A tip you may not be aware of; as a rule suspended subchassis turntables perform best on very light but rigid shelving or a suitable coffee table. It sounds counter -intuitive but placing one on a high mass surface (marble, for instance) doesn't damp out external vibration but merely converts it to extreme low frequency energy which is below the resonant frequency of the suspension so bypasses it. It's quick, easy and free to experiment; try the player on a light but rigid coffee table or plywood offcut. If it does indeed sound better then that's the time to consider building, perhaps, a rigid wall shelf with a separate / loose sub-shelf as a permanent home. Once you've done that you can whip back inside and remove the foams from the three suspension springs; they're only there to damp footfall (low frequency) vibrations but partially impede / bypass the suspension at audio frequencies. Subtle improvement but well worthwhile. Great video and thanks
Hi Elliot- Very nice restoration, you are very resourceful. Thank you for sharing, lots of great tips and information in this video. My only caveat is the frequent dumping on UPS for their handling of the shipment. Looking at the scuff marks on the face plate you replaced, and considering the broken motor shaft, it appears that the shipper did not properly package this for shipment. I am an original TD-166 owner, and Thorens shipped these machines with boxes within boxes that required the platter and dust cover to be removed from the main assembly and packaged separately. I'm guessing, based on what you showed, and my experience with E-Bay sellers, is that the person just taped everything in place, didn't lock down the sub-chassis, threw it in a single corrugate box with some foam peanuts and/or bubble wrap, and slapped a label on it. As mentioned, these parts needed to be removed and isolated from the main unit, and the entire main box should be enclosed within a larger box ("double-boxed"), with shipping material between the two boxes. If this was actually performed by the seller, then I'd say UPS would be to blame, but if it was not done, as I suspect, then it is the seller's fault, not UPS. BTW- if packaged correctly, there would need to be significant external damage to the outer box before it ever should impact what is being shipped within the inner box. Again, great overall video. Just wanted to get folks thinking about what it takes to pack correctly if they want to avoid damage.
Just watched this Elliot and really like the way you put this video together, nice job! I also have a TD160 and just love it. I was lucky enough to find mine 16 miles away. Oddly enough the guy (about our age) wanted to get a new USB turntable to digitize his collection (lucky me). I polished my entire platter as well using a high speed drill and Mothers aluminum polish. I finished it with a clear acrylic mat. looks awesome when spinning a transparent LP.
That looks lovely, well done. Not sure that the baseboard deserved to be called out..I don't think there is any benefit from using a massive base. There are certainly reasons why a lightweight rigid structure is ideal for a suspended chassis turntable though. It is also unadvisable to add any compliance/ sprung feet to the base as this will introduce complex modes to the suspension. A solid shelf and keeping the lightweight base is best imo. A good upgrade is to use LP12 bolts, springs and grommets and even an old chassis or even bearing inner platter and platter (lots were upgraded) This is not guaranteed to directly fit on a TD160 as I have forgotten, but as the LP12 was just a reengineered TD150 and everything just slots into place EXACTLY on that I'm fairly sure it all fits on the 160. One of the best things you can easily make if you are into electronics is a synthesised AC supply for the motor .
Damn there great turntables....simple but elegant...dont need all the complications....pure and simple TECH......Looks good around all setups.....period.
I had a Thorens TD160 in the 1970s. I removed the baseboard as advised in some HiFi mag, (seem to remember removing foam from the springs?) and replaced the arm with a Hadcock GH228H. With an Ultimo 10x cartridge played through a Quad 33 /303 amp with a modified input board (provided gratis by Mr Walker of Quad) and Celestion Ditton 44 speakers, the results were far better than any vinyl system I had up until then. This was only bettered when I replaced the amp with a Lecson AC1 / AP1. I never quite got the same enjoyment with my subsequent Linn LP12 and various arms used.
Nice. Isn't it amazing that these 45-year-old turntables are still relevant today and still top-of-the-line.. this is my second Thorens. My first Thorens I bought 1976 with a Shure v15III the 276 dollars which would be about the same as $1,200 todayI just ordered a VPI prime and I will probably be selling one of my Thoren's shortly.
I have rewired my TD 160 MK1 and have RCA plugs on the rear and a " kettle type " power socket, I also used deadening material inside and fitted a plywood base and chamfered the edges so it didn't have that block look, the platter has been buffed to look like chrome and new springs and belt added and a Grado green 2 cartridge, the feet are Rega planner 5, I also made small plastic bushes for the lid hinges, all the wood was sanded and restained.
Nice cartridge choice..........V15III is a perfect partner. The TP 16 is an underrated arm........carefully adjusting the bearings for minimal play......and without the VTF spring he arm sounds better. Nice job..... ( Jico makes some good stylus for the cartridge ) I bought a beautiful TD150 /TP13 .....White lacked plint and immaculate cover . Fedex delivered the player , they throwed the package over the portal ( 1.5 m height ) .....and I ended up with a totally broken turntable.......... it also broke my heart. This is the new modern world without proudness of the job well done..........for most but not all.
I agree the V15III with the TP16 is a great combination. I purchased my original TD160 with V15III in 1976 for $276, a splurge at the time and never regretted it.
I put vampire female RCA jacks with tone arm wires soldered right to the jacks. I I install a 3 pin male plug for my power cords and it sounds marvellous
I did the same upgrade with Dynamat material to my AR XA. I applied it completely to the metal top plate underneath, and cut out the spot for the motor to mount and necessary holes for tonearm and bearing. I also covered the Tbar completely with the dampening material and foam mattting material. I then glued some thin foam mat material around the inside of the plinth completely covering it as well. Underneath the platter I completely covered it with Dynamat as well. This added some extra weight to the platter and reduced any noise that would otherwise come from it. As a result, the turntable is dead silent, no motor noise, nothing. This also has the added benefit of reducing vibrations throughout. Why leave exposed wood that can reverberate noise? I did the same with the AR XA tags with serial number, etc.
