I am getting back into vinyl again and just loving it! I didn’t have a high end turntable when I bought my first serious stereo, but it was affordable and still works as good as it did in 1980. I bought a new LP every 2 weeks from 1973 to 1988. I never got into CD’s I thought they were a fad, but that said I did buy 2 of them! I am now 63 and have an upgraded and restored Marantz TT1000, which looked great in the 80’s and nearly 40yrs later still excites me every time it hits the vinyl. Thanks for your passion for sound excellence putting your videos out there.
I'm totally obsessive enough with tinkering and adjusting, then I watch your excellent, informative and entertaining videos which get me at it again! I have the Thorens td150 mk2 which I absolutely love and have no need for anything else. Keep up the good work.
every record sound better in compared to the cd version, i haven´t heard for a lot of years "blue train" by John Coltraine, two weeks ago ,i thought of hearing it ,what i didn´t expect was the superior sound quality of that record it feels amazing, also the Art Blackey and the Messengers" live in Tunisia" or "beaches brew" from Miles Davis, those i must have heard them for the last time in early 90´s
Always enjoy your videos Kevin. It is great to see someone so enthusiastic about vintage HiFi. Just picked up a Sansui AU-101 that takes me back to my youth in the 70s.
More Gr8 tips, i owned a Thorens TD150 that often came s/h fitted with same 3009.. (fixed h/shell on mine) ..tonearm, very early in my life of s/h buying to get the best from my 45' & 33.3 vinyl collection (45's long gone now) & I must say I've never seen a better engineered bearing on other later vintage t/turntables I owned, I sold it to a good friend & maintained it as a favour for his 10'ish years of ownership & the amount of time it takes to drop a TD150's sub-platter & its spindle to sink fully to the bottom of its cleaned out & freshly.. (few drops, no room for more down their) ..oiled bearing well was ridiculously long, I wish I'd timed it for interest alone, the passing minutes where trying to push it to go set it up quicker was met with strong resistance, some oil overflowed a bit, so we waited & waited. When it fully sank, giving it & it's fitted outer platter & spinning push, saw it spinning silently for a good few minutes, I showed him how pressing an ear tight to the plinth, you hear nor feel anything audible or vibrationsl, it spins for ages as long as the motor's drive-belt is removed. That alone to me, reeks of top quality Swiss engineering I've not seen beaten, tho i've seen how I've not had near as many vintage t/table as this guy, so maybe other vintage decks show this TD150's bearing quality, but I missed owning such decks. I sold that deck converted. P.S. & btw, i dropped that Thorens 150... (after removing the original wood plinth) ..into a lump of overly (six inch) thick & wider.. (for 12'inch tonearm notions) solid wood jig-sawed out only to closely accommodate the floating sub-chassis & arm-board's free movement, gave it huge improvement but only really noticed when I screwed the overhanging top metal plate into that new plinth with 3" spaced & deep brass screws, gravity alone did not show hardly any improvement, i only then first stumbled across the obvious physics clue, that sinking resonances away is key in t/table's top sound quality design, it's own wood plinth is o.k. but rather thin but the difference gobsmack me for the improvement gained after firmly screwing that metal top-plate that's glued to rests only on 4 thin wood corners in it's original plinth. Even as-is, i reckon a Linn Ittok & good m.c. would get unbelievably close to £3000* (*years back) ..worth of the most basic but complete new Linn Sondek t/table, arm & m.c. cart' ...TD150 is highly upgradable too, if that's in your bag
Thanks for the explanation and comparison. Very clearly done! The better turntable making the sound more defined and instruments more clearly distinguishable is something that when you experience spoils you forever ;)
Brilliant video, thank you. I had an early 70s Thorens TD160 for a number of years before the upgrade bug bit and I upgraded to a Roksan deck. The Thorens was a great deck I loved the look of it, and it also sounded great. When I was a kid my dad was well into his hi-fi and vinyl records. I’ve turned into him, because that’s pretty much me today! My dad bought a Sansui SR-222 Mk II identical to that one in about 1978 (I think it was £70 new). Sadly, last year we lost my dad and I was crushed. After a while I cleared out his garage and there it was - the classic Sansui!! AT-110 cartridge all ready fitted to the removable headshell. I took the deck home and cleaned it up - it was filthy. I sourced a new belt from eBay, wired a plug on the bare power lead and then I was ready to test it. It powered on and the platter began to spin. I dropped the needle and Stevie Wonder suddenly burst forth from the speakers (also my dad’s old Mordaunt Shorts). I have to say I’m so pleased to have it, it sounds great! I need to get a new clip to hold the tonearm in place as that’s broken, but pretty sure I can find one on eBay or somewhere - and it doesn’t stop it being used on a second system.
I find myself listening to vinyl or cd or even tapes enjoying the music more by handeling the media picking it out spending more time on an album than the instant acces streaming digital media.
Thanks for re-introducing me to hi-fi. I'm now building my retro system..Three amps brought already so I can switch over for different sounds and looks. Keep up the good work my friend.
Great video. Think you describe the advantages of vinyl over digital very well! I have the same tone arm (SME 3009) on a 70's Ariston deck. I also have a Thorens TD160 and TD 166 with stock arms. The only thing different that I would recommend is a cartridge from the 70's...a Shure V15 Type III or a Stanton 681eee make all the difference to the rather lifeless Ortofon Blue.
Obviously I am watching this video 3 years later… but boy, I can totally relate. I just listened to jazz album that was sitting on my Technichs 1500 MK2 TT with a AT VM540ml cartridge and I was blown away at how good my vinyl sounded vs my Eversolo DMP-A6 streamer with the Denafrips Iris DDC and Pontus 2 DAC. It was way more engaging. The album was on the platter under the dustcover for a year… lol
I currently have a TD150 and I use to have a TD 126 equipped with SME 3009 or Linn arm. Very good turntables indeed. But , but I have also a precise sound stage with my CD with a lot of presence of the musicians. I am more a classical music lover and I go often to the concert . My conclusion is that CD can give a terrific experience.
Somewhat agree, but great vinyl on a finely tuned turntable can really be a wonderful listening experience. These turntables represented here are not up to the level of modern day tables.
Oh darn. I have a Thorens TD125 that has been just waiting to be played “for decades “ while I’ve been enjoying the convenience of streaming albeit good stuff from Tidal. I’ll just have to hook it up and revel in the sound again. Your explanation at the end got me in the same way you were talking about Elvis Costello signing his heart out - emotional connection is what I call it. You know it when you feel it. It happens on BGT with the best singers; you get a connection that you can feel in your gut. Thanks for such an honest heart-felt review. Kind regards, Simon , Aotearoa NZ.
Thanks, Simon. Hey, if you get that Thorns out, put some oil in the bearing I literally use quality car engine oil you only need two drops. Best Kelvin
@@stereoreviewx Will do. It was serviced a few years back - motor stopped running - but was fixed. the spindle sure is remarkable. I'd hate to lose it with neglect. Thanks for the tip.
Nice video. What is the tonearm on the Sansui TT please? Also when swapping the headshells over between the two TT's, do you have to realign the cartridge every time or is a straight swap over?
I remember in my secondhand audioshop, after a demo of expensif valve amps from kebshule, put the nad 3020, and it was of the same quality musicality level!!!!!!
Another great video. Thorens TD150 and 160 are fantastic turntables that bat way above their price point. Way back in 1965, if Thorens made washing machines instead of turntables the Linn Sondek LP12 would not exist. However, if it did it would look nothing like it does today. Thorens have left a great legacy that others try to emulate.
also my opinion, have a late 60´s thorens professional line that worked for many hours and today still plays with great sound ,also related with the cartridge quality
I have an AR XA which is an earlier suspension deck than either and sounds better to my ears, although difficult to set up. I also have a Thorens TD150 MKii stock with Linn Basik arm and a TD160B Super with SME 3009 Series 3
Are there other sub suspension turntables you would suggest? Great overview of the questions I need answers to. I was raised on great hifi….every house in my neighborhood had a record player , a decent sounding system and more than a few had the Cadillac/Mercedes of systems. I could only hope for something of the Thorens agility. Maybe it’s my house, speaker placement ect. but no matter the configuration, you can’t even threaten to dance near the Marantz 6110. I can’t tune the “woof and flutter” out of the deck. I’m sending my phono stage for a potentiometer upgrade to better tune to the room. A Thorens maybe the solution. Appreciate your time and experience….that is priceless. I think I listened to hardly anything but Elvis Costello’s ‘This Years Model’ when I was turned onto it. You’re correct….that boy is really singing his heart out. Tom Waits ‘Raindogs’ had a similar deep effect…music that pulls you in, that pummels you in the chest or both. We were spoiled by talent in a world with a third of the current population. the ‘Pump It Up’ -this tracks defy the tech or the time it was made. They live and breathe in a time capsule and await your return to them. Sometimes we need reminding. Its what’s missing these days in much of modern music….records that were recorded by a band, in a room, and regardless of how it was recorded…you can believe in it because they did!
