Thorens have just released the surprise news that they are launching a Reel to Reel tape machine, in partnership with the German company Ballfinger, but they also have some new turntables for you at this year’s High End Show in Munich.

New Direct Drive Turntable From Thorens

With new TD 402 DD Thorens presents a direct drive turntable for the first time for more than 30 years. The TD 402 DD comes with auto shut off function and with pre installed AT 95VM E cartridge by Audio Technica.

TP 72 Tonearm

The styling recalls the Thorens TD series of the past but TD 402 DD is a completely new design that contains not only a very silent direct drive motor with switchable auto shut off but also new tone arm, the TP 72, with carbon tube and changeable headshell. The TD 404 also includes a damped platter and an integrated phono stage for moving magnet cartridges, that can be switched off when required.

TD 402 DD comes with dust cover and a massive MDF plinth in piano black and high gloss walnut veneer, on damping black rubber feet with silver rings. The top board is brushed aluminium. Price is 799€ and it will be available from August 2019.

Thorens TD 1600 and TD 1601 Turntables

In 1965 in Sainte Croix, Switzerland the development of a new, affordable turntable called Thorens TD 150 was finished. This turntable later became the blueprint for a very successful generation of turntables.

Thorens transferred the principle of the suspended sub chassis to the following generations of its turntables beginning with the TD 125 in 1968 until the 90s of last century when production of TD 160 Mk V finished. Even though Thorens started a new era of suspension design in the middle 80s, the original TD 160 and its successors are still seen as the “classic” Thorens turntables.

Starting with the acquisition of Thorens by Gunter Kürten and the resettlement to Germany in 2018 a revamp of the Thorens “DNA” began. Thorens say that this will be reflected in future products and so the product spectrum will change with respects to former virtues but also move to current technologies.

The first results of this will be presented on this years High End show in Munich: TD 1600 and TD 1601. The name almost reveals it, both should be seen as modern incarnation of TD 160. Both use suspension and damping by conical springs for effective decoupling from installation site. But also both are totally different inside. They fill the gap between the tradition that made the old turntables famous and 21st Century technology.

From the outside they are immediately recognisable as close in design to the TD 160 series, they come with wooden plinth, two-part platter with belt running internally and a thick rubber mat and acrylic dust cover. But there are a lot of innovations inside: the conical springs are are not mounted on top board any longer but on the bottom, so the sub chassis does not hang but stands on these springs. Additionally a small but strong tightened thread made of steel connects sub chassis with a steel pin on the bottom and so prevents sub chassis from staggering and allows only vertical movement.

Differences Between The Thorens TD 1600 And TD 1601

Both models share the same platform and the same height adjustable TP 92 tonearm, but TD 1601 adds some comfort features. TD 1600 is a totally manual turntable, while TD 1601 comes with an electrical lift, auto shut off at the end of the record with lifting the arm and real balanced output sockets (XLR). Motor, Control unit and power supply are the same. Both will be available in high gloss walnut and piano black.

You can find Thorens at High End Munich in Hall 3, Stand K02

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