Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

SnowmaNick said:
Debating a new table for my secondary system to replace a restored AR “The Turntable”.

Can anyone illuminate me on the advantages/disadvantages of a restored Thorens TD-125 mk II vs a restored TD-160? Also, age old advice is to change the stock Thorens arm for an SME 3009, but I wonder if I could do a 12” arm on the TD 125 or if that's a bad idea?
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They made a TD-125 Long to accommodate a 12” arm. Dave made some reproductions as well.

The big advantage of going to the 125 was the ability to use the SME arm. People who had the 160 stayed with the stock Thorens arm, although now Dave can fit a 160 with an upgraded Rega arm. IMO the Thorens arm is the weak point and ditching it is the way to go.

The 125 also had fine speed adjustment and a strobe where the 160 didn’t.
 
HiFi Guy said:
They made a TD-125 Long to accommodate a 12” arm. Dave made some reproductions as well.

The big advantage of going to the 125 was the ability to use the SME arm. People who had the 160 stayed with the stock Thorens arm, although now Dave can fit a 160 with an upgraded Rega arm. IMO the Thorens arm is the weak point and ditching it is the way to go.

The 125 also had fine speed adjustment and a strobe where the 160 didn’t.
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Thanks. The TD-125 Mk II is from a local shop. It’s a long body with a newly veneered plinth and an Alfred Bokrand AS 309 12" arm. The TD-160 is from Art and Sound Scholvein in Germany (it’s beautiful) with an SME 3009 R.

I’m leaning towards the TD 125, but the dealer hasn’t gotten the plinth back from his shop yet. The price (cash out of pocket) will be about the same as I’ll be trading in my old Rega P3 towards the TD125.

But, here’s the TD-160 (it doesn’t have the SME on yet in the pic). Drool.

52D9C4D4-DE2C-4996-BAEC-E7A8A424890E.jpeg
 
SnowmaNick said:
Thanks. The TD-125 Mk II is from a local shop. It’s a long body with a newly veneered plinth and an Alfred Bokrand AS 309 12" arm. The TD-160 is from Art and Sound Scholvein in Germany (it’s beautiful) with an SME 3009 R.

I’m leaning towards the TD 125, but the dealer hasn’t gotten the plinth back from his shop yet. The price (cash out of pocket) will be about the same as I’ll be trading in my old Rega P3 towards the TD125.

But, here’s the TD-160 (it doesn’t have the SME on yet in the pic). Drool.

View attachment 165625
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With full acknowledgement that all of this is subjective, to me, this is a Thorens TD-160 in name only--beyond the levers on the face plate, there isn't anything here that's very reminiscent of the original turntable. And I suppose that's the idea in this case, but I feel it should be given another name. It's beautiful, and no doubt a great turntable, but at what point do modifications warrant acknowledgement of a new species?
 
Russ I said:
With full acknowledgement that all of this is subjective, to me, this is a Thorens TD-160 in name only--beyond the levers on the face plate, there isn't anything here that's very reminiscent of the original turntable. And I suppose that's the idea in this case, but I feel it should be given another name. It's beautiful, and no doubt a great turntable, but at what point do modifications warrant acknowledgement of a new species?
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It’s different, I grant you that. To me it is like a hot rod. There are plenty of ‘32 Deuce Coupes in the world that have Chevy small blocks and trannys, Corvette or Jag suspensions, Wilwood brakes, and wild paint, but it’s still a ‘32 Ford.
 
MikeH said:
You feel about CDs how I feel about my streaming setup at the moment. That’s my main hold up right now. I could see myself moving to CDs as vinyl prices continue to climb…

And it’s the question of am I not listening to CDs now because I don’t have a good transport? Or is it because vinyl fills the physical media need and the transport wouldn’t be an upgrade in sound over my streamer? Need to figure that out for myself…
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For all of y'all buying CD players, I posted this just over a year ago.
Mather said:
For the first time in something like a decade, CD sales increased this past year. They're coming back, book it. I'm willing to bet SACDs become a big thing over the next few years as a large swath of listeners bail on vinyl due to cost, maintenance, space, and just general weariness at how much of a gamble and hassle the medium has become with plants as overworked and backed up as they now are.