Ive taken delivery of my late dads’ thorens 166mk2 with which ive played as a child, along with the 3020 and large infinity bookshelves (with emit tweeter) on a short floor stand. Many memories coming back. Thanks dad. He was never protective over his gear but i realise now how pristine it all is. But do i just switch on the thorens and let is play w/o a service? Thanks for your videos. I anticipated your return after you long silence.
I have the SR-222 MkII, and am very impressed. It is dead silent, and a wonderfully designed basic manual TT. I would love to try out a Thorens one of these days.
@@stereoreviewx I agree 100%. However there comes a point of diminished returns. The cost of the 150 is 250-300% higher than the 222 in my part of the world. Definitely a classy bit of kit though.
I have a Thorens TD166 and I highly recommend this turntable for someone looking to get into vintage vinyl. I think they go for about 650 dollars as the vinyl resurgence has driven prices up.
i bought a thorens td160 15 years ago. i'd had a rega planer 3 that wasn't impressive at all and also a technics sp10. these were my quality tables. i'd had some cheapies too. I still remember the first time playing a record on the thorens. ive still got it and still use it every day. a fantastic table.
Why I like your channel is that i can very much relate to your sound characterization. You yourself can talk " very involving" as i would say it. I cannot stop watching your "captivating and involving" descriptions/reviews. However there is one word you use and that I hear very often used by audio reviewers is: "speed" , that i can not relate to. Can you please elaborate a bit more on this. The association I get with that word is an elevated upper midrange. This helps in a uniform vocabulary for communicating about sound profiles, that you are trying to get across very convincingly, by the way. Keep it up ! Thank you. Very authentic
speed i guess mostly they refer to speakers .in physical form it means the cones are light they move quickly .a heavy cone is generally slow . alightweight boxer mover faster than a heavy weight he can throw more punches in a second
I have a thorens td104 and it has stopped working. Both the 33 and the 45 lights come on at the same time. It did have an intermittent buzz through one channel that I’m sure is just the rca connection to the amp, however I don’t think that is the cause of it not working as it was doing this previously. It was my dads so I would really love to get it working again. I would greatly appreciate any help.
I don't agree entirely. There are TTs with plastic material armtubes that sound pretty darn good. Better than many hopeless designs with metal arms. The Demon's in the DP line with the tracer arms for instance. Can sound pretty good if people know how to set a tracer arm up properly and has the right cartridge
I like vintage engineering. So glad I've found your channel. Your descriptions of specific sound characteristics are easy to understand. Watching this video I started missing my Dual 1229 turntable. It had very robust sound, heavy sliding dust cover and auto functionality that I now miss in heavily modified Rega P3. All in all Rega sounds better, but lacks some of that robustness, especially in rock music and with older recordings.
Yes someone I know got rid of us Lynn sundeck and replaced it with a rotel . He said he preferred the Rotel’s scale and impact the Lynn felt dainty to him
Hi Kelvin, love your reviews and advice. I have enjoyed a Dunlop Systemdek 11x from new and it still sounds great. Do you have any advice regarding cartridges I should shortlist please ?
Ive got a Systemdek iix900 from new. Still use it with an Origin modified Moth tonearm (Rega RB250) and a Goldring 1000 series cartridge with a G1042 stylus. Like it.
Mine Sansui SR-212 looses speed after playing one side of a record, I put a new belt on, changed out the old capacitor and resistor but the problem exists.
My favorite turntable in my small collection of turntables is my Ariston Rd11s with an Infinity Black Widow and ADC gold XlM mk3, fitted out with a Shibata ZLM stylus, glorious sound stage and that all important foot tapping beat. other Decks Sony PS-X600 with Coral MC81 and the wonderful STD 305m which is under a full rebuild.
I love my many Dual vintage turntables. The tone is outstanding. The highest end I have is the Dual 1229. 7lb. 12", platter, but all my Duals are outstanding
I have a dual 1209 with shure M75 type d cartridge and a black diamond elleptical stylus but i'm not shure if a certan rumble comes out of the idler wheel systeem. I do only hear it with headphones dough.
With headshells you are ideally using headshell mass to optimise the resonance of the tonearm and cartridge combination. That is why you have different masses of headshell. Low compliance cartridges will need a higher mass headshell than high compliance cartridges. You can buy headshell masses to do the same job. It’s worth investigating. Tonearms are a mass of nested compliances that need to be tamed so that resonances are largely unseen by the stylus and cantilever operating at audio frequencies. Adjustable headshell mass will reduce surface noise and improve dynamic range as well as reducing distortion.
I like vinyl. But I have a lot of records. A well set up tt with a sympathetic cartridge can be really musical - lively, involving and tactile. Both those turntables will do the job pretty well, but I'd go with the Thorenz. Thanks for the review.
Try tracking a Decca London cartridge in an arm that is 'light and rigid' lol! Different cartridges were designed for different arm / head shell masses. It is not a 'one for all' solution!
Great video again. Ive just got a refurbished Pioneer PL112d but plan to upgrade to something like a TD150 or Ariaton RD11. Nice to hear enthusiasm for the music turntable give. Im 50 and never like CDs
Hello Keith, I have just started watching your TH-cam channel. I know literally nothing about turntables. After watching this episode I started searching for Thorens devices, can you quickly tell me which of these two are the better please. 1. THORENS TD 150 / II Originalsystem EXCEL ES-70 S 2. Ein TD 150 M with a unusual tonearm, a Shure Stereo Dynetic 2xx which has been fitted from new apparently, this also come with a Grundig. Both are in 2 versions of eBay which we have here in Germany. Keep safe and best regards Nick
Hello Kelvin, which turntable and speakers can you recommend for a Marantz 2220 receiver? it doesn't have to be an accurate estimate, just approx. My listening room is 20 m2> 65.5 feet. Thank you in advance, sir! I really enjoy your passion and appreciate your work. Greets from Austria to the UK!
@@stereoreviewx Thanks for your reply, Kelvin. Okay, you are absolutely right, Sir! I have a pair of old Sonics AS227A Speakers but one tweeter surround is torn a bit. I don’t want to be forceful but can you please give an advice for speakers? I definitely will buy a HiFi System from the 70’s but I am no pro and as you mentioned in another video… people want to sell. Many greetings and thanks, Wolfgang!
I have the Marantz 2220B, I have a Kenwood KD-2000 and a Scotts PS-48Turntablem, both sound good, I bought the turntable at a audio that was moving for $35.00 and bought some advent speakers for $25.00. Bought some Pioneer bookshelf speakers for $30.00 off E-bay. My best sound were some cheap Onkyo bookshelf speakers I bought at a thrift store for $11.00. I bought my Marantz on E-bay along with 2 reel to reels tape decks.
Only a long time ago was it at 11:10 I can’t remember but I’m not up to speed with them I’m always a fan of autophon I don’t particularly like sure they’re a bit big and brassy compare to ortophom
My Philips GA312 was built in '77 or '78 and was never a high end tt, but set up nicely with a compatible cartridge (I use an ADC cartridge, maybe 1978 with a new stylus) and it sings! It also is a beautiful turntable. I play my mono lps from '50s and '60s on a mono Fisher console (EL 34 tubes) using a Garrard A6 tt from 1963 and a GE mono cartridge built in 1958. Is it hi-fi? No, but wow do those LPs come to life.
Nice review. Do u use any particular model of slipmat ? I still use the original rubber of Technics. It's easy to clean and also it's possible to wash to avoid to keep too much dust. I always keep the dust cover anyway. Thank u Sir !
"When I was young "Eric Burdon and The Animals" .... When I was young, I lost my collection of 25 turntables. All is left my Thorens TD 150 plus TP 16 and the Pioneer PL 1200 plus SME.
I have the same shock of sansui sr 222mk2... It is very very very amazing tune... And it wass poor cheep catrige but i was suprised and shocked... Now i am thinking big upgrade.. It is worth Every penny.. Best regardas from Croatia..
The way I always try to describe the differences to non audiophiles is that listening to vinyl compared to a digital source is that the human ear hears in analogue . Digital has to be converted first. The conversion is the key here.
