Thorens TD150

The TD125 I had was meh with an RB300 and with a Nima, and tremendous with a Mission 774: huge sounding, great heft, if not especially detailed. Definitely in a different league to the TD160 and TD147 I had, although they had Thorens arms (very nice all the same). I also preferred it by some margin to the later TD321, which I tried with a much posher arm (Funk FX3) and cart (AT ART9).

Looking for obvious flaws in the TD125 I'd have to point to the bearing, in the MKII anyway: I've had two and they were both pretty sloppy. All the other Thorens I've had were much better. Who knows why, or if my sample was representative.

Anyway sorry, this is supposed to be about the TD150. Never tried one, will do some day.

 

A 150 was my first serious tt. Before that I had a Phillips music centre and ceramic cartridge...ugh. I added a philips cassette deck as I could get a discount from Boots where my girlfriend worked. Then came my first proper amp, a teleton and some rank speakers. Then a proper deck would be needed so I got the TD 150. It came with as a chassis with the original mk 1 arm and shure M75. Even on my limited system the sound was a revelation. I built a crude plinth in my dad's workshop and eventually changed the arm to a Micro Seiki. Can't remember which one but it had a sprung bias with a circular adjustment over the pivot. My next deck was a technics direct drive.....

 

Would it have been an MA-101, Mike? Black ring with AS calibration on?

A lovely thing from back when Japan Inc. tonearms were the most lovely of things hi-fi.

 

Yep...thats the one...wish I still had it !