TT help.

Upstatemax
Upstatemax Posts: 2,670
edited February 2012 in 2 Channel Audio
I have a Thorens TD 166MKII now and I'm looking to see if a more modern TT would perform better.

I'm looking to keep it pretty lite in the budget department. Something like the Rega RP1. It's an "entry level" TT, would it be any better than my old Thorens?

I have been thinking about this for a little while, but now I got in my new Cambridge 640P Phono Stage and I was excited to hook my vinyl back up and guess what, no right channel...

After trouble shooting, it's the TT. I plan on pulling it apart and hope to see a loose connection, but it has just pushed me even further into looking for a newer TT.
Post edited by Upstatemax on
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Comments

  • dkg999
    dkg999 Posts: 5,647
    edited February 2012
    The Thorens TT's were, and still are very good tables. Lot's of mods and upgrades for them. If it's a simple problem to fix I would look into cart upgrades before spending money on a new table.
    DKG999
    HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED

    Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited February 2012
    Exactly, I'd take it in for a new cartridge and a tuneup....but a new entry level table would probably be lateral at best.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • malvrich
    malvrich Posts: 49
    edited February 2012
    Contact Thorens 1st.
    They are known for good CS. and will likely help by repairing the unit.
    Dont know what they may charge tho.
    Good luck :)
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,670
    edited February 2012
    Pulled the bottom off the TT and as I was hoping for, the right channel wire broke off.

    I'm going to re-solder it and put her back in the lineup.

    Thanks for the info so far! I figured it would be more of a lateral move but I wanted some input from people with more experiance...
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,499
    edited February 2012
    Good job on the fix! IIRC the Thorens TD166MK II was released as a more affordable table to improve market share yet performed so well, no one felt the need to upgrade it with a higher priced Thorens. What arm does it have on it? If a Thorens arm, it will be the limiting factor and can be improved with an upgrade (like a Rega RB300). That may also expand your cartridge choices due to cartridge compliance issues. Do some research on it.

    You might find this history page interesting....

    http://www.theanalogdept.com/thorens_history.htm
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,670
    edited February 2012
    Ok, so I re-soldered the connection and now I have zero sound from the TT. I can't find anything obvious...

    F**k my life with this TT!
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  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited February 2012
    Last year a put a different arm on my Thorens TD-160 and the gains were huge. The arm is a first generation Mission 774 with silcone fluid damping. It made an already great sounding table sound amazing. There are lots of mods you can do with the 165. I agree with the above posters that buying an entry level table to replace the Thorens would only be a lateral move.
    SDA-1C (full mods)
    Carver TFM-55
    NAD 1130 Pre-amp
    Rega Planar 3 TT/Shelter 501 MkII
    The Clamp
    Revox A77 Mk IV Dolby reel to reel
    Thorens TD160/Mission 774 arm/Stanton 881S Shibata
    Nakamichi CR7 Cassette Deck
    Rotel RCD-855 with modified tube output stage
    Cambridge Audio DACmagic Plus
    ADC Soundshaper 3 EQ
    Ben's IC's
    Nitty Gritty 1.5FI RCM
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  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited February 2012
    Upstatemax wrote: »
    Ok, so I re-soldered the connection and now I have zero sound from the TT. I can't find anything obvious...

    F**k my life with this TT!

    Do you have an ohm meter? The first thing to check is continuity from the cart clips to your your phono stage.
    Turntable: Empire 208
    Arm: Rega 300
    Cart: Shelter 501 III
    Phono Pre: Aural Thrills
    Digital: Pioneer DV-79ai
    Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
    Amp: Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000
    Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
    Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,670
    edited February 2012
    quadzilla wrote: »
    Do you have an ohm meter? The first thing to check is continuity from the cart clips to your your phono stage.

    Yeah I do. I was thinking about it over dinner and I was thinking I need to find out how to test if the cart was damaged!
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2012
    Nice TT...

    Get to know thevinylengine.com... They have your manuals, owners and service...
    http://www.vinylengine.com/library/thorens/td166.shtml

    Unless you are sure that your old M97XE does not have under a few hundred hours on it, forget the cartridge. You are going to want to replace (and upgrade) it. The VE site will help select your new cartridge as well, or at least narrow down your choice to good compliance matches for your Thorens' arm.

    Focus your VOM efforts on the arm... Test from each of the phono cartridge leads to the each of the RCA terminations, both the center plugs and the surrounding shields. For each phono lead there should be continuity with one, and only one, of the four RCA ends. Check all 16 combos...

    Also go through the service manual being sure to properly clean and lube all the bearings.

    Your efforts will be rewarded...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited February 2012
    What he said...
    Turntable: Empire 208
    Arm: Rega 300
    Cart: Shelter 501 III
    Phono Pre: Aural Thrills
    Digital: Pioneer DV-79ai
    Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
    Amp: Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000
    Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
    Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,670
    edited February 2012
    Tour2ma wrote: »
    Nice TT...

    Get to know thevinylengine.com... They have your manuals, owners and service...
    http://www.vinylengine.com/library/thorens/td166.shtml

    Unless you are sure that your old M97XE does not have under a few hundred hours on it, forget the cartridge. You are going to want to replace (and upgrade) it. The VE site will help select your new cartridge as well, or at least narrow down your choice to good compliance matches for your Thorens' arm.

    Focus your VOM efforts on the arm... Test from each of the phono cartridge leads to the each of the RCA terminations, both the center plugs and the surrounding shields. For each phono lead there should be continuity with one, and only one, of the four RCA ends. Check all 16 combos...

    Also go through the service manual being sure to properly clean and lube all the bearings.

    Your efforts will be rewarded...

    Thanks for the info, i'll do this today.

    As for the cart, it's for the most part brand new. I'll upgrade the cart in probably another year, vinyl is still fairly new to me and I have a lot to learn still!

    I tested the cart last night and it was reading between 1,600-1850ohms on each channel. The Specs for the cart say it should be around 1,550ohms.
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,670
    edited February 2012
    its-alive.png


    IT'S ALIVE!

    After going through the whole table checking all connections, doing some re-soldering and cleaning, the Thorens is ALIVE.

    I found some of the ground connections to be fairly weak and I could barely if at all get continuity.

    This shall get me by till I upgrade the tonearm.

    Thanks for all the help!
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2012
    You're welcome... Glad to read the problem was where you could get to it...

    Don't forget the lubbing...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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