Nice Reviews and turntables. I am running an Sansui AU9900 and have had several turntables Technics SL 1500, Thorens 165 before settling with a modified Lenco L75. The stock L75 actually beat my Thorens. The modded one is naturally even better. Try a Lenco L75/78 you will be in for a good experience. Thank you for brilliant YT channel 👍
Hi. Love your reviewing style. I have to agree with what you have said regarding a good turntable getting you closer to the emotion within the music. Certainly a few hundred well-spent on a properly set-up turntable and arm will give you emotion, dynamics and detail than cheap digital or streamed music. But, have you ever tried using a really good CD deck ? I'm thinking perhaps a Linn Genki or Ikemi. You canget a decent sound from digital media if you invest enough !
Oh yes I had an audio research CD8 which is a CD player with valves in it basically it was very good It was super expensive when new at least £5000 Low base detail was remarkable K
Really nice real world presentatrion - good stuff. Would be interesting to hear you put a 301 in there on a good plinth then an SME for fun - dream on.
I love my td160s mk5. Setup properly with a great cartridge it's a smasher. I only use an at95e but boy does it kick ass...everything sounds great lots of powerful bass, rhythm and great highs. Bought mine before the vinyl revival at the peak of the cd boom. I have started buying much more brand new vinyl. I get my digital fix from streaming and my investment in albums goes into LPs. I buy at least 2 new ones a week. Listening to everything from Alison Kraus to Kraftwerk. The re-released Kraftwerk albums are about the best modern pressings I heard...I have to say thought to get the best sound you really need to work on setting these things up perfectly. I used a schön schablone and did it meticulously...
Yes set up is everything just made a video about vinyl versus digital and trophies most people haven’t heard good vinyl because it’s hard to do Thanks for your comments I might get a Kraftwerk album now
Back in the '80 ies the sme was proposed with a upgrade ball gearing instead of the knife friction ..the original had to much play..., it was beaten by the grace g707...later by linn itok and rega rb 300...but japanees audiofiles loved the sme 3012 with denon 103
Did you ever visit AT Labs ( now Audio T ) in Chase Side Enfield. My laye father took me in there as a disinterested teenage only to hear a Sugden A48 amp being auditioned. That was it love affair with hifi began !!
Great review that highlights the human element in the superiority of vinyl - it conveys the emotion in music , something digital just cannot do. Convenience, speed , must have it now - these are things we are supposed to prioritise above everything else in today’s world - the consequences of that I’m afraid , are poor quality. Thanks Kelvin.
Nice description!!! Great video!!!! Please excuse my ignorance but you refer to the value of the Thorens TD-150 as 150 squid! I don’t know what country you’re in but I have never heard of the term squid used as monetary value of an item.
I fell in to the digital trap in the mid eighties..bought a £200 CD player and thought it was great ,until years later I realised that I had been playing my records on a £50 record deck .Had I bought a new record deck for the same money as the CD player it’s performance would have well surpassed the digital offerings of the day ..
I know those Sansui's were and still are a bit of a hype among vintage TT fans. Myself, I used to have a Mk 1 model but when put up against a Pioneer PL 514 it really did not stand a chance. Could it really be that the Mk 2 is so much better. It certainly looks better and I really would give one a chance still but I have no clue whether it's really substantially better than its first incarnation. The Pioneer's only flaw was its somewhat shaky speed stability but it may just have been a belt issue. I can't remember for sure but I think it was running either a vintage Piezo or Satin brand MM cartridge and for classic 70's rock like Zeppelin, early AC/DC, ZZ Top, Queen and so on I honestly think it may have been the best TT I ever hooked up onto my NAD Monitor series amps (I also had it connected to an AUREX Series 15 Mini-System for a while which was almost just as much fun.
Yes I doubt the Marktwo is substantially better at all I mean I’m not writing this sound so it’s a great turntable it’s more about the comparative differences K
I bought a td 150 mkII off craigslist for $175. Came with a brand new grado fc+ cart too. But there's a mp 110 on it rn. People are shocked at how it sounds like a live performance.
@@stereoreviewx Yes, the AR XA table was a landmark design and is considered to be the most important/significant achievement in phonogram design ever. The Linns, Thorens, etc, are copies of the AR design sub bar chasis. They added some refinements of their own, but basiocally they owe their ongoing success to Acoustic Research. The Merrill tables were initially upgraded and improved AR design. There's a fantastic video here by Mr. Z ob the AR XA. You need to see it. Thanks again for the video. Be safe!
Helpfull information. Just getting into the Turn/record table matter. I found a LP record-store and its owner works for 40 y long with and on the turntables. Revising and all that. Now, i do have a bit simple turntable wich cost 120 euro more less . A Sony PS-LX22 direct drive. It works fine but i want to go up in quality and so the owner has a couple turntables, THorens. Now i need to listen to the sounds of 4 type's (cant remember the type's) but will do. i want to spend between the 500 and 600 euro.
the sansui was good as others but thorens are maybe the best there were ,i still have in use a late 60´s model ,professional one that belonged to a radio station i started when younger and the first in my region ,the biggest of my country ,Portugal. All thorens i have ,only 3 work perfect including this late 60´s model that worked 24/24 hours and still works perfect in my home today, sansui was good but not better than all other brands of high-quality at the time , as technics, pioneer ,kewood ,marantz etc.Only like to refer that the Blue 2M cartridge is very bad compared to the original cartridges that were assembled in the turntables ,i could refer the PC-30/PN-30 from pioneer in 74 from the PL-ES turntable from the ES-2000/3000 system that i put them playing and didn´t had to start the pioneer i refer because the sound was so bad, first i thought it was the new turntable that wasn´t good but then i noticed that it was the cartridge starting in the Bronze is maybe the only aceptables cartridges along with the black and LVB edition in the 2M series , this comparing to the cheapest cartridges at the time ,the brand Shure had the M75b that is also very bad, this to refer a bad cartridge from the 70´s, they work good but in sound quality are very low quality
I would like to comment about the isolation aspect you talk about with your Thorens. I used to own an LP12 . If I put a record on the platter without rotation and lower the arm on to the stationary record with the pre at a medium setting and tapped the plinth I would get a 'bang' through the speakers. So much for so called isolation! If you watch your own video you will see the platter on your deck bouncing as you put your elbow on the table it is sitting on. Even walking on suspended floors can upset turntables fitted with this type of springing system. Modern turntables fitted with record clamps are way better in my opinion although they will blow your £300 budget out of the water!
Well the bouncing is not a problem it’s isolating the stylus from the box so you don’t get any type of feedback through the needle Sometimes you have to adjust the springs to get it right otherwise it’s touching the box you see
@@stereoreviewx Kelvin all decks feedback to some degree. I don't think the Thorens/LP12 springing system is a particularly good isolation platform. The Logic DM101 with the center mass upgrade was a better solution if you must use springs. It is tuned to a lower frequency so isolates better. The best deck that I ever owned for isolation was Rock Reference and that had no springing at all, only mass to achieve isolation. Some of the modern decks are better and I bet even a Rega Planar 3 would outperform your Thorens for sound quality. It is fitted with a better tone arm for one thing!
Could never get good sound out of my Thorens TD160 and TD 147 turntables.The TD 160 had an SME arm.Or my Logic DM101.Gave up on suspended belt drives after that.Much better sound from rim drive and direct drive.
I'm looking for a 3009 arm but I have to make sure it's in great condition there should be no movement in the bearings they do have issues with the knife bearings when they get old, I've pay 250 no more, don't think it's worth more than that not with modern arms you can get for four five hundred
Well you know, truly it’s hard to judge the sound quality of arms I mean hard to really test it. I have an experience that many arms but I really rate the SME range you noticed the plastic arm they later made is not so popular.. Another thing worth mentioning personally I would always have detachable headshell. The fixed headshell is plain Bendy. Regarding knife edge bearings when you play with the arm often feels loose so a bit bumpy, but I don’t think that means you have a problem Good luck, I Think, the SME, 3009 range like similar products of the time was a real pursuit of excellence
I was looking at some of their new TP arms they've got a unipivit tp 82 for 500£. Origin live do some good arms and they're about the same price and then there's Michelle engineering they do a Rega type arm 300 I think it's about 450 £ and then there's moth Arms they start off at about 250 £ I have always fancy jelco arms they're not particularly cheap, very difficult buying a second-hand arm and known it's in good condition if you come across some let me know I'm not far from you Watford ,I think you're quite close and leave us a comment, if you come across something maybe we could meet up I might have a girl on the original I've got some carbon fiber tubing one thing I want to replace is the headshell you know of a good headshell for it? it's not an SME fitting I don't think? I was going to make one out of laminated wood impact with resin that will be nice and stiff I'll do it in a vacuum, already done that on the armboard laminated with a piece of aluminium and wood works nice made it a lot thicker than the original, you could cut it out of half inch of aluminium or perspex is about the right size I've not tried but should work well the armboard is a bit of a killer's Hill you don't need it because you've got an aluminium one you could still experiment with perspex@@stereoreviewx
I find that a turntable sounds better than any equivalently priced digital format and it’s much easier to achieve good sound on a analogue system over a digital system. Digital has the advantage of convenience and these days vinyl is obviously much more expensive than digital formats.