Lovely TT with an excellent arm that never got the recognition it deserved. The TP-16 arm was easily as good as any separate arm of the early 70s including the iconic SME. Many folks chose to mount an SME arm because it looked sexier but did not improve the sound over the stock TP-16.
UPS did not wreck the turntable, the fault was transporting it with the outer platter attached which will have broken off the pulley and damaged the top plate, nor will it have done the suspension springs much good. Also Thorens did not include the protective pin which stops the platter hitting the motor pulley with a production run of TD160. I have a highly customised Mark 1 which does not have it either. I've too many recommendations to go into but amongst them is having no base cover as it only creates resonance, mine has 3 height adjustable levelling knobs (made from cherry wood) that fit inside the custom matching cherry body. 3 are used a you can level it and it can't rock. My TD160 has Rega RB300 arm and Goldring 1022 GX cartridge and it is superb.
Of course, you're correct on the UPS issue but I was simply restating the seller's comment. You are incorrect on the protective pin as my other TD160C, which was bought new by me, has one. Somewhere in the production chain they apparently added one.
Hi Elliot, Great video and enjoyed it a lot. I have a TD 160 MKii that also requires a new motor. Been looking where to buy one but could not find a seller. Can you share with me where you bought the new motor for the TD 160? Tnx a lot.
Excellent video and a great looking turntable. In your opinion, if you were to sell this, what would you be asking? I’m in the market for a 160 and curious what a restored is worth as a guide. Thank you😊
Wonderful video thank you for sharing Elliot .. I just recently invested in a Thorens TT and will follow some aspects of your video for restoration .. I wanted to also ask you where you're sourcing your Thorens parts from (ie. motor, faceplate) ? ... I couldn't find one on Amazon or anywhere else ... this info would be appreciated ... much thanks in advance ... (that side platter shine is KILLER !)
I was able to source most parts on Amazon or Ebay. Some took patience. The pulley was sourced from Simone Luchetti at Audiosilente.com. Simone does fantastic work and was helpful with information. The polishing was not difficult. I used a bench lathe (I guess a drill could do it with proper pads) and picked up some polishing cakes - use coarsest to fine - Emory to Tripoli to Rouge - and finished with Flitz polishing paste
Nice video. The only thing I would have an issue with is the oil you used for the spindle. The gun oil is a petroleum product and what's recommended for this application is synthetic oil only. It won't break down. I use Liquid Bearings and 10 or 12 drops.
Actually, when I purchased my original Thorens TD-160 back in 1976 I seriously doubt that synthetic oil was used, as it was just coming into use for cars. But it may certainly be smart to make the change.
How did you managed to flatten the face plate and it looks like a new piece. Did you CNC or laser Cut the facia plate out and had some one printed legends on it? I am impressed with the shinny rims. I wish I can do mine too. However I dare not allowed anybody to touch the platter for fear of warping the platter. I don't have a lathing machine.
It appears you misunderstood. That is a new faceplate. I was referring to trying to flatten the old one, which never happened. A friend has a machine shop and thought he flatten it by rolling it. In the end, he didn't want to be bothered.
@@ejcheck Thank you for clarification. I was watching you manoeuvring out the face plate through the Tone arm while mentioning your neighbor....... Next you apply cement onto the base plate. Next came a freshly " flattened" face plate. That what amazed me. However the new faceplate looks nicer . Where you purchase the face plate?
@@truthful3777 I found one one eBay. Just make sure you get one that has the same number of holes as your old one, specifically I'm referring to the tonearm bracket at the front some of them do not have holes for that
Nice job and detailed video. I am sure your enhancements improved the unit. These tables never run accurately at 33.33 RPM. I know as I have OCD, so I refuse to work on or service any belt drive tables unless they have a pitch control. I.e. DC servo or Dual's pitch pulley system. UPS instructs its workers to Jam pack trailers and the conveyor systems they use are a serpentine jumble of conveyors with 10 to 15 inch drops between shoots. The seller should have removed and bubble wrapped the platter and placed it at the bottom of the box under a layer or cardboard. Live and learn. The time and effort on this restoration outweighed the quality of the turntable and you will never be fairly compensated for you time and parts, but at least you have a nice TT.
rca cables that come with it are correct they have to be below 50 ohms, I think the ones you got are 75 ohms this is a mistake people make, if you want to replace the cables get triple shielded microphone cable and 50 ohm RCA plugs. what you can do with the plastic box that goes over the RCA cables, and I think it's over the mains cable, put some copper tape inside the box and make sure it touches the chassis that will stop your hum
Thanks, all good advice. It turned out that 1 of the cables was bad and too long. I shortened the cables which got past the issue and all is good. It turned out that I also had a dead suspension spring, replaced those as well
You really wanted to have a dab of greece at the bottom it is very soft stainless steel shim a conductive grease as well like silicon carbon grease well discharge the platter and prevent static build-up in the bearing under rotation eliminate noise have it's floating on the grace. Put a couple of 3" big holes in the bottom of the board you don't want to close box. I don't think that arm is probably in good working order oil it with the gun oil dropping every bearingpoint. was the weight attached to the arm when shipping weights have to be dissemble cartridge both platters have to be disassembled when shipping. And it looks like it's missing it's other weight on the arm the fine adjustment. Some new foam will need to be put in their spring suspension it probably all fallen apart add a bit on the top as well and bottom leave the centre of the string open. Adjusting the springs not just for level but final adjustment so suspension is correct, find the centre point between spindle and pivot of arm pushdown with one finger it should give you an even pressure on all Springs compressed together. Put your belt in a bag of talcum powder before putting on
I think the guy who shipped it to you packed it wrong. I shipped a TD 165 and removed the platter and placed it on the bottom of the box sandwiched in foam then, the turntable, then the other stuff. Also I detatched the headshell. If you leave the heavy platter in place, god knows what it's doing to the bearing surface during shipping.
