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Author Topic: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser  (Read 9545 times)

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Offline raymonda

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New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« on: November 18, 2016, 10:20:18 AM »
I am building another highly modded and tricked out Thorens TD 150. It will have a solid, finger jointed, cherry plinth, which will be 1.5". At will have an extended arm board so that a wider choice of arms can be used. It will sport a Grace G940 tone arm, carbon fiber arm board and top plate and use an Origin Live motor for super stable performance. The table has extensive use of damping material to neutralize unwanted vibrations. I also have a NOS Adcom cartridge that will be mounted.

I'm just waiting on the plinth to be finished, which should be complete in a week or so. After this is will be assembled. It will be super nice but the price will most likely be around $2500, plus or minus 200. This one will top the last one I built, which now belongs to an owner who also has a VPI Direct Drive, $25,000. He really likes the table he got from me at 1/10 the price of his other spread and plays it regularly.

Picture will be forth coming as the build moves on.

Offline Colin Liston

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2016, 09:24:01 PM »
I wish I was your neighbor
Occasionally....music mics record

Offline nickgregory

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2016, 09:34:41 AM »

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2016, 10:51:04 AM »
Plinth is almost done, as is carbon fiber top plate and extended carbon fiber arm board. Here are a few shots of where things are at.

1) Platter has been polished
2) TD 150 full dampening material applied
3) Origin Live motor installed
4) Thakker belt installed
5) Tone arm cable almost completed. Still need to solder the DIN.
6) NOS Adcom MC cartridge waiting to be mounted.

Here are some shots of the pieces waiting for construction. I'll take some shots of the Origin Live motor fit and underside application of the dampening material and post them later.

Offline Fried Chicken Boy

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2016, 11:29:24 AM »
I wish I was your neighbor

LOL!  Always look forward your build threads, raymonda.  Thanks!

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2016, 04:11:13 PM »
Thanks! Hopefully this project can pick up some pace, however, I'm at the mercy of my cabinet builder, whop is in high demand. He promised by the end of December.

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2016, 02:11:16 PM »
Movement is slow but here is what has been completed. Still waiting on the plinth, which means the table won't be together until after the holidays. Here is the most recent upgrades.

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2017, 01:07:06 PM »
Plinth is complete. The build will begin this week. Here are some shots.


Offline kindms

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2017, 01:59:32 PM »
love the joint work.

AKG c426, AKG414 XLS/ST, AKG ck61, ck22, >nBob colettes >PFA > V3, SD MixPre >  TCM-Mod Tascam HDP2, Sony M10
Little Bear tube Pre >Outlaw Audio 2200 Monoblocks > VR-2's

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2017, 03:53:59 PM »
I have two more plinth built to the same standard. One is a drop in replacement made of cherry and the other is an extended base made of curly maple. Thanks for noticing.

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2017, 11:34:41 AM »
The table has been set in the plinth and I am now in the process of cutting and drilling the arm board. Hopefully it will be complete by the weekend, maybe?


Offline nickgregory

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #11 on: February 09, 2017, 01:46:21 PM »
man that thing is gorgeous....

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #12 on: February 14, 2017, 01:51:45 PM »
Well, the Grace arm I got ended up being broken and since I did not check it out for a few months the seller said, "pound salt". Anyway, I bought a Jelco 370, which will be on the table this weekend. In the meanwhile I put my Audiomods on it to give it a listen. The speed is dead solid perfect with the Origin Live Motor and very, very quiet! I haven't gotten the arm dialed in let but it sounds very promising and this arm is only temporary.....maybe!!!!!!!!!

Anyway here are the latest shots.

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #13 on: February 14, 2017, 10:57:55 PM »
I moved the Audiomods back to the 850 in anticipation of the Jelco. I went with the 370 and will replace the stock headshell with a carbon fiber one. I also picked up a Denon dl103, which I will mod via nude with carbon fiber top plate. This is my favorite version of this cartridge and makes it a real giant killer and is a great match for the arm.

Soon I have a dust cover fabricated, listen to it and then decide whether I keep it or my 850. Then on to the next project. One thing that strikes my about the 150 is the excellent quality of its bearings. This thing spins very accurately and with the Origin Live Advance motor is excellent.

