Technics or Thorens, need suggestions

oldhvymec,

"I’ve used BOTH for 50 years. Mcintosh and Thoren. Thoren has some very nice units."

I read somewhere, a few years ago, about Thorens basically being a different company than 50 years ago. Not that any company is the same.

In any case, and you surely know better than me if that is the case, old Thorenses and new Thorenses may not be same kinds of animals. I have no experience with new ones, but old ones were something to admire. That TD 126 Mk III, used, would be a serious contender if I had posted the question from the original post. Now, could new ones hold a candle to those old ones? If you have any experience, could you elaborate? I am interested.

Back in the 70’s, when I was selling audio retail, I bought a Thorens TD125AB MKII turntable on a salesman accommodation at 50% off retail. I used it with a Shure V15 Type2 MM cartridge. I liked the table but hated the cuing with the Thorens tonearm. I ditched it and bought a Phillips GA212 Turntable. Come to think of it, I didn’t have the Phillips very long. Eventually, I bought a JVC Direct Drive turntable (I remember I paid $850.00 for it) in 1978. I loved that turntable.

The Technics SL1200G is the best turntable I have ever owned, and just coming from a VPI Prime which cost me the same money, it is a night and day difference to me. The PRAT is much better, it is the first turntable that sounds better than my Esoteric SACD player and believe me, that is saying a lot. The cuing is so precise, you don’t hear any kind of needle chatter, the bass has true authority, and the music flows so easily. I expect that it is my final turntable.   The best part is once you have the cartridge dialed in, you do not have to futz with turntable, you can just spin vinyl.

Get both . If you can get thorens td160 super . The sound is more dynamic . Get technics SL 1200 mark 4 which you can use your own interconnect .i have both , both are equally good depending on your amp and speakers . 

The only thing you can say about the Technics is that they are well made and slick looking and pretty cheap which is why people fall for them.
Americans love cheap well made garbage.

$4000 is cheap for you ? SL1200G cost $4k and it’s very expensive turntable, still not overpriced like almost everything in high-end world today, especially thos belt drive you’re using. Technics tonearms always were super high quality like EPA-100 series with ruby-ball bearings, VdH has been using them as his reference. The EPA-100 mk2 is the rarest and this arm alone cost over $3k.

You Technics experience base on $1200 SP-10 mkII drive and nothing else, i assume you know nothing about Technics. First make sure your used gear is in mint condition and works like new before you will post comments based on your memories from errr 70s/80s/90s ???

I have tried many different models of Technics turntables, tonearms and cartridges in the last 5-7 years. I have some of them right here along with many top quality turntables, right now.

I want to remind to anyone that NEUMANN cutting lathe comes with Technics Direct Drive motor SP-02. This is the motor under the platter when cutter stylus cut the lacquer disc for each record in vinyl manufacturing process. Look at the catalog posted by jpjones

If anyone made the best Direct Drive motor then Technics direct drive is one of the best ever. 

Get the Technics. At that quoted price it's a steal. Even at the suggested retail price it's still a better 'table than the Thorens.

I presently own a Thorens TD-160, a VPI Traveler, a Garrard 301, and have owned a Technics SL-1200 for about twenty five years. If Technics had released these new 1200's earlier I might not have gone for the refurbed 301 that I bought but that's water under the bridge and I like the 301 so much that I can't contemplate replacing it. However, I'm strongly considering selling both the TD-160 and the VPI and replacing them with one of the new Technics SL-1500's.

Again, go for the SL-1200G. You'll be very glad that you did!