The guy who sold had it returned from a previous sale because it was destroyed in shipping. He was selling it for parts and I decided that for $200 it was worth the price for parts. When I got it I could not bring myself to part it out LOL
What gets me is how flimsy this fancy Swiss turntable seems to have been for its asking price. Contrast with the “cheap” German Dual changers of this vintage. They are more sturdy and far harder to kill than this. The motors are much more robust as well. Only the tonearm on the Thorens impresses by comparison. Very nice work. Best of luck with it and thanks for saving a wrecked piece!
Thanks for the great Thorens videos. I am the original owner of a 160 that I would love to change the face plate on. May I ask where you purchased yours, and also, how did you get the beautiful shine on the platter? Thanks so much Joel
Glad you liked the video. I hope it helps I've had a Thorens TD-160 as my main table purchased new in 1976 w/ a Shure V15III ($276). I found this one on eBay being sold for parts and figured it was worth the price for the Tonearm and Headshell. After looking at some of the new TTs out there, I decided to try to restore this for use in a man cave I'll be putting together. 1- You might want to check out the FaceBook page for TD-160 owners. Nice guys, lots of information. 2- You can find faceplates on eBay for $80-$100 + shipping. They also have different colors. Make sure you get one with the proper holes - some don't have holes for the tonearm support. 3- Treat it carefully - they are only about 1mm of aluminum thick. 4- The PLATTER - I started polishing by hand and realized it would take forever. I have an old bench polisher/sharpener (it was my father-in-laws) and it made it easier, much easier. The process was pretty straight forward. I used 5" buffing wheels, polishing cakes, and Flitz polishing paste. The cakes can usually be found as a set at Harbor Freight, or similar, inexpensively as a set of 4 or 5. I started with EMORY to get a uniform satin finish. I followed this with TRIPOLI and then ROUGE. The final step was the Flitz.
Simone, you were a fantastic help in putting this Thorens back together. The quality of your parts is 2nd o none. Anyone who asks for parts sourcing is given your name. Grazie!
Hi there, I just got an old Thorens turntable model TD 115 (not the high-ranged one from Thorens I guess) from my grandpa which happen to be in a decent condition, and I'm wondering if a service along with some upgrades i.e. replacement of the whole tonearm + new cartridge would be worth it. Cheers from France
I don't know much about the 115 but the following may help. I believe it was a decent table and should serve you well. I would suggest start by keeping it simple. Clean the bearing well with a Q-tip and then add 6-7 drops of lightweight oil - Singer sewing machie oil, hoppes #9 gun oil, and some use synthetics. Get a new belt. Then use it, you might be happy with it as is. Congrats and enjoy audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/thorens-td-115.52750/ www.vinylengine.com/library/thorens/td115.shtml
I did some restoration on my TD145 mkII. Didn’t change anything at the bottom and inside, just glued the plastic wire holder back on. I don’t believe that extra damping will help improve the sound that much, my Thorens is placed on a 30 millimeter MDF shelf mounted at the wall. I want to keep my Thorens as original as possible. New belt, cartridge, connectors. Shaved a bit material of the pully as the TD145 was a bit fast. You need a balance to adjust the counter weight, it’s not very accurate to set the arm at 2 grams.
@@edwinhurwitz6792 UPS is a nightmare and is far inferior to, say, DPD. UPS have destroyed one hi-fi amplifier and one guitar amp of mine. No such problems with any other courier, here in the UK.
@@Jezza-k3y I'm sorry you have had so many issues. Here in the US, UPS is a bit better than the alternatives, but any of the shipping services have a history of destroying things. Packing is everything. Double boxing of big heavy items is pretty much mandatory. I've shipped McIntosh amps with glass fronts using their original packing materials with no problems. It's been a long time since I have shipped a guitar amp.
Do you have any TD 165 boxes and packing? Or any size box you recommend would be helpful. I used to pack up Linn LP12s, remove tonearm and outer platter, support inner platter with foam enough to keep it from harming bearing, or remove inner platter and keep oil from leaking with plastic bag and wrapped rubber band. Then lots of bubble wrap. Thanks in advance for any help, my son lives in Bermuda and I know freight handling could be a problem.
Hi Christopher, thanks for the great video. I am looking for a TD 166 MK1 faceplate since mine is quite scratched. Any suggestion to find? Thanks so much. D.
Talk about open questions. Price range/budget? are you new to turntables? do you need a preamp or amplifier? planning on powered speakers or speakers with an outboard amp? You can find old Technics TTs for under $100 to Thorens for $750 up, I also use old Technics and Fisher TTs, you can find new TTs for under $200. I think you need to delineate what you are looking for. I can guarantee you this if you ask 10 people for their opinion that you'll get 10 different TTs
I just bought a td 160 and wondered, have you had problems with speed? Mine at 33 sounds like Alvin and the chimpmunks... I bought a new belt and cleaned the pulley and the lower platter and still it’s spinning way to fast. Any ideas or directions would help! Thanks!
I have not had this issue but it sounds like your motor speed control circuit needs new capacitors (they are 50yrs old). You might get a better answer from the Thorens TD160 forum on FaceBook. facebook.com/groups/229531384063970 AudioKarma is another good place to get an answer. Vinylnirvana.com in New Hampshire might be able to confirm and supply the parts
Polishing is not a complicated process, but it is a process whether it is your car paint or a metal TT platter. I started by hand but I pulled out an old bench lathe to speed up the process (a drill could also be used). You can pick up a set of polishing cakes at Home Depot or Amazon and then you progress from coarse to fine. I used: Emory followed by Tripoli, then Rouge and finished with Flitz ( a paste)
Extremely useful, thanks. I would like to replace my top plate but just realised a problem. A previous owner has fitted a Linn arm which sits on a slightly larger plate than the cut out in a new top plate. Would I be correct in thinking the arm will have to be disconnected and removed? If so no way can I attempt that. HELP..... Anyone in the UK that can? (the closer to Oxford the better)
Sorry to hear your issue. I have only dealt with the stock arm so I'd risk giving you wrong advice. you might want to post your question on the FB Thorens TD160 page
Looks like the original shipper shipped it with the platter on the unit (not under it) and didn't use the shipping screws. It bounced around in shipping and destroyed the unit.