Very nice vintage tables, but nowhere to the level of modern engineered finely tuned turntables. Furthermore cartridges and tonearms have greatly evolved from the 70’s.
Well you just said it master tapes tapes that has to be turned into digital and go through the whole digital processing things there is nothing pure and unspoiled about the CD player look inside there is a lot going on
nice....new video,plz do more videos(i would like to hear an extended review about kef coda and b&w dm4),i also bought a pair of spendor bc1s after your review,thnx
just quickli let me tell you i gave my freind the dm4 s and he gave me spendor a6r which sell for £700 secondhand today . basically he prefererd the dm4s iheard them together and the spendors just sounded choked with no life in them even though they are bigger .
Stereo review X indeed,also after i saw your review about the rogers ls3/5a, i bought them second hand in mint condition for 900 euros(i think the price is good,i live in Greece)and they sound amazing,i believe they are the 1st original edition.I am looking forward to find a pair of kef coda or the dm4s.Keep making videos, very nice content👍🏻
BLUE GOAT Well my advice would be get the DM fours the Code that is just an inferior LS35a It has the same drivers literally but the crossover is basic
@@stereoreviewx capacitors will need changing put polypropylene film capacitors ideally titanium film and a 0.1 polystyrene across the capacitor in the tweeter and woofer inline signal in parallel
sorry for a late coment but what are your view about new turntables and cartridges this around 2.000€ ,it seems not a real turntable or cartridge ,i have many old turntables butthis new ones even with a good cartridge seems to miss something ,as an examople i played a LP from john coltrane that is a old record and in a old turntable i´m using now with the original cartridge and stylus sounds amazing no matter what type of sound the record as or should i say a diferent production not so smooth sound but rough with detail in every instrument they play which are not that many ,drums ,guitars and voice, in a new turntable i got from Rega with 3 new cartridges i have and tried them on this new turntable , first i notice being a MM cartridges and one MC the volume of sound was maybe 1/5 of the sound and on a 78 turntable with a good cartridge and stylus from technics as the turntable i´m using now it´s a SL-1310 all original and sounds incredible good but the Rega that is also good doesn´t seem to play diferent types of recordings or refering to it´s unusual production in studio and it sounds very strange ,not a matter of good and bad but plays it diferentelly of what it sounds in a very strange way like if it was a mono record and all sound seems joined in one channel instead of the natural wide stereo image, so are this new wave of turntables really turntable shouldn´t they be called new vinyl readres and new reading system instead of regular cartridges and the stylus that always were expensive depending on the cartridge today they are even more expensive, so what´s your opinion about new and before 2000 turntables and after this turntables or vinyl readers better record players ,my old amplifier releases 600 watts from Pioneer Eclusive series a M3 control amplifier where i have two turntables conected and that is where i put my new Rega P10 and a Sl-1310 (79) that normally i use a P3 pioneer turntable all this was one of my father´s systems and i´m using a pair of speakers the cerwin-vega AT-100 and infinity SM-225 (not so powerfull but excelent detail on sound)the other day i put on it a SL-3100 with a 207C caqrtridge and the very usual technics cartridge EPS-270ED and also sounds very good so my question is ,what are they doing ,i saw a Pro-ject turntable kind of a design that resembles very minimal signature turntable or rotor as some call them and not all are rotor ,it had the 2Mred from ortofon cartridge and new it costed around 1.000€ , never in my life i had heard such a bad sound and the cartridge was perfectelly installed on a arm made of the material they use on sport cars and seems not a good arm or maybe not that compatible with every kind of cartridge, i have 28 turntables from my father colection and some were mine, he died and left me all his music colection and his colection of hi-fi equipment that i had already some material that i normally when tired of one system i assemble other, i´m not a rich person but my family was, so i have a lot of good 70´s components and cheap too (bought by me)but good not fantastic, i couldn´t find a turntrable in my colection with a so horrible sound , one can buy a 100€ turntable in 2nd hand that will be so good that is not comparable like a pioneer PL-430 from 83 or a bit later with a old AT cartridge not the cheapest but the model after and it sounds really good compared to new turntables around 1.000€, it´s example . Do you think that this new turntables are any good or what´s your opinion about them, sorry for the long coments i make
@@stereoreviewx European Sansui Speakers were good during the 1970s they had an own development workshop in Belgium: SANSUI ES100 and 200 www.hifi-archiv.info/Sansui%20Kataloge%20und%20Prospekte/1975%20Sansui%20HiFi/10.jpg
I First thought you knew Audio and that was the reason I subscribed to your Channel....You Have That One Year of Sansui's .........I swear I Want To Battle you With My 1979 -81 Sa-Technics From The low Sa-101 to Sa- 818......All you Stereo Reviews Know Technics is The King of Receivers is Technics They (Technics)Won The Receiver Wattage War!!!!!!! A Sa 818 or Sa-616 or A Sa-505 Can Beat Any Receiver Thats Why None of You Guys Compare it to And I Have AA TX-30 And The Technics SA-1000. In the world of receivers, it bats 1000. 330 Watts per Channel And it got like 6 channels!!!!!!!
Yes - I listen a lot to spotify - how would you get the best out of it ? I like bluetooth. So how would you connect your iphone with spotify streeming to your vintage receiver ? DAC ? Bluetooth receiver DAC ? Or just by RCA connect phone to AUX ? And what DAC, Bluetooth DAC ?????
Used to have a Thorens td160 mk ll. Threw it in the skip when I transitioned to cd’s - near perfect condition. However, it was outclassed by Rega P2 which gave a much tighter presentation.
No way could Digital compete with a good turntable before 2005. I do like listening to my new Chord dac more than my old Mitchell Focus One. They are very different experiences.
I am getting back into vinyl again and just loving it! I didn’t have a high end turntable when I bought my first serious stereo, but it was affordable and still works as good as it did in 1980. I bought a new LP every 2 weeks from 1973 to 1988. I never got into CD’s I thought they were a fad, but that said I did buy 2 of them!
I am now 63 and have an upgraded and restored Marantz TT1000, which looked great in the 80’s and nearly 40yrs later still excites me every time it hits the vinyl.
Thanks for your passion for sound excellence putting your videos out there.
I'm totally obsessive enough with tinkering and adjusting, then I watch your excellent, informative and entertaining videos which get me at it again! I have the Thorens td150 mk2 which I absolutely love and have no need for anything else. Keep up the good work.
I love the 150 too
The "splash" when the drums and cymbals kick in on Miles Davies' "So What" is so fantastic on vinyl/tube amp set up.
every record sound better in compared to the cd version, i haven´t heard for a lot of years "blue train" by John Coltraine, two weeks ago ,i thought of hearing it ,what i didn´t expect was the superior sound quality of that record it feels amazing, also the Art Blackey and the Messengers" live in Tunisia" or "beaches brew" from Miles Davis, those i must have heard them for the last time in early 90´s
Always enjoy your videos Kevin. It is great to see someone so enthusiastic about vintage HiFi. Just picked up a Sansui AU-101 that takes me back to my youth in the 70s.
great
More Gr8 tips, i owned a Thorens TD150 that often came s/h fitted with same 3009.. (fixed h/shell on mine) ..tonearm, very early in my life of s/h buying to get the best from my 45' & 33.3 vinyl collection (45's long gone now) & I must say I've never seen a better engineered bearing on other later vintage t/turntables I owned, I sold it to a good friend & maintained it as a favour for his 10'ish years of ownership & the amount of time it takes to drop a TD150's sub-platter & its spindle to sink fully to the bottom of its cleaned out & freshly.. (few drops, no room for more down their) ..oiled bearing well was ridiculously long, I wish I'd timed it for interest alone, the passing minutes where trying to push it to go set it up quicker was met with strong resistance, some oil overflowed a bit, so we waited & waited. When it fully sank, giving it & it's fitted outer platter & spinning push, saw it spinning silently for a good few minutes, I showed him how pressing an ear tight to the plinth, you hear nor feel anything audible or vibrationsl, it spins for ages as long as the motor's drive-belt is removed. That alone to me, reeks of top quality Swiss engineering I've not seen beaten, tho i've seen how I've not had near as many vintage t/table as this guy, so maybe other vintage decks show this TD150's bearing quality, but I missed owning such decks. I sold that deck converted.
