Analog Gear News

A great turntable just got that much better. The ever-venerable Thorens TD 1601 turntable now features the company’s new TP 160 tonearm, which was developed by the always innovative designer Helmut Thiele.

The J-shaped, 9in, 14g TP 160 tonearm features an ultra-precise knife-edge bearing, and it also sports an SME headshell connection that is said to “take its inspiration from the design of famous studio tonearms.” The blade for its horizontal bearing is further stabilized by magnets for “the most precise tracking.”

As a refresher, the Thorens TD 1601 turntable itself — which is available in both high-gloss walnut and black versions — sports a wooden plinth, and a two-part machined aluminum 4.2kg platter with an internally run ground drive belt. The ’table’s external linear TPN 1600 power supply comes with a high-performance toroidal transformer, and it provides the synchronous motor with 2x 16V — something that Thornes says “ensures the highest possible rotational stability of the platter.”

The three springs of the TD 1601’s subchassis don’t hang from the top board, but they instead rest on the floor. A tensioned steel thread extends from the motor pulley axis to the turntable axis to prevent lateral tilting, and that enables the subchassis to “swing as piston-like as possible.” Other features of this ’table include a machined precision belt with adjustable belt tension, electric lift, and touchless auto shut-off.

The TD 1601 boasts balanced XLR outputs around the back, as well as RCA outs. In order to utilize the True Balanced Connection, Thorens suggests “the turntable must be equipped with a moving coil (MC) cartridge.” Dimensions of the TD 1601 are 454 x 180 x 369mm (w/h/d), and it weighs 11kg.

This new TD 1601 turntable/TP 160 tonearm combo will be available in October, and the SRP for both the black and walnut versions has been listed by the company as €3,299, which converts to $3,485 U.S., given the current exchange rate at the time of this posting.

For more about Thorens, go here.
To find an authorized Thorens distributor, go here.
(If you live in the U.S., click on page 5 and scroll down to the United States listing at the bottom right.)