@@ejcheck that was my thinking. I have an earlier TD 160 and it, too, did not come with the motor protection rod. One scary almost slip of the platter and I ordered on right away.
Nice video and cool turntable. But I wouldn’t go blaming UPS because the first guy packed like an idiot. I mean everyone knows what happens once the shippers get hold of the box.
@@ejcheck My husband shipped an Oracle Delphi to Europe. He dissassembled each piece and put them in individual baggies. Bought 3 cans of spray foam and went to town in the heavy corrugated box. Complete custom foam protection inbetween each piece and it arrived 100% perfect. He charged the buyer an extra $50 for packaging materials but in the end it was well worth it.
@@ejcheck I have TD 145, bought in the early 1990's. Also a DENON DP 3700f ( from 1973 ), Yamaha YP 800 ( from 1975 ). And many many wonderful classical music records ( made in W. Germany, UK, the Netherlands and Japan ). I know nothing about " Internet music ".
@@ejcheck I'm just an old man ( 61+ ), always love the old audio equipment ( not mania ), I don't want to bother anyone. I bought TD 160 + SME + ORTOFON in Taipei, about US$ 850*, in 1986. The owner of that small audio shop installed tonearm, TD 160 sold 10 years ago ( with original box and packing material / manual -- in English and German ) because I needed the $$ to pay property tax ( Denton county, TX ). Also if you think this guy's English so poor, please don't laugh, The language that I spoke when I was born is Chinese . I'm not from China and never been there. Thank you and enjoy your audio life. Shure V-15 type 3, That I found at a audio shop in Taipei, Taiwan, price about US $ 80. but I bought SHURE M24H ( CD-4 cartridge ), much cheaper, 1979. the stylus should be good but one channel no sound .
![The Wall Song ร้องข้ามกำแพง | EP.215 | พาเวล นเรศ - พูห์ กฤติน | 17 ต.ค. 67 [1/5]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IUzrjuf60P4/mqdefault.jpg)
A tip you may not be aware of; as a rule suspended subchassis turntables perform best on very light but rigid shelving or a suitable coffee table. It sounds counter -intuitive but placing one on a high mass surface (marble, for instance) doesn't damp out external vibration but merely converts it to extreme low frequency energy which is below the resonant frequency of the suspension so bypasses it. It's quick, easy and free to experiment; try the player on a light but rigid coffee table or plywood offcut. If it does indeed sound better then that's the time to consider building, perhaps, a rigid wall shelf with a separate / loose sub-shelf as a permanent home. Once you've done that you can whip back inside and remove the foams from the three suspension springs; they're only there to damp footfall (low frequency) vibrations but partially impede / bypass the suspension at audio frequencies. Subtle improvement but well worthwhile. Great video and thanks
Hi Elliot- Very nice restoration, you are very resourceful. Thank you for sharing, lots of great tips and information in this video. My only caveat is the frequent dumping on UPS for their handling of the shipment. Looking at the scuff marks on the face plate you replaced, and considering the broken motor shaft, it appears that the shipper did not properly package this for shipment. I am an original TD-166 owner, and Thorens shipped these machines with boxes within boxes that required the platter and dust cover to be removed from the main assembly and packaged separately. I'm guessing, based on what you showed, and my experience with E-Bay sellers, is that the person just taped everything in place, didn't lock down the sub-chassis, threw it in a single corrugate box with some foam peanuts and/or bubble wrap, and slapped a label on it. As mentioned, these parts needed to be removed and isolated from the main unit, and the entire main box should be enclosed within a larger box ("double-boxed"), with shipping material between the two boxes. If this was actually performed by the seller, then I'd say UPS would be to blame, but if it was not done, as I suspect, then it is the seller's fault, not UPS. BTW- if packaged correctly, there would need to be significant external damage to the outer box before it ever should impact what is being shipped within the inner box.
Again, great overall video. Just wanted to get folks thinking about what it takes to pack correctly if they want to avoid damage.
Just watched this Elliot and really like the way you put this video together, nice job! I also have a TD160 and just love it. I was lucky enough to find mine 16 miles away. Oddly enough the guy (about our age) wanted to get a new USB turntable to digitize his collection (lucky me). I polished my entire platter as well using a high speed drill and Mothers aluminum polish. I finished it with a clear acrylic mat. looks awesome when spinning a transparent LP.
That looks lovely, well done.
Not sure that the baseboard deserved to be called out..I don't think there is any benefit from using a massive base. There are certainly reasons why a lightweight rigid structure is ideal for a suspended chassis turntable though. It is also unadvisable to add any compliance/ sprung feet to the base as this will introduce complex modes to the suspension. A solid shelf and keeping the lightweight base is best imo.
A good upgrade is to use LP12 bolts, springs and grommets and even an old chassis or even bearing inner platter and platter (lots were upgraded) This is not guaranteed to directly fit on a TD160 as I have forgotten, but as the LP12 was just a reengineered TD150 and everything just slots into place EXACTLY on that I'm fairly sure it all fits on the 160.
One of the best things you can easily make if you are into electronics is a synthesised AC supply for the motor .
Damn there great turntables....simple but elegant...dont need all the complications....pure and simple TECH......Looks good around all setups.....period.