P.S. & btw, i dropped that Thorens 150... (after removing the original wood plinth) ..into a lump of overly (six inch) thick & wider.. (for 12'inch tonearm notions) solid wood jig-sawed out only to closely accommodate the floating sub-chassis & arm-board's free movement, gave it huge improvement but only really noticed when I screwed the overhanging top metal plate into that new plinth with 3" spaced & deep brass screws, gravity alone did not show hardly any improvement, i only then first stumbled across the obvious physics clue, that sinking resonances away is key in t/table's top sound quality design, it's own wood plinth is o.k. but rather thin but the difference gobsmack me for the improvement gained after firmly screwing that metal top-plate that's glued to rests only on 4 thin wood corners in it's original plinth. Even as-is, i reckon a Linn Ittok & good m.c. would get unbelievably close to £3000* (*years back) ..worth of the most basic but complete new Linn Sondek t/table, arm & m.c. cart' ...TD150 is highly upgradable too, if that's in your bag
I like your frank and simple explanations and appreciate your advices based on experience.
Thanks for the explanation and comparison. Very clearly done! The better turntable making the sound more defined and instruments more clearly distinguishable is something that when you experience spoils you forever ;)
Brilliant video, thank you. I had an early 70s Thorens TD160 for a number of years before the upgrade bug bit and I upgraded to a Roksan deck. The Thorens was a great deck I loved the look of it, and it also sounded great. When I was a kid my dad was well into his hi-fi and vinyl records. I’ve turned into him, because that’s pretty much me today! My dad bought a Sansui SR-222 Mk II identical to that one in about 1978 (I think it was £70 new). Sadly, last year we lost my dad and I was crushed. After a while I cleared out his garage and there it was - the classic Sansui!! AT-110 cartridge all ready fitted to the removable headshell. I took the deck home and cleaned it up - it was filthy. I sourced a new belt from eBay, wired a plug on the bare power lead and then I was ready to test it. It powered on and the platter began to spin. I dropped the needle and Stevie Wonder suddenly burst forth from the speakers (also my dad’s old Mordaunt Shorts). I have to say I’m so pleased to have it, it sounds great! I need to get a new clip to hold the tonearm in place as that’s broken, but pretty sure I can find one on eBay or somewhere - and it doesn’t stop it being used on a second system.
Great I like hearing people stories very much
I find myself listening to vinyl or cd or even tapes enjoying the music more by handeling the media picking it out spending more time on an album than the instant acces streaming digital media.
Thanks for re-introducing me to hi-fi. I'm now building my retro system..Three amps brought already so I can switch over for different sounds and looks. Keep up the good work my friend.
Great video. Think you describe the advantages of vinyl over digital very well! I have the same tone arm (SME 3009) on a 70's Ariston deck. I also have a Thorens TD160 and TD 166 with stock arms. The only thing different that I would recommend is a cartridge from the 70's...a Shure V15 Type III or a Stanton 681eee make all the difference to the rather lifeless Ortofon Blue.
Obviously I am watching this video 3 years later… but boy, I can totally relate. I just listened to jazz album that was sitting on my Technichs 1500 MK2 TT with a AT VM540ml cartridge and I was blown away at how good my vinyl sounded vs my Eversolo DMP-A6 streamer with the Denafrips Iris DDC and Pontus 2 DAC. It was way more engaging. The album was on the platter under the dustcover for a year… lol
I currently have a TD150 and I use to have a TD 126 equipped with SME 3009 or Linn arm. Very good turntables indeed. But , but I have also a precise sound stage with my CD with a lot of presence of the musicians. I am more a classical music lover and I go often to the concert . My conclusion is that CD can give a terrific experience.
Somewhat agree, but great vinyl on a finely tuned turntable can really be a wonderful listening experience. These turntables represented here are not up to the level of modern day tables.
Really solid observations and comments. Thanks!
Oh darn. I have a Thorens TD125 that has been just waiting to be played “for decades “ while I’ve been enjoying the convenience of streaming albeit good stuff from Tidal. I’ll just have to hook it up and revel in the sound again. Your explanation at the end got me in the same way you were talking about Elvis Costello signing his heart out - emotional connection is what I call it. You know it when you feel it. It happens on BGT with the best singers; you get a connection that you can feel in your gut. Thanks for such an honest heart-felt review. Kind regards, Simon , Aotearoa NZ.
Thanks, Simon. Hey, if you get that Thorns out, put some oil in the bearing I literally use quality car engine oil you only need two drops.
Best Kelvin
@@stereoreviewx Will do. It was serviced a few years back - motor stopped running - but was fixed. the spindle sure is remarkable. I'd hate to lose it with neglect. Thanks for the tip.
Better than today's rubbish
Nice video. What is the tonearm on the Sansui TT please? Also when swapping the headshells over between the two TT's, do you have to realign the cartridge every time or is a straight swap over?
The Sansui 222 mk 1 & 2 were very popular here in Aust in the late 70s-early 80s. Like the Thorens they were great to modify.
I remember in my secondhand audioshop, after a demo of expensif valve amps from kebshule, put the nad 3020, and it was of the same quality musicality level!!!!!!
Another great video. Thorens TD150 and 160 are fantastic turntables that bat way above their price point. Way back in 1965, if Thorens made washing machines instead of turntables the Linn Sondek LP12 would not exist. However, if it did it would look nothing like it does today. Thorens have left a great legacy that others try to emulate.
Highly agree
also my opinion, have a late 60´s thorens professional line that worked for many hours and today still plays with great sound ,also related with the cartridge quality
I have an AR XA which is an earlier suspension deck than either and sounds better to my ears, although difficult to set up. I also have a Thorens TD150 MKii stock with Linn Basik arm and a TD160B Super with SME 3009 Series 3
Great vid! I’m a vintage head but the turntable is the one thing I don’t use from the 70s - technics direct drives are just unbeatable for me.
Are there other sub suspension turntables you would suggest?
Great overview of the questions I need answers to. I was raised on great hifi….every house in my neighborhood had a record player , a decent sounding system and more than a few had the Cadillac/Mercedes of systems. I could only hope for something of the Thorens agility. Maybe it’s my house, speaker placement ect. but no matter the configuration, you can’t even threaten to dance near the Marantz 6110. I can’t tune the “woof and flutter” out of the deck. I’m sending my phono stage for a potentiometer upgrade to better tune to the room. A Thorens maybe the solution.
Appreciate your time and experience….that is priceless. I think I listened to hardly anything but Elvis Costello’s ‘This Years Model’ when I was turned onto it. You’re correct….that boy is really singing his heart out. Tom Waits ‘Raindogs’ had a similar deep effect…music that pulls you in, that pummels you in the chest or both. We were spoiled by talent in a world with a third of the current population. the ‘Pump It Up’ -this tracks defy the tech or the time it was made. They live and breathe in a time capsule and await your return to them. Sometimes we need reminding. Its what’s missing these days in much of modern music….records that were recorded by a band, in a room, and regardless of how it was recorded…you can believe in it because they did!
I mean attaching it to the wall is the final solution really
My estimation is you’re not going to be the 150 Pound for pound
Ive taken delivery of my late dads’ thorens 166mk2 with which ive played as a child, along with the 3020 and large infinity bookshelves (with emit tweeter) on a short floor stand. Many memories coming back. Thanks dad. He was never protective over his gear but i realise now how pristine it all is. But do i just switch on the thorens and let is play w/o a service? Thanks for your videos. I anticipated your return after you long silence.
I have the SR-222 MkII, and am very impressed. It is dead silent, and a wonderfully designed basic manual TT. I would love to try out a Thorens one of these days.
The thorens is just better
@@stereoreviewx
I agree 100%. However there comes a point of diminished returns. The cost of the 150 is 250-300% higher than the 222 in my part of the world. Definitely a classy bit of kit though.
I did, now the poor sansui is a spare in case of emergency😂. How about you??
I have a Thorens TD166 and I highly recommend this turntable for someone looking to get into vintage vinyl. I think they go for about 650 dollars as the vinyl resurgence has driven prices up.
how do they compare to the lencon 75 n 78
I a SANSUI 222 mk2 its one of the best retro record decks I’ve owned.
i bought a thorens td160 15 years ago. i'd had a rega planer 3 that wasn't impressive at all and also a technics sp10. these were my quality tables. i'd had some cheapies too. I still remember the first time playing a record on the thorens. ive still got it and still use it every day. a fantastic table.
