I've had a NOS Thorens TD124 Mark II for awhile now and it's still in the box but lately have considered taking it out and putting it into service. I have a couple of other turntables so is it even worth putting into service. If I do, I need some help in choosing a tonearm. I do have a NOS SME 2009 Series II Improved tonearm that has never been mounted. Should I go with something like that or a modern tonearm. I don't have a cartridge picked out yet but I do have a sealed Denon 103D and a NOS Shure V15 Type VxMR. I am inexperienced in setting this up but want some advice as to what other owners or people who heard a TD124 think, or what direction they would go in with what I'm working with. Thanks all for Your help!!!
I have an Ortofon plinth and armboard for the table and have an Allnic 1201 for a phono preamp. I've had them for a while now, just been collecting over the years.
The SME arm will match well with the Denon 103D (I have this cartridge in my collection, along with a 103, 103R, 103 Gold Anniversary, 301 and 304). I prefer and use step-up transformers with mc cartridges. The plinth is important for getting the best sound out of the Garrard's - check out Art Dudley's (Stereophile) DIY plinth he made for his 301(with Ortophon arm)!
I think you mean a 3009SII arm. My dad had both a TD124 and that arm and I had both restored. There used to be guy named Alfred Kayser that restored vintage SME arms with new knife bearings and wiring. Long story short-I was never happy with the tonearm despite the alleged reconditioning. Low mass arms call for high compliance cartridges as you presumably know since you named some. These cartridges simply can't match the performance of modern low compliance cartridges. The SME arm is crude and clumsy by modern standards. The deck is great. Your challenge-if you want to mate it with a modern arm-is that the platter sits low in the cast iron chassis relative to the tonearm mounting area. Also, there is no room inboard for the junction box that many modern tonearms have (e.g. VPI). If it were me, I would still go with a modern tonearm, probably a Graham Phantom or a modern SME, and have a seasoned pro install it. Now all that said, I sure find it hard to believe that you are the last guy on the planet with an NOS new-in-the-box TD124. You sure? You willing to sell?
Thanks all. Yes the turntable and tonearm really are NOS in the box, I actually have a NOS TD160 in the box too. I found them and accumulated them over the years trying to feed this audiophile addiction. I appreciate the comments. I did consider putting an SME V on the turntable, I had seen a few 124's with that arm. I did at one time buy a Pete Riggle 12 inch tonearm for it which he made for the table along with an armboard for it but I that's still in the box too. I had considered just selling everything and using whatever I got to buy a modern table, I just didn't know if I was missing out on anything with the 124, it's been well regarded for a long time. I do use a Music Hall mmf7 daily and recently purchased a Basis 2500 and an Eminent Techology 2.5 tonearm but I would have to drill into the Basis to mount it and haven't wanted to do that just yet. Any and all other thoughts are so much appreciated!
michaela, it's time for you to add another forum. Lenco Heaven.
The website is all about idler drives. Lencos, Garrards, and Thorens.
For those of us who moved from belt drive to idler drive, there's no turning back.
Once signed in, you go to market place, from there you go to traders. Start reading.
A new oversized bearing is mandatory. Sien (moniker sph) is doing a production run right now. Just order it!!!!.
Once the Thorens is in a new, heavy plinth, motor dismantled, cleaned, greased, and reinstalled, new bearing etc. etc. you will wonder how anyone would buy anything else. It is that amazing.
Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. Effort equals reward, and this will be rewarding.
Your 3009/II Improved is a low mass arm and will work best with the Shure V15 VxMR.
I used to mount my TD124/I with 3009/II non improved, and it sounded okay. Later I went through a series of arms and settled on a Schroeder clone.
The 124 comes alive with high mass plinth, preferably mounted on high mass platform. I find that ceramic ball based footers also work better than brass cone footers.
another option for not too much outlay in $ are the Jelco 750 Arms of various lengths. I use a 12incher on my Garrard and IOM its a better arm then the SME 3009 any series but that of course is my listening preference. I'm sure you could sell that SEM and with the funds buy all the toys for the Jelco and have money lefty over.
@cousinbillyl - Thanks for the info. I registered for the forums, just waiting on the approval to get fully into it! I appreciate sending me in that direction!
@jls001 - Thank you, I had been thinking about a heavier duty plinth. I had seen ads for slate plinths over the years but never pulled the trigger on one. I had gone more classic route with the Ortofon plinth.
@glennewdick and @kon5t - thanks for the recommendations, I really appreciate hearing others experience with this table. Seems I need to do more investigating!
michaela, just installed the new bearing from sien (sph) at LencoHeaven. Truly unbelievable. My noise floor dropped to a vanishingly low level. I also installed the Synergistic Research Blue fuses, and now I have no noise floor, it's gone.
I just finished restoration of a Garrard 301. I put an Ortofon TA 110 arm on it with a Lyra Delos. The Ortofon is heavily damped so it mates well with rim drives. I have never heard a Delos sound as good as it does on this table and arm. Of course you need to make sure your cartridge(s) mate well with a damped arm. The Garrard has a very heavy solid plinth and runs dead silent. Pictures on my virtual system.
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