An 45yrs later they're still going strong
I had a Thorens TD160 in the 1970s. I removed the baseboard as advised in some HiFi mag, (seem to remember removing foam from the springs?) and replaced the arm with a Hadcock GH228H. With an Ultimo 10x cartridge played through a Quad 33 /303 amp with a modified input board (provided gratis by Mr Walker of Quad) and Celestion Ditton 44 speakers, the results were far better than any vinyl system I had up until then. This was only bettered when I replaced the amp with a Lecson AC1 / AP1. I never quite got the same enjoyment with my subsequent Linn LP12 and various arms used.
Lovely work my friend... I love thorens tts
Nicely done! This really helps. I just acquired a TD166 Mk II that I'm going to modify a bit.
Nice. Isn't it amazing that these 45-year-old turntables are still relevant today and still top-of-the-line.. this is my second Thorens.
My first Thorens I bought 1976 with a Shure v15III the 276 dollars which would be about the same as $1,200 todayI just ordered a VPI prime and I will probably be selling one of my Thoren's shortly.
And thanks for watching and thanks for the compliments
Great work. I have a 145 with auto issues. :) Working on that...blindly. I have a V15 MK2 with Jitco. Should be a nice performer.
Good luck with the project
I have rewired my TD 160 MK1 and have RCA plugs on the rear and a " kettle type " power socket, I also used deadening material inside and fitted a plywood base and chamfered the edges so it didn't have that block look, the platter has been buffed to look like chrome and new springs and belt added and a Grado green 2 cartridge, the feet are Rega planner 5, I also made small plastic bushes for the lid hinges, all the wood was sanded and restained.
Sounds nice.
Nice cartridge choice..........V15III is a perfect partner.
The TP 16 is an underrated arm........carefully adjusting the bearings for minimal play......and without the VTF spring he arm sounds better.
Nice job.....
( Jico makes some good stylus for the cartridge )
I bought a beautiful TD150 /TP13 .....White lacked plint and immaculate cover .
Fedex delivered the player , they throwed the package over the portal ( 1.5 m height ) .....and I ended up with a totally broken turntable.......... it also broke my heart.
This is the new modern world without proudness of the job well done..........for most but not all.
I agree the V15III with the TP16 is a great combination.
I purchased my original TD160 with V15III in 1976 for $276, a splurge at the time and never regretted it.
Elliot, this video inspiring, find old hidden gem and make it as new or even better as you did.
Thank you, this turned out to be a fun project and the turntable in the end turned out to be as good (or better ) than new.
I put vampire female RCA jacks with tone arm wires soldered right to the jacks. I I install a 3 pin male plug for my power cords and it sounds marvellous
I did the same upgrade with Dynamat material to my AR XA. I applied it completely to the metal top plate underneath, and cut out the spot for the motor to mount and necessary holes for tonearm and bearing. I also covered the Tbar completely with the dampening material and foam mattting material. I then glued some thin foam mat material around the inside of the plinth completely covering it as well. Underneath the platter I completely covered it with Dynamat as well. This added some extra weight to the platter and reduced any noise that would otherwise come from it. As a result, the turntable is dead silent, no motor noise, nothing. This also has the added benefit of reducing vibrations throughout. Why leave exposed wood that can reverberate noise? I did the same with the AR XA tags with serial number, etc.
Nicely done some great information.
Thank you. This was a fun project and a labor of love
Lovely TT with an excellent arm that never got the recognition it deserved. The TP-16 arm was easily as good as any separate arm of the early 70s including the iconic SME. Many folks chose to mount an SME arm because it looked sexier but did not improve the sound over the stock TP-16.
Where did you order your new motor, second time I ask good guy
UPS did not wreck the turntable, the fault was transporting it with the outer platter attached which will have broken off the pulley and damaged the top plate, nor will it have done the suspension springs much good.
Also Thorens did not include the protective pin which stops the platter hitting the motor pulley with a production run of TD160. I have a highly customised Mark 1 which does not have it either.
I've too many recommendations to go into but amongst them is having no base cover as it only creates resonance, mine has 3 height adjustable levelling knobs (made from cherry wood) that fit inside the custom matching cherry body. 3 are used a you can level it and it can't rock.
My TD160 has Rega RB300 arm and Goldring 1022 GX cartridge and it is superb.
Of course, you're correct on the UPS issue but I was simply restating the seller's comment.
You are incorrect on the protective pin as my other TD160C, which was bought new by me, has one. Somewhere in the production chain they apparently added one.
My thoughts exactly. It's easy to blame UPS when you don't do your job.
Hi Elliot, Great video and enjoyed it a lot. I have a TD 160 MKii that also requires a new motor. Been looking where to buy one but could not find a seller. Can you share with me where you bought the new motor for the TD 160? Tnx a lot.
From what I gather, they've become hard to find. I found this on ebay 2yrs ago
What rca cables did you go with? About to replace mine.
I used Amazon Basics and cut the RCAs off one end
Excellent video and a great looking turntable. In your opinion, if you were to sell this, what would you be asking? I’m in the market for a 160 and curious what a restored is worth as a guide. Thank you😊
I have $931 into the project including the cartridge.
If I was selling I would probably look for $1200-$1500
THORENS 160 REHAB
ITEM EST ACTUAL Actual Total
TD-160 $200.00 $200.00
Cork Mat $20.00 $20.00
Faceplate $128.00 $128.00
screw covers $9.00 $20.00
motor protect rod $17.00 $0
motor $185.00 $153.00
60HZ Machined Pulley$100.00 $81.00
RCA cables $20.00 $13.00
Isolation Feet $50.00 $64.92
Plywood Base $20.00 $ 0
Headshell Screws $10.00 $8.00
Cartridge Wires $26.00 $20.00
Dynamat $20.00 $21.00
cork gasket material $12.00 $12.00
No Cart $740.92
Shure V15III $280.00 $190.00
TOTAL w/cart $997.00 w/ Cart $930.92
Wonderful video thank you for sharing Elliot .. I just recently invested in a Thorens TT and will follow some aspects of your video for restoration .. I wanted to also ask you where you're sourcing your Thorens parts from (ie. motor, faceplate) ? ... I couldn't find one on Amazon or anywhere else ... this info would be appreciated ... much thanks in advance ... (that side platter shine is KILLER !)