Yes you know I like thorns a lot I really went mad testing early thymus decks I did find the 150 made the sound I like the best
Why I like your channel is that i can very much relate to your sound characterization. You yourself can talk " very involving" as i would say it. I cannot stop watching your "captivating and involving" descriptions/reviews. However there is one word you use and that I hear very often used by audio reviewers is: "speed" , that i can not relate to. Can you please elaborate a bit more on this. The association I get with that word is an elevated upper midrange. This helps in a uniform vocabulary for communicating about sound profiles, that you are trying to get across very convincingly, by the way. Keep it up ! Thank you. Very authentic
speed i guess mostly they refer to speakers .in physical form it means the cones are light they move quickly .a heavy cone is generally slow .
alightweight boxer mover faster than a heavy weight he can throw more punches in a second
I have a thorens td104 and it has stopped working. Both the 33 and the 45 lights come on at the same time. It did have an intermittent buzz through one channel that I’m sure is just the rca connection to the amp, however I don’t think that is the cause of it not working as it was doing this previously. It was my dads so I would really love to get it working again. I would greatly appreciate any help.
............ Happy Christmas Mr K ..................
I don't agree entirely. There are TTs with plastic material armtubes that sound pretty darn good. Better than many hopeless designs with metal arms. The Demon's in the DP line with the tracer arms for instance. Can sound pretty good if people know how to set a tracer arm up properly and has the right cartridge
I noticed in Tom Sellecks Jesse stone movies, his character owned a Thorens. :)
I agree 100% with You mister, regards from Serbia.
I like vintage engineering. So glad I've found your channel. Your descriptions of specific sound characteristics are easy to understand.
Watching this video I started missing my Dual 1229 turntable. It had very robust sound, heavy sliding dust cover and auto functionality that I now miss in heavily modified Rega P3. All in all Rega sounds better, but lacks some of that robustness, especially in rock music and with older recordings.
Yes someone I know got rid of us Lynn sundeck and replaced it with a rotel .
He said he preferred the Rotel’s scale and impact the Lynn felt dainty to him
Hi Kelvin, love your reviews and advice. I have enjoyed a Dunlop Systemdek 11x from new and it still sounds great. Do you have any advice regarding cartridges I should shortlist please ?
Ive got a Systemdek iix900 from new. Still use it with an Origin modified Moth tonearm (Rega RB250) and a Goldring 1000 series cartridge with a G1042 stylus. Like it.
Mine Sansui SR-212 looses speed after playing one side of a record, I put a new belt on, changed out the old capacitor and resistor but the problem exists.
What about Gerrard 301? Is good? or only nostalgia effect...
How good in your opinion is an Ariston RD 80 turntable
My favorite turntable in my small collection of turntables is my Ariston Rd11s with an Infinity Black Widow and ADC gold XlM mk3, fitted out with a Shibata ZLM stylus, glorious sound stage and that all important foot tapping beat. other Decks Sony PS-X600 with Coral MC81 and the wonderful STD 305m which is under a full rebuild.
Yes good stuff
I love my many Dual vintage turntables. The tone is outstanding. The highest end I have is the Dual 1229. 7lb. 12", platter, but all my Duals are outstanding
Yes my instinct is heavy platters are really good I can’t quite explain why
I have a dual 1209 with shure M75 type d cartridge and a black diamond elleptical stylus but i'm not shure if a certan rumble comes out of the idler wheel systeem. I do only hear it with headphones dough.
With headshells you are ideally using headshell mass to optimise the resonance of the tonearm and cartridge combination. That is why you have different masses of headshell. Low compliance cartridges will need a higher mass headshell than high compliance cartridges. You can buy headshell masses to do the same job. It’s worth investigating. Tonearms are a mass of nested compliances that need to be tamed so that resonances are largely unseen by the stylus and cantilever operating at audio frequencies. Adjustable headshell mass will reduce surface noise and improve dynamic range as well as reducing distortion.
I like vinyl. But I have a lot of records. A well set up tt with a sympathetic cartridge can be really musical - lively, involving and tactile. Both those turntables will do the job pretty well, but I'd go with the Thorenz. Thanks for the review.
I wonder what would happen if you put the SR-222 on a set of springs or suspended it with some home built contraption.
I don’t think that will do much at all it just doesn’t have the same level of engineering
Try tracking a Decca London cartridge in an arm that is 'light and rigid' lol! Different cartridges were designed for different arm / head shell masses. It is not a 'one for all' solution!
So which one is more rare Sansui Xr Q7 or Xr Q7 II ? Anyone knows?
Great video again. Ive just got a refurbished Pioneer PL112d but plan to upgrade to something like a TD150 or Ariaton RD11. Nice to hear enthusiasm for the music turntable give. Im 50 and never like CDs
Great my vote would go for the TD150 as and you can probably tell
Love that TD 150 w/ the SME arm!! IMHO Thorens rule.
100%
Hello Keith, I have just started watching your TH-cam channel. I know literally nothing about turntables. After watching this episode I started searching for Thorens devices, can you quickly tell me which of these two are the better please. 1. THORENS TD 150 / II Originalsystem EXCEL ES-70 S
2. Ein TD 150 M with a unusual tonearm, a Shure Stereo Dynetic 2xx which has been fitted from new apparently, this also come with a Grundig.
Both are in 2 versions of eBay which we have here in Germany. Keep safe and best regards Nick
Hello Kelvin, which turntable and speakers can you recommend for a Marantz 2220 receiver? it doesn't have to be an accurate estimate, just approx. My listening room is 20 m2> 65.5 feet. Thank you in advance, sir! I really enjoy your passion and appreciate your work. Greets from Austria to the UK!
That’s a bit hard I mean Turntable won’t be the difference is the speakers that will make the difference
In relation to the room I mean
@@stereoreviewx Thanks for your reply, Kelvin. Okay, you are absolutely right, Sir! I have a pair of old Sonics AS227A Speakers but one tweeter surround is torn a bit. I don’t want to be forceful but can you please give an advice for speakers? I definitely will buy a HiFi System from the 70’s but I am no pro and as you mentioned in another video… people want to sell. Many greetings and thanks, Wolfgang!
I have the Marantz 2220B, I have a Kenwood KD-2000 and a Scotts PS-48Turntablem, both sound good, I bought the turntable at a audio that was moving for $35.00 and bought some advent speakers for $25.00. Bought some Pioneer bookshelf speakers for $30.00 off E-bay. My best sound were some cheap Onkyo bookshelf speakers I bought at a thrift store for $11.00. I bought my Marantz on E-bay along with 2 reel to reels tape decks.
Downside of the TD 150 (Mk1 like yours1960s by the way) is on a wooden floor you can get the needle to jump as you walk around.
Have you tried Nagaoka cartridges? thanks for the video.
Only a long time ago was it at 11:10 I can’t remember but I’m not up to speed with them I’m always a fan of autophon I don’t particularly like sure they’re a bit big and brassy compare to ortophom
My Philips GA312 was built in '77 or '78 and was never a high end tt, but set up nicely with a compatible cartridge (I use an ADC cartridge, maybe 1978 with a new stylus) and it sings! It also is a beautiful turntable. I play my mono lps from '50s and '60s on a mono Fisher console (EL 34 tubes) using a Garrard A6 tt from 1963 and a GE mono cartridge built in 1958. Is it hi-fi? No, but wow do those LPs come to life.
What Costello track did you play?
Hand in hand first track of this year’s model
Nice review. Do u use any particular model of slipmat ?
I still use the original rubber of Technics. It's easy to clean and also it's possible to wash to avoid to keep too much dust. I always keep the dust cover anyway. Thank u Sir !
I can recommend a cork mat. I use one on my other turntable a pro-jet and it brings out the best in the turntable
"When I was young "Eric Burdon and The Animals" ....
When I was young, I lost my collection of 25 turntables.
All is left my Thorens TD 150 plus TP 16 and the Pioneer PL 1200 plus SME.
I have the same shock of sansui sr 222mk2...
It is very very very amazing tune...
And it wass poor cheep catrige but i was suprised and shocked...
Now i am thinking big upgrade.. It is worth Every penny..
Best regardas from Croatia..
These videos are the best! 😎🎧
The way I always try to describe the differences to non audiophiles is that listening to vinyl compared to a digital source is that the human ear hears in analogue . Digital has to be converted first. The conversion is the key here.
