Thorens TD 160 Super Turntable
The Thorens family in Switzerland have been making turntables for just about as long as anybody in the business. In fact, if you go back through their early musical box making period, you have nearly a century of non-stop fine engineering in the cause of music. The TD 160 first appeared in 1972 and has been a key unit in the Thorens range ever since. The Mark II version incorporated significant developments to give improved stability and this new Super model achieves even greater isolation from external vibrations and lower resonance effects. These refinements are deemed to be so important, in these days of wider dynamic range discs and loudspeakers with more extended bass response, that Thorens are also marketing a Turntable Conversion Kit which will enable owners of earlier models to upgrade. In the main, the kit contains chassis damping material, a high density arm board, a Metrocare anti-resonance platter mat and instructions on suspension alignment.
The TD 160 Super of course possesses these refinements, and I would like to say at the outset what a joy it was to unpack and put into service such a stable, well engineered and attractive looking turntable. The cabinet is larger and heavier than the average, no bad thing if we want the record to be driven steadily and with a minimum of outside interference. Styling is plain, with a black exterior and matt silver motorboard. The clear plastic lid is unusually robust and hinged so that it will stay open at any desired angle above about 40°. The motorboard is uncluttered and therefore easy to keep clean, there being just one control knob marked 33, 45 and off. The platter is massive and dynamically balanced so that it contributes plenty of flywheel smoothing of residual ripple without any cyclic imbalance. It rests on an inner turntable of 160 mm diameter around which is wrapped the drive belt. The latter is rectangular in cross-section and its natural elasticity prevents motor vibrations from reaching the platter. The mat is heavy and has concentric ring raised portions to support records at their rims.
Drive is provided by a 16-pole two-phase synchronous motor designed for constant electromagnetic field with a minimum of stray flux. The drive capstan is stepped to impart the two standard speeds via the drive belt, and an acceleration clutch prevents the belt from stretching, reduces the starting time and eliminates chassis vibration. Running speed is directly related to the mains frequency; stable enough nowadays and independent of aging or other variables. The capstan diameters have been made larger than usual to produce a relatively slow motor speed (only 375 rpm at 50Hz and 450 at 60Hz) with advantages in reduced rumble and bearing wear.
A special feature of the top models in the Thorens range is their 'floating suspension' system. The platter and main bearing are supported on a secondary chassis which is spring-mounted to isolate it not only from the main case and external forces but also from vibrations of the motor. To preserve pickup/platter geometry, the pickup arm board is also mounted directly on to this sub-chassis. No arm is supplied -with the TD160 Super, though note that theTD160 MkIIBC can still be obtained with the excellent Thorens TP 16 MkII arm or an SME 3009/II fitted, and the three-language booklet covers both models. A two-wire mains lead is fitted.
How it performed
The Table summarizes the technical specification and shows that the- claimed high standards were comfortably met in practice. As I have mentioned in the past, I like to 'measure rumble nowadays both with a test disc and the unique Thorens "Rumpel-Messkoppler", which I acquired a couple of years ago on a visit to their laboratories. No matter what method is used, the TD 160 Super is revealed as spectacularly rumble free. Wow and flutter is also below audibility and the unusually quiet mechanical action produces a unit to suit the perfectionist. Trouble with acoustic feedback or springy floorboards should be rare indeed, and my attempts to induce such a situation were completely frustrated, which says much for the floating suspension system. If I may introduce a personal note, however, I do find this aspect of Thorens turntables very slightly off-putting. The overall suspension is rather floppy so that even the simple act of operating the SME raise/lower lever sets the suspended inner chassis into momentary vibration. Perhaps it is my BBC studio background that makes me prefer a rock steady arm base.
To some extent, this and other aspects of the performance will be dependent on the particular arm chosen. I used both the Hadcock GH228E and the SME 3009/11. Cutting out a circular hole for the Hadcock in the blank board supplied was easy enough, but space on the board is only just sufficient to take the SME elongated hole. I was glad to discover that SME offer an exchange service, swopping an uncut board for a professionally cut one which saved me the tricky woodwork.
I should point out that the excellent performance of this Thorens turntable will be obtained to the full only if the deck is lined up properly. For example, exact horizontal balance of the floating platter and arm combination will change if a pickup of different mass is employed. So I found it necessary to adjust the three mounting suspension springs when changing arms-quite a critical operation. The Thorens TD 160 Super therefore emerges as an excellent deck for the scrupulous user who wants to fit a good arm of his own choice, and is prepared to set everything up carefully. If this seems too much trouble for you, I would suggest that you look at the TD 160 MkII which lacks the Super's refinements but comes with an arm already assembled.
