The question was what to get? In the past few years the turntable market has exploded with varying makes and models across all budget ranges. Given my under $2000 (USD) price range I had a few options including the discontinued (and marked down) Rega P8, the Rega RP6, or the tried and true VPI Scountmaster (used or B-stock). I hemmed and hawed, thinking of my experiences with solid plinth turntable, and in the case of the VPI, the JMW unipivot tonearm. I wanted something a little different, a little more old school, with a suspension. I won't go into the ancient debate between suspended and solid plinths, each falling in and out of favor as the years have gone by. I will instead just go with what I heard with the best systems.
Searching through Audiogon listing and doing a lot of review reading, I came to the Thorens TD 309 Tri-Balance turntable. The reviews, even with the included and very budget Audio Technica AT95S, were mostly positive. It seemed that any negative points could be ameliorated with a better cartridge. I was also taken by the engineering with a speaker manufacturer to reduce motor and environmental vibration. The speed controlled DC motor, the available colors, and the Japanese quality bearings was a bonus. So I purchased one - used - that came with an Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge.
Once I received the turntable via FedEx it took me a solid 90 minutes to set up. Some of this involved running off to the grocery store to buy some batteries for my digital style gauge. At first glance it looks to be a well-made record player. I was especially impressed by the methods used to decouple the platter from the motor.
Installation of the 2M Bronze wasn't exactly a breeze. It required the removal of the headshell and some fiddling of the screws that mount directly to the body of the cartridge. Using the Thorens supplied protractor I was able to get the alignment zeroed in pretty quickly. After adjusting the counterweight I was finally able to listen to some records.
Initial Impressions: I can immediately tell there is a difference. With the Thorens there is a lot of weight to the bass. Music plays with a lot more ease and less grunge than the old Dual. Which is to say there is a lot less mechanical noise with the new turntable. This in turn reveals more detail, makes the notes "breathe" easier, and also increases depth and width of the soundstage; allowing the listener to "hear" deeper into the recording. I'm reminded of the VPI Aries 1 in this regard, and, given the difference between the platter weight, a surprise. I suppose a well-tuned suspension can replicate the solidity of a table with a solid plinth and heavy platter.
After a few hours of enjoyment and some tweaking of the arm setup, it was time to sit down and do some serious listening.
Background noise, on this original 1993 UK pressing, was suppressed with any ticks and pops riding on a separate plane of the music.
The reverberation or natural slap of the hall walls can be heard. Impressive with much more life than any digital rig I've ever heard.
Long story short, it turned out that the Thorens had such an extended bottom end that it was making my low-powered single-ended Aleph J clip! Such is the life of trying to live with so little power with a pair of 86dB speakers. This pointed to a future speaker upgrade.
As you can tell I was quite taken by the Thorens, at least once I understood that it had such a wider dynamic range than the Dual CS5000. This lower, more refined bass response caused all sort of havoc with my amplifier/speaker pairing, leading me to the decision that a more efficient pair of speakers is in my future.
As regards to overall sound quality:
Bass: Dynamic, at least within the limitations of the small Wharfedale speakers. The midbass frequencies are special here with lovely timbre and shades that I've heard only on the better turntables. It's the sort of bass that I prefer over digital, which can plod and sound artificial.
Midrange: Subtle, expansive and revealing. Different recordings, well, sound different. So there's not a lot of coloration or analog "dither" (noise) over the music. Once again it's not a sterile presentation, which can occur with lower-end digital, but shines a light on the notes in an engrossing way. It's also easy to shift attention to another instrument. Organic is a word that comes to mind, but not overly warm like some noisier turntables.
Treble: Smooth, provided the cartridge is setup correctly. An aggressive recording is not going to sound rolled off, but something well-balanced won't sound dark either. There is a nice sparkle and shimmer too.
Other: This sort of tight analog foundation seems to be rare but adds to the rhythmic toe-tapping experience of music. More than once I found my foot moving with the beat. The turntable plays very quietly, doing an excellent disappearing act in minimizing coloration. The Ortofon 2M Bronze is a great tracker too, playing the last songs without any audible IGD.
Conclusion: For the money, the Thorens is a nice alternative in a very competitive price range. Even if I had bought a new unit I still would have been perfectly happy with the choice. Given the quality of the tonearm, the engineering of the suspension, the DC motor, the platter thickness, and the modern looks, the TD 309 gets a solid recommendation. As does the 2M Bronze, though a Black stylus may be in my future.
System:
Dual CS5000
Classe 5 preamplifier
Aleph J amplifier
Wharfedale Denton speakers
Canare interconnects
Kimber 8PR/4PR speaker cable