I was able to source most parts on Amazon or Ebay. Some took patience.
The pulley was sourced from Simone Luchetti at Audiosilente.com. Simone does fantastic work and was helpful with information.
The polishing was not difficult. I used a bench lathe (I guess a drill could do it with proper pads) and picked up some polishing cakes - use coarsest to fine - Emory to Tripoli to Rouge - and finished with Flitz polishing paste
Nice video. The only thing I would have an issue with is the oil you used for the spindle. The gun oil is a petroleum product and what's recommended for this application is synthetic oil only. It won't break down. I use Liquid Bearings and 10 or 12 drops.
Thanks for the advice. Hadn't heard of the synthetic oil for this
Actually, when I purchased my original Thorens TD-160 back in 1976 I seriously doubt that synthetic oil was used, as it was just coming into use for cars. But it may certainly be smart to make the change.
I would love to do that but... Thank you for all the tips.
But, hopefully should you develop a problem it will help you resolve it.
You're Welcome
How did you managed to flatten the face plate and it looks like a new piece. Did you CNC or laser Cut the facia plate out and had some one printed legends on it?
I am impressed with the shinny rims. I wish I can do mine too. However I dare not allowed anybody to touch the platter for fear of warping the platter. I don't have a lathing machine.
It appears you misunderstood. That is a new faceplate. I was referring to trying to flatten the old one, which never happened. A friend has a machine shop and thought he flatten it by rolling it. In the end, he didn't want to be bothered.
@@ejcheck Thank you for clarification. I was watching you manoeuvring out the face plate through the Tone arm while mentioning your neighbor.......
Next you apply cement onto the base plate. Next came a freshly " flattened" face plate. That what amazed me. However the new faceplate looks nicer . Where you purchase the face plate?
@@truthful3777 I found one one eBay.
Just make sure you get one that has the same number of holes as your old one, specifically I'm referring to the tonearm bracket at the front some of them do not have holes for that
Nice job and detailed video. I am sure your enhancements improved the unit. These tables never run accurately at 33.33 RPM. I know as I have OCD, so I refuse to work on or service any belt drive tables unless they have a pitch control. I.e. DC servo or Dual's pitch pulley system. UPS instructs its workers to Jam pack trailers and the conveyor systems they use are a serpentine jumble of conveyors with 10 to 15 inch drops between shoots. The seller should have removed and bubble wrapped the platter and placed it at the bottom of the box under a layer or cardboard. Live and learn. The time and effort on this restoration outweighed the quality of the turntable and you will never be fairly compensated for you time and parts, but at least you have a nice TT.
Thank you
rca cables that come with it are correct they have to be below 50 ohms, I think the ones you got are 75 ohms this is a mistake people make, if you want to replace the cables get triple shielded microphone cable and 50 ohm RCA plugs. what you can do with the plastic box that goes over the RCA cables, and I think it's over the mains cable, put some copper tape inside the box and make sure it touches the chassis that will stop your hum
Thanks, all good advice. It turned out that 1 of the cables was bad and too long. I shortened the cables which got past the issue and all is good.
It turned out that I also had a dead suspension spring, replaced those as well
You really wanted to have a dab of greece at the bottom it is very soft stainless steel shim a conductive grease as well like silicon carbon grease well discharge the platter and prevent static build-up in the bearing under rotation eliminate noise have it's floating on the grace.
Put a couple of 3" big holes in the bottom of the board you don't want to close box.
I don't think that arm is probably in good working order oil it with the gun oil dropping every bearingpoint. was the weight attached to the arm when shipping weights have to be dissemble cartridge both platters have to be disassembled when shipping. And it looks like it's missing it's other weight on the arm the fine adjustment.
Some new foam will need to be put in their spring suspension it probably all fallen apart add a bit on the top as well and bottom leave the centre of the string open.
Adjusting the springs not just for level but final adjustment so suspension is correct, find the centre point between spindle and pivot of arm pushdown with one finger it should give you an even pressure on all Springs compressed together. Put your belt in a bag of talcum powder before putting on
I think the guy who shipped it to you packed it wrong. I shipped a TD 165 and removed the platter and placed it on the bottom of the box sandwiched in foam then, the turntable, then the other stuff. Also I detatched the headshell. If you leave the heavy platter in place, god knows what it's doing to the bearing surface during shipping.
The guy who sold had it returned from a previous sale because it was destroyed in shipping. He was selling it for parts and I decided that for $200 it was worth the price for parts.
When I got it I could not bring myself to part it out LOL
@@ejcheck Oh, it's definitely worth it and you did a bang up job on restoring it. Very nice job.
@@YUHJKT Thanks
What gets me is how flimsy this fancy Swiss turntable seems to have been for its asking price. Contrast with the “cheap” German Dual changers of this vintage. They are more sturdy and far harder to kill than this. The motors are much more robust as well. Only the tonearm on the Thorens impresses by comparison.
Very nice work. Best of luck with it and thanks for saving a wrecked piece!
Actually earlier Thorens decks like the Jubilee do have a separate earth with a spade connector for connection to an earth screw on the amp.
Sure wish I was near you good guy
Where are you located?
Thank's 👍
Thanks for the great Thorens videos. I am the original owner of a 160 that I would love to change the face plate on. May I ask where you purchased yours, and also, how did you get the beautiful shine on the platter?
Thanks so much
Joel
Glad you liked the video. I hope it helps
I've had a Thorens TD-160 as my main table purchased new in 1976 w/ a Shure V15III ($276). I found this one on eBay being sold for parts and figured it was worth the price for the Tonearm and Headshell. After looking at some of the new TTs out there, I decided to try to restore this for use in a man cave I'll be putting together.