And with so many streaming services fracturing the viewer and listener base I think a lot of younger people are starting to realize that maybe renting your media from giant corporations isn't the most sound model to rely on when it comes to the art you love. And they're going to start buying physical media again. And for the most part they don't have the space or the money for vinyl, so CDs it is.
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And you all laughed at me, LAUGHED.
WHO'S LAUGHING NOW AND HOW CAN I MONETIZE THIS TO MY ADVANTAGE
 
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Mather said:
For all of y'all buying CD players, I posted this just over a year ago.

And you all laughed at me, LAUGHED.
WHO'S LAUGHING NOW AND HOW CAN I MONETIZE THIS TO MY ADVANTAGE
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Despite being one of those who just ordered a CD player, I don't want the format to come back. I just never got rid of my collection so it's sitting there wasting space and might as well be used. I'm content with streaming otherwise.

The prices on vinyl are really trying my commitment to it though. Might need to make the industry collapse a little for the good of our wallets.
 
Hemotep said:
Despite being one of those who just ordered a CD player, I don't want the format to come back. I just never got rid of my collection so it's sitting there wasting space and might as well be used. I'm content with streaming otherwise.

The prices on vinyl are really trying my commitment to it though. Might need to make the industry collapse a little for the good of our wallets.
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Second hand prices are brilliant on them too. Junk shops have them for €1 a shot here. Bought so much random 90s stuff that’s fun to have but not worth a full price CD, never mind vinyl so the €1 old one is just brilliant!
 
Mather said:
YOU ARE SENDING MIXED MESSAGES

I'm flashing back to that girl in high school who told me she liked me liked me but didn't LIKE me like me. HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME FEEL THINGS
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Haven't you ever liked someone and at the same time were mildly repulsed by them? I'm pretty sure I've been on the receiving end of that so I think it's a thing.

And, man, I just don't need another collection to grow and need to be moved one day. But I like vinyl. It speaks to me in a way CDs never did. There's a ritual to it. I don't care that CDs are physical too. They just don't have the same feeling. And I like not being able to conveniently skip tracks. It forces you to listen to the whole album as a complete work of art. And I like that.
 
Hemotep said:
Haven't you ever liked someone and at the same time were mildly repulsed by them? I'm pretty sure I've been on the receiving end of that so I think it's a thing.

And, man, I just don't need another collection to grow and need to be moved one day. But I like vinyl. It speaks to me in a way CDs never did. There's a ritual to it. I don't care that CDs are physical too. They just don't have the same feeling. And I like not being able to conveniently skip tracks. It forces you to listen to the whole album as a complete work of art. And I like that.
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Agree.
 
Hemotep said:
Haven't you ever liked someone and at the same time were mildly repulsed by them? I'm pretty sure I've been on the receiving end of that so I think it's a thing.

And, man, I just don't need another collection to grow and need to be moved one day. But I like vinyl. It speaks to me in a way CDs never did. There's a ritual to it. I don't care that CDs are physical too. They just don't have the same feeling. And I like not being able to conveniently skip tracks. It forces you to listen to the whole album as a complete work of art. And I like that.
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I kinda agree but my big issue is I just can’t get on board with steaming in the house. It just doesn’t satisfy anything for me. Plus I probably have a bit more nostalgia for those CDs I’ve dug out that I’ve had for over 30 years. What I have done since getting the player is put the remote in a drawer other than when turning on or off, that way I still can’t skip songs and go through the whole album.
 
Joe Mac said:
I kinda agree but my big issue is I just can’t get on board with steaming in the house. It just doesn’t satisfy anything for me. Plus I probably have a bit more nostalgia for those CDs I’ve dug out that I’ve had for over 30 years. What I have done since getting the player is put the remote in a drawer other than when turning on or off, that way I still can’t skip songs and go through the whole album.
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I stream in my work office, but not at home, probably for the same reason. I'm excited to dig into my CDs. I just don't want to get any more. And I might invest in a streaming solution one day, but it's not worth it for me yet.
 
Hemotep said:
I stream in my work office, but not at home, probably for the same reason. I'm excited to dig into my CDs. I just don't want to get any more. And I might invest in a streaming solution one day, but it's not worth it for me yet.
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I just did thinking it’d act as discovery. I’ve used it once…

On the other hand in the same timeframe I’ve been digging out load of the old CDs. I do use the streaming a lot in my car on the way in and out of work.
 
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