry. I saw this before but wasn't able to save it. It's a big help for those restoring their 124s. :clap:

No problem, guess what I am rocking...fantastico :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: maraming salamat kaibigan. You just don't know how happy I am. :D
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby lovejbl » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:24 pm

pigdog wrote:i am not a fan of the td124 i got the MK 1 and am hoping to find a new home for it. besides it is sitting in my room gathering dust. the fact that the mk 1 has a magnetic platter makes is not suitable for MC carts and i am not in the market for buying anymore carts at this stage.


what your asking for?
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby setup2 » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:17 am

pigdog wrote:i am not a fan of the td124 i got the MK 1 and am hoping to find a new home for it. besides it is sitting in my room gathering dust. the fact that the mk 1 has a magnetic platter makes is not suitable for MC carts and i am not in the market for buying anymore carts at this stage.


I think that a TD124 MK1 is not suitable for an MC carts is a myth... I have been babysitting a TD124 MK1, been using it with the Denon 103 and I can't hear or see what they are talking about... Know people who uses them with MC carts, the author of this thread is one, have not heard them say anything about it... Unless the 'Mythbusters' tells me otherwise, I will not worry about it :)

So Chester, I will give it a try before you let it go...

Regards,
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby pigdog » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:22 am

Thanks Joel for the good advise, maybe i should try it again with my current mc carts. for me , spending on more carts is not an option at this time, but being able to make use of what is available is a much more viable option
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby setup1 » Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:23 pm

Hi Chester,

Is somebody after your TD124 for peanuts? Joel is right, you might regret it. The earlier model is sought after because of the heavier iron platter (or flywheel in Euro speak), over 10 lbs. vs the ~7 lbs. non magnetic platter. Here's my stock TD124 with a Schick/DL103S. I've used an SPU also with no problems......

Image

...and another iron platter idler turntable - Lafayette PK180/Grace 640P/DL103

Image

Happy Listening!

je
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby stereophile » Wed Dec 10, 2008 5:02 am

setup1 wrote:Image


joseph- Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the 124 Mk1. Hopefully, chester will have a change of heart. :) Btw, what's the ttable in the background with two arms?
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Re: a renewed interest on a classic - the Thorens TD124

Postby kabubi » Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:00 am

stereophile wrote:
setup1 wrote:Image


joseph- Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the 124 Mk1. Hopefully, chester will have a change of heart. :) Btw, what's the ttable in the background with two arms?


that's the TT that Paul, Rene, Edwin and I will restore as our answer to the 301s, 401s and 124s of the world:

The LENCO

(i'm just not quite sure if that's the L75)
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