Nice Reviews and turntables. I am running an Sansui AU9900 and have had several turntables Technics SL 1500, Thorens 165 before settling with a modified Lenco L75. The stock L75 actually beat my Thorens. The modded one is naturally even better. Try a Lenco L75/78 you will be in for a good experience. Thank you for brilliant YT channel 👍
Hi. Love your reviewing style. I have to agree with what you have said regarding a good turntable getting you closer to the emotion within the music. Certainly a few hundred well-spent on a properly set-up turntable and arm will give you emotion, dynamics and detail than cheap digital or streamed music. But, have you ever tried using a really good CD deck ? I'm thinking perhaps a Linn Genki or Ikemi. You canget a decent sound from digital media if you invest enough !
Oh yes I had an audio research CD8 which is a CD player with valves in it basically it was very good
It was super expensive when new at least £5000
Low base detail was remarkable
K
Vinyl all the way baby!
Really nice real world presentatrion - good stuff. Would be interesting to hear you put a 301 in there on a good plinth then an SME for fun - dream on.
No Kelvin from London intro? 🙁😮😮😮 I must say that I really like the way you introduce yourself in such a friendly manner 🙂
I HIGHLY recommend the "R2R" dacs if you want something closer to analog in digital. But in general analog does sound better.
I love my td160s mk5. Setup properly with a great cartridge it's a smasher. I only use an at95e but boy does it kick ass...everything sounds great lots of powerful bass, rhythm and great highs. Bought mine before the vinyl revival at the peak of the cd boom. I have started buying much more brand new vinyl. I get my digital fix from streaming and my investment in albums goes into LPs. I buy at least 2 new ones a week. Listening to everything from Alison Kraus to Kraftwerk. The re-released Kraftwerk albums are about the best modern pressings I heard...I have to say thought to get the best sound you really need to work on setting these things up perfectly. I used a schön schablone and did it meticulously...
Yes set up is everything just made a video about vinyl versus digital and trophies most people haven’t heard good vinyl because it’s hard to do
Thanks for your comments I might get a Kraftwerk album now
@@stereoreviewx thanks I'll definitely watch that. Ps that "schön schablone" is a really good tool for getting the
Back in the '80 ies the sme was proposed with a upgrade ball gearing instead of the knife friction ..the original had to much play..., it was beaten by the grace g707...later by linn itok and rega rb 300...but japanees audiofiles loved the sme 3012 with denon 103
Did you ever visit AT Labs ( now Audio T ) in Chase Side Enfield. My laye father took me in there as a disinterested teenage only to hear a Sugden A48 amp being auditioned. That was it love affair with hifi began !!
Great review that highlights the human element in the superiority of vinyl - it conveys the emotion in music , something digital just cannot do. Convenience, speed , must have it now - these are things we are supposed to prioritise above everything else in today’s world - the consequences of that I’m afraid , are poor quality. Thanks Kelvin.
I think this is total nonsense and an oversimplification of the debate.
Nice review mate
I enjoyed my Philips GA422 alot. Even more than my Marantz 6100.
Rega RP3 with Ort blue is the way to go nowadays.
Nice description!!!
Great video!!!!
Please excuse my ignorance but you refer to the value of the Thorens TD-150 as 150 squid! I don’t know what country you’re in but I have never heard of the term squid used as monetary value of an item.
Squid is the local currency here in North London no it means pounds
Where are you hiding 🤔🤔
I fell in to the digital trap in the mid eighties..bought a £200 CD player and thought it was great ,until years later I realised that I had been playing my records on a £50 record deck .Had I bought a new record deck for the same money as the CD player it’s performance would have well surpassed the digital offerings of the day ..
I know those Sansui's were and still are a bit of a hype among vintage TT fans. Myself, I used to have a Mk 1 model but when put up against a Pioneer PL 514 it really did not stand a chance. Could it really be that the Mk 2 is so much better. It certainly looks better and I really would give one a chance still but I have no clue whether it's really substantially better than its first incarnation.
The Pioneer's only flaw was its somewhat shaky speed stability but it may just have been a belt issue. I can't remember for sure but I think it was running either a vintage Piezo or Satin brand MM cartridge and for classic 70's rock like Zeppelin, early AC/DC, ZZ Top, Queen and so on I honestly think it may have been the best TT I ever hooked up onto my NAD Monitor series amps (I also had it connected to an AUREX Series 15 Mini-System for a while which was almost just as much fun.
Yes I doubt the Marktwo is substantially better at all I mean I’m not writing this sound so it’s a great turntable it’s more about the comparative differences
K
I bought a td 150 mkII off craigslist for $175. Came with a brand new grado fc+ cart too. But there's a mp 110 on it rn. People are shocked at how it sounds like a live performance.
That deck just is musical and open
You might check the bearing
Literally one or two drops of oil it’s all you need
Thorens owes a debt to the AR XA designers who first introduced the "Sub-chasis design" on their tables!
I see that’s interesting I didn’t know that and of course Lynn copied the thorns 150 pretty closely maybe just refined the engineering a bit
K
@@stereoreviewx Yes, the AR XA table was a landmark design and is considered to be the most important/significant achievement in phonogram design ever. The Linns, Thorens, etc, are copies of the AR design sub bar chasis. They added some refinements of their own, but basiocally they owe their ongoing success to Acoustic Research. The Merrill tables were initially upgraded and improved AR design. There's a fantastic video here by Mr. Z ob the AR XA. You need to see it. Thanks again for the video. Be safe!
Great Video
Helpfull information. Just getting into the Turn/record table matter. I found a LP record-store and its owner works for 40 y long with and on the turntables. Revising and all that.
Now, i do have a bit simple turntable wich cost 120 euro more less . A Sony PS-LX22 direct drive. It works fine but i want to go up in quality and so the owner has a couple turntables, THorens.
Now i need to listen to the sounds of 4 type's (cant remember the type's) but will do. i want to spend between the 500 and 600 euro.
Maybe tell me what model number the thirens turntables are I know a lot about early thorns turntables K
I used own the Thorens. The platter was so heavy you'd have to start it up with your finger or wait a full minute just to get up to speed.
True
@Spike Elwood No-- new turn table!
Kelvin.. sorry auto correction:( Shure M212 is perhaps too unusual! The Excel ES 70s is perhaps a safer bet.. all the best;)
the sansui was good as others but thorens are maybe the best there were ,i still have in use a late 60´s model ,professional one that belonged to a radio station i started when younger and the first in my region ,the biggest of my country ,Portugal. All thorens i have ,only 3 work perfect including this late 60´s model that worked 24/24 hours and still works perfect in my home today, sansui was good but not better than all other brands of high-quality at the time , as technics, pioneer ,kewood ,marantz etc.Only like to refer that the Blue 2M cartridge is very bad compared to the original cartridges that were assembled in the turntables ,i could refer the PC-30/PN-30 from pioneer in 74 from the PL-ES turntable from the ES-2000/3000 system that i put them playing and didn´t had to start the pioneer i refer because the sound was so bad, first i thought it was the new turntable that wasn´t good but then i noticed that it was the cartridge starting in the Bronze is maybe the only aceptables cartridges along with the black and LVB edition in the 2M series , this comparing to the cheapest cartridges at the time ,the brand Shure had the M75b that is also very bad, this to refer a bad cartridge from the 70´s, they work good but in sound quality are very low quality
You did not refer to the Sansui model also there are better sansuis out thre also i would like some denon fluance aristona dual reviews ty
I would like to comment about the isolation aspect you talk about with your Thorens. I used to own an LP12 . If I put a record on the platter without rotation and lower the arm on to the stationary record with the pre at a medium setting and tapped the plinth I would get a 'bang' through the speakers. So much for so called isolation! If you watch your own video you will see the platter on your deck bouncing as you put your elbow on the table it is sitting on. Even walking on suspended floors can upset turntables fitted with this type of springing system. Modern turntables fitted with record clamps are way better in my opinion although they will blow your £300 budget out of the water!
Well the bouncing is not a problem it’s isolating the stylus from the box so you don’t get any type of feedback through the needle
Sometimes you have to adjust the springs to get it right otherwise it’s touching the box you see
@@stereoreviewx Kelvin all decks feedback to some degree. I don't think the Thorens/LP12 springing system is a particularly good isolation platform. The Logic DM101 with the center mass upgrade was a better solution if you must use springs. It is tuned to a lower frequency so isolates better. The best deck that I ever owned for isolation was Rock Reference and that had no springing at all, only mass to achieve isolation. Some of the modern decks are better and I bet even a Rega Planar 3 would outperform your Thorens for sound quality. It is fitted with a better tone arm for one thing!
I had an LP12 and never had the issue you describe.
Could never get good sound out of my Thorens TD160 and TD 147 turntables.The TD 160 had an SME arm.Or my Logic DM101.Gave up on suspended belt drives after that.Much better sound from rim drive and direct drive.