1- You might want to check out the FaceBook page for TD-160 owners. Nice guys, lots of information.
2- You can find faceplates on eBay for $80-$100 + shipping. They also have different colors. Make sure you get one with the proper holes - some don't have holes for the tonearm support.
3- Treat it carefully - they are only about 1mm of aluminum thick.
4- The PLATTER - I started polishing by hand and realized it would take forever. I have an old bench polisher/sharpener (it was my father-in-laws) and it made it easier, much easier. The process was pretty straight forward. I used 5" buffing wheels, polishing cakes, and Flitz polishing paste. The cakes can usually be found as a set at Harbor Freight, or similar, inexpensively as a set of 4 or 5. I started with EMORY to get a uniform satin finish. I followed this with TRIPOLI and then ROUGE. The final step was the Flitz.
Hi Elliot great video. Please where to get a new motor
Sorry, I should have been clearer. I found it on eBay.
thank you to you
Simone, you were a fantastic help in putting this Thorens back together. The quality of your parts is 2nd o none.
Anyone who asks for parts sourcing is given your name.
Grazie!
Hi there, I just got an old Thorens turntable model TD 115 (not the high-ranged one from Thorens I guess) from my grandpa which happen to be in a decent condition, and I'm wondering if a service along with some upgrades i.e. replacement of the whole tonearm + new cartridge would be worth it. Cheers from France
I don't know much about the 115 but the following may help. I believe it was a decent table and should serve you well. I would suggest start by keeping it simple. Clean the bearing well with a Q-tip and then add 6-7 drops of lightweight oil - Singer sewing machie oil, hoppes #9 gun oil, and some use synthetics. Get a new belt. Then use it, you might be happy with it as is. Congrats and enjoy
audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/thorens-td-115.52750/
www.vinylengine.com/library/thorens/td115.shtml
@@ejcheck Thank you for your swift reply, that does help indeed.
@@snitsch68 SAE 0W-20 ; 1ml or more but less than 2ml
I did some restoration on my TD145 mkII. Didn’t change anything at the bottom and inside, just glued the plastic wire holder back on. I don’t believe that extra damping will help improve the sound that much, my Thorens is placed on a 30 millimeter MDF shelf mounted at the wall. I want to keep my Thorens as original as possible. New belt, cartridge, connectors. Shaved a bit material of the pully as the TD145 was a bit fast. You need a balance to adjust the counter weight, it’s not very accurate to set the arm at 2 grams.
I agree that a scale should be used to set the correct tracking force
UPS couldn't destroy any turntable I pack...People should learn how to pack stuff.
Seriously. As a perfumer, my wife is a certified hazmat packer and nothing gets broken. I rely on her wisdom every time I pack something.
@@edwinhurwitz6792 UPS is a nightmare and is far inferior to, say, DPD. UPS have destroyed one hi-fi amplifier and one guitar amp of mine. No such problems with any other courier, here in the UK.
@@Jezza-k3y I'm sorry you have had so many issues. Here in the US, UPS is a bit better than the alternatives, but any of the shipping services have a history of destroying things. Packing is everything. Double boxing of big heavy items is pretty much mandatory. I've shipped McIntosh amps with glass fronts using their original packing materials with no problems. It's been a long time since I have shipped a guitar amp.
Please tell where your new motor and pulley came from
The pulley was the easy part. Audiosilente.com makes them. Check their site.
The motor took patience on ebay
Thank you so much
GREAT video ! Super helpful .I have a lot of 160 and 166 parts if anyone needs parts fyi
Do you have any TD 165 boxes and packing? Or any size box you recommend would be helpful. I used to pack up Linn LP12s, remove tonearm and outer platter, support inner platter with foam enough to keep it from harming bearing, or remove inner platter and keep oil from leaking with plastic bag and wrapped rubber band. Then lots of bubble wrap. Thanks in advance for any help, my son lives in Bermuda and I know freight handling could be a problem.
I need a belt
Hi Christopher, thanks for the great video. I am looking for a TD 166 MK1 faceplate since mine is quite scratched. Any suggestion to find? Thanks so much. D.
Where did you buy the new faceplate ?
There is a decent selection on eBay
Just make sure it has the holes for the arm rest if you need them
Need a recommendation for the best old school record player
Talk about open questions. Price range/budget? are you new to turntables? do you need a preamp or amplifier? planning on powered speakers or speakers with an outboard amp?
You can find old Technics TTs for under $100 to Thorens for $750 up, I also use old Technics and Fisher TTs, you can find new TTs for under $200.
I think you need to delineate what you are looking for.
I can guarantee you this if you ask 10 people for their opinion that you'll get 10 different TTs
I just bought a td 160 and wondered, have you had problems with speed? Mine at 33 sounds like Alvin and the chimpmunks... I bought a new belt and cleaned the pulley and the lower platter and still it’s spinning way to fast. Any ideas or directions would help! Thanks!
I have not had this issue but it sounds like your motor speed control circuit needs new capacitors (they are 50yrs old). You might get a better answer from the Thorens TD160 forum on FaceBook.
facebook.com/groups/229531384063970
AudioKarma is another good place to get an answer.
Vinylnirvana.com in New Hampshire might be able to confirm and supply the parts
@@ejcheck thanks for your time and suggestions! I will look in to this!! Cheers
Nice job!
Thank you
Vague where your new motor came from
I found it on eBay. I believe it came from Germany or Switzerland, which is why it had the 50hz pully
Great video! Worth the time, thanks Elliot... from the Spinman.
Thanks, this was a labor of love and I learned a lot going through the process.
Wonder where how to get a new motor
have you not just put a TD160 Super top plate on a standard TD160?
Where did you source the motor in Europe
Look up audio sandbox plans. Best isolation I have found
I now have a concrete floor, absolutely no issues
I am looking for a new face plate for my TD165, please advise.
Norman.
