You know how it is, you make an impulse purchase on eBay. I did. It was a tatty old Thorens TD160 deck. It was in a poor state and was only fit for parts, but it was cheap. From memory around £25-30. My intention was to restore it to its former glory. That was ten years ago.
A couple of months ago, I finally retrieved it from the loft and decided to follow through on that rash decision.
As you can see from these pictures, it was in a pretty poor condition but in every ugly duckling...
There’s an ‘Ultimate Sound Quality Enhancement Kit’ for the Thorens TD160 (available on eBay) it looks like a great kit, comprehensive and effective so I thought that was a good place to start. My plan was to pimp the old Thorens, using that kit as a template but to challenge myself to save £270 and to use bits and pieces I had available, could make myself or could source cheaply.
So, what exactly does that kit contain?
1. Silent Base to replace the original hardboard baseboard– they are not too difficult to make, I have done so before from 12mm MDF and they do make a difference.
2. Silicone Platter Mat that provides damping – I have a few alternative platter mats knocking about so have a choice of platter mats. Also, I seen silicone rings used as an alternative, so may go that route.
3. Platter Damping Ring that acts as a peripheral wave trap, absorbing vibrations and resonances in the platter – I’d done this before with another Thorens, and it is an improvement, but I don’t want to see a big black ring. I like the aesthetic of a shiny silver platter, especially against the black faceplate I intend to make. So, I have another solution for that.
4. Tripod Platter Support, basically Three small discs, which sit between the sub and outer platter reducing resonance – I’ve made these before (bits of old drive belts are surprisingly effective for this). The downside is they change the height of the outer platter, so I have an idea for a different way to achieve the dampening effect without changing the platter height. If that doesn’t work there’s always plan b, because I have loads of old drive belts. Also, this may not be necessary if I go with 2 the silicone platter rings.
5. The Revolution Disc & Spindle Damping Device with an integral spirit level – good thing to have a record puck, I have a few so no need for another and I have another idea for the spirit level.
6. Twin Motor Vibration Absorbers that fit around the motor casing to reduce vibration – I think there’s an easy cheap way to do this with something I already have and if that doesn’t work it’ll be easy to source a silicone band of the right diameter.
7. Bearing Damping Rings (BDR). Supplied as a pair, these fit around the main bearing housing – not sure if I’ll do this but can always source a 15mm diameter silicone ring if I change my mind.
8. Main Bearing Spindle Support Pad to reduce main bearing noise – don’t think I need this I feel that the bearing should sit on a pool of turntable oil.
9. Ultimate Turntable Bearing Oil – as we make our own turntable bearing oil, don’t think that will be a problem.
10. Adjustable Motor Thrust Bearing – this is a good idea, especially if the bearing is a little tired and mine is, so I’ve bought one of these. Not one that uses a ball bearing though as with that style of thrust bearing, getting it centred is critical so I’m using one that’s flat.
So, that’s what you get in the all singing, all dancing Enhancement Kit that guarantees a sonic upgrade to your Thorens. Apart from the above I’m doing a few other things to make this the best Thorens TD160 it can be.
1. Cover the chassis and sub-chassis with a noise and vibration reducing foam.
2. Change the old Thorens springs for a set of Linn Sondek springs.
3. Swap out the TP16 tonearm and replace it with an SME 3009 mkII. I’ll add an aftermarket oil damping kit to the tonearm. I’ve done this to all my SME 3009’s and it turns a very good tonearm into a more nuanced, detailed tonearm with an extended soundstage. Well worth the £22 or so cost and probably the best pound for pound upgrade you can make to the SME 3009. The other benefit is that the oil dampens the stylus onto the vinyl making for stress free cuing - it's woth doing just for that!
4. Coat the inside of the plinth with a noise and vibration reducing spray. Not sure if this’ll make any difference but it can’t harm. It’ll also help with the black asthetic where the plinth meets the faceplate.
5. Re veneer the rather tatty plinth. I bought some iron on wood veneer for this years ago, I’m hoping it’ll still work.
6. Repurpose the old TD 160 faceplate and turn it into a version of the TD166 B faceplate. This is because the SME 3009 Series 2 Improved tonearm doesn’t need the holes for the cuing device or the tonearm holder.
7. Add adjustable turntable feet to the baseboard.
8. Polish the rather battered old plastic lid and add some hinges as one was broken.
That's enough to be getting on with for now! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be putting all of that into practice and sharing the experience in these blog posts. Well, that’s the plan, the first of those will be to restore the Thorens TD 160 plinth.
Until then enjoy your vinyl.
Other blogs in this series.
Refurbishing a Thorens TD160 – An impulse Purchase
Refurbishing a Thorens TD160 – Veneering the Plinth
Refurbishing a Thorens TD160 – Soundproofing the Chassis
Refurbishing a Thorens TD160 – Soundproofing the Platter and Sub-platter
Refurbishing a Thorens TD160 – Repurposing the faceplate
Refurbishing a Thorens TD160 - The Finished Turntable