I'm looking for a 3009 arm but I have to make sure it's in great condition there should be no movement in the bearings they do have issues with the knife bearings when they get old, I've pay 250 no more, don't think it's worth more than that not with modern arms you can get for four five hundred
Well you know, truly it’s hard to judge the sound quality of arms I mean hard to really test it. I have an experience that many arms but I really rate the SME range you noticed the plastic arm they later made is not so popular..
Another thing worth mentioning personally I would always have detachable headshell. The fixed headshell is plain Bendy.
Regarding knife edge bearings when you play with the arm often feels loose so a bit bumpy, but I don’t think that means you have a problem
Good luck, I Think, the SME, 3009 range like similar products of the time was a real pursuit of excellence
I was looking at some of their new TP arms they've got a unipivit tp 82 for 500£. Origin live do some good arms and they're about the same price and then there's Michelle engineering they do a Rega type arm 300 I think it's about 450 £ and then there's moth Arms they start off at about 250 £ I have always fancy jelco arms they're not particularly cheap, very difficult buying a second-hand arm and known it's in good condition if you come across some let me know I'm not far from you Watford ,I think you're quite close and leave us a comment, if you come across something maybe we could meet up I might have a girl on the original I've got some carbon fiber tubing one thing I want to replace is the headshell you know of a good headshell for it? it's not an SME fitting I don't think? I was going to make one out of laminated wood impact with resin that will be nice and stiff I'll do it in a vacuum, already done that on the armboard laminated with a piece of aluminium and wood works nice made it a lot thicker than the original, you could cut it out of half inch of aluminium or perspex is about the right size I've not tried but should work well the armboard is a bit of a killer's Hill you don't need it because you've got an aluminium one you could still experiment with perspex@@stereoreviewx
I find that a turntable sounds better than any equivalently priced digital format and it’s much easier to achieve good sound on a analogue system over a digital system. Digital has the advantage of convenience and these days vinyl is obviously much more expensive than digital formats.
Very nice vintage tables, but nowhere to the level of modern engineered finely tuned turntables.
Furthermore cartridges and tonearms have greatly evolved from the 70’s.
Tapes, Open reel tapes, better than vynil!!
Very true.....
Digital sounds like the master tapes. Add noise, distortion, rolled off high end and mastering compression, and youve got vinyl
Well you just said it master tapes tapes that has to be turned into digital and go through the whole digital processing things there is nothing pure and unspoiled about the CD player look inside there is a lot going on
nice....new video,plz do more videos(i would like to hear an extended review about kef coda and b&w dm4),i also bought a pair of spendor bc1s after your review,thnx
just quickli let me tell you i gave my freind the dm4 s and he gave me spendor a6r which sell for £700 secondhand today .
basically he prefererd the dm4s iheard them together and the spendors just sounded choked with no life in them even though they are bigger .
Stereo review X indeed,also after i saw your review about the rogers ls3/5a, i bought them second hand in mint condition for 900 euros(i think the price is good,i live in Greece)and they sound amazing,i believe they are the 1st original edition.I am looking forward to find a pair of kef coda or the dm4s.Keep making videos, very nice content👍🏻
BLUE GOAT Well my advice would be get the DM fours the Code that is just an inferior LS35a It has the same drivers literally but the crossover is basic
@@stereoreviewx ok thnx for the advice!
@@stereoreviewx capacitors will need changing put polypropylene film capacitors ideally titanium film and a 0.1 polystyrene across the capacitor in the tweeter and woofer inline signal in parallel
sorry for a late coment but what are your view about new turntables and cartridges this around 2.000€ ,it seems not a real turntable or cartridge ,i have many old turntables butthis new ones even with a good cartridge seems to miss something ,as an examople i played a LP from john coltrane that is a old record and in a old turntable i´m using now with the original cartridge and stylus sounds amazing no matter what type of sound the record as or should i say a diferent production not so smooth sound but rough with detail in every instrument they play which are not that many ,drums ,guitars and voice, in a new turntable i got from Rega with 3 new cartridges i have and tried them on this new turntable , first i notice being a MM cartridges and one MC the volume of sound was maybe 1/5 of the sound and on a 78 turntable with a good cartridge and stylus from technics as the turntable i´m using now it´s a SL-1310 all original and sounds incredible good but the Rega that is also good doesn´t seem to play diferent types of recordings or refering to it´s unusual production in studio and it sounds very strange ,not a matter of good and bad but plays it diferentelly of what it sounds in a very strange way like if it was a mono record and all sound seems joined in one channel instead of the natural wide stereo image, so are this new wave of turntables really turntable shouldn´t they be called new vinyl readres and new reading system instead of regular cartridges and the stylus that always were expensive depending on the cartridge today they are even more expensive, so what´s your opinion about new and before 2000 turntables and after this turntables or vinyl readers better record players ,my old amplifier releases 600 watts from Pioneer Eclusive series a M3 control amplifier where i have two turntables conected and that is where i put my new Rega P10 and a Sl-1310 (79) that normally i use a P3 pioneer turntable all this was one of my father´s systems and i´m using a pair of speakers the cerwin-vega AT-100 and infinity SM-225 (not so powerfull but excelent detail on sound)the other day i put on it a SL-3100 with a 207C caqrtridge and the very usual technics cartridge EPS-270ED and also sounds very good so my question is ,what are they doing ,i saw a Pro-ject turntable kind of a design that resembles very minimal signature turntable or rotor as some call them and not all are rotor ,it had the 2Mred from ortofon cartridge and new it costed around 1.000€ , never in my life i had heard such a bad sound and the cartridge was perfectelly installed on a arm made of the material they use on sport cars and seems not a good arm or maybe not that compatible with every kind of cartridge, i have 28 turntables from my father colection and some were mine, he died and left me all his music colection and his colection of hi-fi equipment that i had already some material that i normally when tired of one system i assemble other, i´m not a rich person but my family was, so i have a lot of good 70´s components and cheap too (bought by me)but good not fantastic, i couldn´t find a turntrable in my colection with a so horrible sound , one can buy a 100€ turntable in 2nd hand that will be so good that is not comparable like a pioneer PL-430 from 83 or a bit later with a old AT cartridge not the cheapest but the model after and it sounds really good compared to new turntables around 1.000€, it´s example . Do you think that this new turntables are any good or what´s your opinion about them, sorry for the long coments i make
Quality 👍
Sansui never made turntables....they purchased them from CEC!
Oh that’s interesting I mean something I would say about Sansu is their speakers are not good
I wonder where they outsourced to that would make sense
@@stereoreviewx European Sansui Speakers were good during the 1970s they had an own development workshop in Belgium: SANSUI ES100 and 200 www.hifi-archiv.info/Sansui%20Kataloge%20und%20Prospekte/1975%20Sansui%20HiFi/10.jpg
As did pioneer and kenwood/trio
I First thought you knew Audio and that was the reason I subscribed to your Channel....You Have That One Year of Sansui's .........I swear I Want To Battle you With My 1979 -81 Sa-Technics From The low Sa-101 to Sa- 818......All you Stereo Reviews Know Technics is The King of Receivers is Technics They (Technics)Won The Receiver Wattage War!!!!!!! A Sa 818 or Sa-616 or A Sa-505 Can Beat Any Receiver Thats Why None of You Guys Compare it to And I Have AA TX-30 And The Technics SA-1000. In the world of receivers, it bats 1000. 330 Watts per Channel And it got like 6 channels!!!!!!!
Spotify is just mp3 - try Tidal with CD quality and with good DAC
Yes - I listen a lot to spotify - how would you get the best out of it ? I like bluetooth. So how would you connect your iphone with spotify streeming to your vintage receiver ?
DAC ? Bluetooth receiver DAC ? Or just by RCA connect phone to AUX ?
And what DAC, Bluetooth DAC ?????
Yes, I do know.
shucks
Used to have a Thorens td160 mk ll. Threw it in the skip when I transitioned to cd’s - near perfect condition. However, it was outclassed by Rega P2 which gave a much tighter presentation.
No way could Digital compete with a good turntable before 2005.
I do like listening to my new Chord dac more than my old Mitchell Focus One. They are very different experiences.
I have a rigid rule: if I have it on vinyl I don't listen to it in digital format.
I agree with everything you say, but with these comparatively basic tables I think you are really comparing cartridges not turntables.
He had the same cartridge on the turntables. He had a removable headshell that fitted both turntables.
@@hakanpersson6524 yup I missed that. Good to know as I respect his point of view.
Garrard 401 Works for me. (SME arm