I found mine on eBay. They run between $90-$120.
Just make sure it has the tonearm rest holes if you have a tone arm rest.
How did you get the mirror like shine on the platter, could you please do a video on this. Thanks.
Norman.
Polishing is not a complicated process, but it is a process whether it is your car paint or a metal TT platter.
I started by hand but I pulled out an old bench lathe to speed up the process (a drill could also be used).
You can pick up a set of polishing cakes at Home Depot or Amazon and then you progress from coarse to fine.
I used:
Emory followed by Tripoli, then Rouge and finished with Flitz ( a paste)
You sound like Ray Liotta. But not about to kill someone. :)
For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be a Thorens repair technician. 😅
Extremely useful, thanks. I would like to replace my top plate but just realised a problem. A previous owner has fitted a Linn arm which sits on a slightly larger plate than the cut out in a new top plate. Would I be correct in thinking the arm will have to be disconnected and removed? If so no way can I attempt that. HELP..... Anyone in the UK that can? (the closer to Oxford the better)
Sorry to hear your issue. I have only dealt with the stock arm so I'd risk giving you wrong advice.
you might want to post your question on the FB Thorens TD160 page
Hope that the distortion doesn't bother you too much!
Looks like the original shipper shipped it with the platter on the unit (not under it) and didn't use the shipping screws. It bounced around in shipping and destroyed the unit.
That was my guess, However, this version did not have a motor protection rod, nor did it have shipping screwdowns.
@Thomas Headley everything looked kosher inside. There also was no motor protection rod. My guess is this was an earlier model
@Thomas Headley That's a sad story. Sorry to hear a Thorens going in this manner
@Thomas Headley I guess so.
@@ejcheck that was my thinking. I have an earlier TD 160 and it, too, did not come with the motor protection rod. One scary almost slip of the platter and I ordered on right away.
How do I get rid of a squeaking sound coming from a turn table when it plays? Thanks.
Frank
First, you'll have to locate the source.
The type of TT could be a factor - Direct Drive, Idler Drive, Belt Drive
That's the top plate from/for a TD 165, isn't it?
I believe that they are the same. It is different from the original top plate but I assumed it was just 1 of several designs I had to pick from
Nice video and cool turntable. But I wouldn’t go blaming UPS because the first guy packed like an idiot. I mean everyone knows what happens once the shippers get hold of the box.
You are correct, but UPS is far from perfect as well.
So much dirt..... finally clean.
Where did your motor come from How much for motor and pulley
It ran about $130. It came from Eurlope which is why I had to change the pulley
You need to use more oil in main bearing your sub-plater drops to fast into main bearing.
Hi Elliot I in Toronto Canada
That's a bit far. I'm in new Hampshire and the Carolinas
How did UPS shear the motor????
The shipper probably left the platter in place. I'm just going with his description, I doubt he packed it well
@@ejcheck Well, I'm sure he didn't pack it well.
When do you buy the now metal plate go guy
Are you asking where did I buy the new faceplate?
I found it on eBay
Macintosh.....Thorens....Lynn......classic turntables....just my opinion.
nice, but you should change plate mat
I have the original rubber and this cork. what would you suggest?
@@ejcheck a normal black rubber looks better I think
(like this: zahn-hifi.de/produkt/thorens-td-160-mit-ortofon-lm-20/)
Seems like everyone who ships a turntable with UPS has a bad experience. Union + Courier = bad mix - no one gets fired !
Packing is also very important and I'm not convinced that this TT was properly packed.
@@ejcheck My husband shipped an Oracle Delphi to Europe. He dissassembled each piece and put them in individual baggies. Bought 3 cans of spray foam and went to town in the heavy corrugated box. Complete custom foam protection inbetween each piece and it arrived 100% perfect. He charged the buyer an extra $50 for packaging materials but in the end it was well worth it.
Poor tonearm is taking a beating
not really, but I appreciate the concern.
Great job.. but those bitumen inserts on those thick chipboard walls are ridiculously useless.
Maybe, maybe not
Thorens TD 160 MK ii AB + SME 3009 s2 + SPU AE ( ORTOFON ). from 1985. Unlike this one.
Just made a very short video of my own TD160 here:
th-cam.com/video/AQVfOoeCvII/w-d-xo.html
Discard original West Germany made ( Sorry not made in USA ) turntable mat and 45 RPM adapter is not smart.
I don't play 45s
I have the original and the 45 adapter
@@ejcheck I have TD 145, bought in the early 1990's. Also a DENON DP 3700f ( from 1973 ), Yamaha YP 800 ( from 1975 ). And many many wonderful classical music records ( made in W. Germany, UK, the Netherlands and Japan ). I know nothing about " Internet music ".
@@haihuachen2627 Sounds nice.
I purchased my original TD-160 in 1976w/a Shure V15III for$276. I still have the TT and the receipt
@@haihuachen2627 If you want a laugh.
I posted te cost of the original 160 as $276
This restoration of what is now my 2nd 160 ran $930
@@ejcheck I'm just an old man ( 61+ ), always love the old audio equipment ( not mania ), I don't want to bother anyone. I bought TD 160 + SME + ORTOFON in Taipei, about US$ 850*, in 1986. The owner of that small audio shop installed tonearm, TD 160 sold 10 years ago ( with original box and packing material / manual -- in English and German ) because I needed the $$ to pay property tax ( Denton county, TX ). Also if you think this guy's English so poor, please don't laugh, The language that I spoke when I was born is Chinese . I'm not from China and never been there. Thank you and enjoy your audio life. Shure V-15 type 3, That I found at a audio shop in Taipei, Taiwan, price about US $ 80. but I bought SHURE M24H ( CD-4 cartridge ), much cheaper, 1979. the stylus should be good but one channel no sound .
Your voice is totally distorted😮
try turning up the value
Ebay as usual....
its pronounced Torrenz...drives me mad