Thorens has a new owner and has launched a new model series, the TD 1600 (and 1601 with additional automatic lift/switch off and XLR connectors). Prices in Germany, as an indication, are 2500€ and 3000€ with arm and without cart. Whilst the looks are very retro, the design is completely renewed. It has a new suspension design and an improved motor(housing). An interesting feature is a tensioned wire that compensates the tension of the pulley on the sub-platter. The wire is dampened as well. The first review in a reputed German magazine is raving. With an AT ATR9 cart it impressed so much that is regarded as the new reference in its class. The ART 9 was chosen, as Thorens is planning to release its on MC cartridge (TAS 1600), which has similar features to ART9, like a boron cantilever and SLC shapes stylus. Is this the start of a new success era for Thorens? I really hope so, I grew up with Thorens and it got me into listening to music!
Ignore who owns the name now, the original company is long gone. I'd be more interested in the actual provenance of the 'table itself. If it's made by Fehrenbacher (who was making the previous designs along with "Dual" branded stuff, then no.
The new owner is Gunter Kürten. Not sure, if he designed it. He wanted to keep the exterior more or less the same, but the interior is completely re-designed.
For some reason it doesn't look quite as nice as a TD160 to me, even though the looks are very similar. Hard to pinpoint why. Might be a great table though. Here is a video of it in action:
Rutherford Audio has been the US importer for a while now....but oddly enough, they no longer list Thorens on their website.
I don't have a clue about whether this will be a great or not so great table but I sure prefer the look of this style over my Technics GR.
This looks really interesting. Honestly, I wonder why it's taken them so long to do this sort of modern update on their classic turntables.
It apparently needs an outsider enthusiast to re-build on the name of a more or less dead brand. To me it is an interesting choice to use the “old” looks of the TD 160 to make a new TT. I suppose they thought about it carefully why to go this way and not to come up with a completely different (modern) looking design. I got here a picture of the new interior. 1. Baseplate, 2. Springs that are tensioned from below now, 3.MDF frame , 4. sub-platter, 5. Tonearm base, 6. DC motor, 7. Adjustable feet 8. Pen that holds tension wire to avoid pull by pulley on bearing. I also did not mention that it comes with an external power supply unit for the motor.
What happened to that Thorens TD-124 direct drive that was pictured at some audio show this past year?
So it looks like the arm board is attached to the top plate, and the whole is suspended. More like the TD125 than the TD 160. Nice!
I have heard from a guy that repairs old Thorens TT here in Switzerland that the new owner of Thorens Mr. Kürten is quite serious about making good turntables. At least much more than the guy before that just used the name to make some money with junk TT's. But for me, nothing is as cool as the original Thorens Especially the Direct drive td 124 seems a strange idea to me.
No, the armboard is still mounted to the suspended subchassis along with the platter as in the past. As shown above, the subchassis has a MDF frame, but with a metal piece connecting tonearm and platter bearing (blue part in rendering below). There is a stabilizing string between the subchassis and chassis added in this new design. Thorens TD1601 Turntable – part 1