Great fun!

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #14 on: February 17, 2017, 11:47:40 AM »
Jelco arrived yesterday and in process of installing it. I should be listening to the table this weekend. I'm going to be selling this down the road....most likely sooner, than later. I have it posted over at Audioasylum and usaudiomart. At this price it is not an impulse buy for most, so it will give me sometime to tweak it out. If I have it for more than a few weeks I will most likely have a dust cover fabricated for it.

Here is my add text, which gives you the run down on everything.

Just finishing up this project. This is a totally, taken to the max Thorens TD 150. The Chassis has been damped, a custom cherry plinth hand crafted, carbon fiber top plate, arm board and carbon applied elsewhere to the chassis. It has a NOS Adcom cartridge. New Jelco 370 arm installed. It also has a ProJect carbon fiber head shell and custom tone arm cable. It uses a 3 spiked cone system for with carbon fiber pads for platform interface. It uses a brand new Origin Live DC100 motor and Advanced controller. The speed is spot on and very, very stable. It also comes with the record weight and has had the suspension set up for its use.


I'll give listening reports as I put the final touches on the table, meanwhile this is how the final project looks, sans dustcover.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2017, 02:00:42 PM by raymonda »

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #15 on: February 17, 2017, 10:37:40 PM »
I have an ad hoc wiring of the tonearm while I'm waiting for some small bits to do it right. Testing everything out with Dire Straits BIA. Through headphones things sound pretty good so far.  The Adcom was a real bargain in its day and seems to boogie pretty well with the Jelco right out of the box.

I'll give this table a whirl through the weekend to really get a sense of what it does and doesn't do.

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #16 on: February 22, 2017, 12:09:04 AM »
I've run the Adcom into my Acoustech ph1p and straight into my AI M3a. In comparison to the Benz MO.90 it is a little less refined and not as wide soundstage but there are way too many variables; different table and arm. What I can say is that this is a very nice sounding combination; modded TD 150, Jelco and Adcom and will makes someone really happy.

However, because I really love Denon's DL103, but didn't have one, I bought one and just finished modding it. It has been relieved of its body and is now naked with a 3mm carbon top plate. It has also been potted and after the epoxy dries, it will be mounted on the Jelco and given a spin for a few days. This should be the cat's meow, as the arm is a perfect match for the 103.

I also ordered a dust cover for the table. It will take a few week to get but should finish out the project. So far, I'm really happy with the results and look forward to running it through, to see what it is capable of.

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #17 on: February 25, 2017, 09:34:50 AM »
I've been tweaking the table and it is almost there. I've been really impressed with the Jelco 370 arm. It is a really great tracker and has worked with the cartridges I thrown at it. It lets the true timbre of the cartridge come through, whether that is colored or neutral. I have no problem recommending this arm for any table and is a flat out value beyond its cost. However, I must note that I am running a Project carbon fiber headshell with it, which, i believe, elevates the arm a notch or two.

I've been really happy with how well this system works with my AI M3A's phono section. It is clean, dynamic and fast and without etchings. When I switch over to my Acoutech it's , " wow" ! A few more weeks of listening and tweaking then I will aggressively be selling it, err maybe? When I think about it I could get much more for my TD 850 and not loose much, or anything, sound wise. Now that says a lot.

Building and tweaking is sure a lot of fun.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2017, 09:16:37 AM by raymonda »

Offline Fried Chicken Boy

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #18 on: March 01, 2017, 12:56:21 AM »
Very nice, raymonda!

Offline raymonda

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Re: New Build Super Duper Thorens TD 150 Teaser
« Reply #19 on: March 01, 2017, 09:33:04 AM »
I've just installed the Cardas cartridge tags. These are really nice tags to work with. They are nice and flexible, with lots of wire to loop and little stress. They are also better than the tags that came with the ProJect headshell and should perform on a higher plane.

The table is fully set up now and has been maximized for use with a record weight. It can also run with an outer rim weight or sans everything. The dust cover should be to me in 10 days or so and will finish the project. At that time I'll post final shots.

Anyone in the Ithaca area interested in checking out the table should contact me and we can take her out for a spin.

 

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