New Thorens TD 403 DD ; Little bit too slow

[freddyonderstal]

Just bought a new Thorens TD 403 DD, direct drive.
Setup was very easy and now I'm playing my first record on it.

The table seems a bit too slow. I compared to streaming the same song on Apple Music (Sweet child of mine). The song on the record, at the end, is about 1 second slow.

Is there kind of a break-in period for the direct drive motor? Will it come up to speed within a short period of time?

 

[abacus]

No.
Vinyl and streaming masters are not the same (Or at least not if it is done right), so this could be the difference, not the turntable.
You will need a strobe disc to check if the turntable is slow, however you can try a few more discs and streaming services before going this route.
If there is a problem then contact the manufacture as there may be an internal adjustment.

Bill

 

[freddyonderstal]

No.
Vinyl and streaming masters are not the same (Or at least not if it is done right), so this could be the difference, not the turntable.
You will need a strobe disc to check if the turntable is slow, however you can try a few more discs and streaming services before going this route.
If there is a problem then contact the manufacture as there may be an internal adjustment.

Bill

Thanks, Bill. I just did a test with the RPM app, put my iPhone 17 Pro on the platter, spin the platter and it was a consistent 33 1/3 RPM. So I think it's ok. Just tried another record of Phil Collins and it seems ok. The Thorens should be fine and the difference (slightly) should be within the vinyl and streaming, like you said.

 

[Al ears]

Thanks, Bill. I just did a test with the RPM app, put my iPhone 17 Pro on the platter, spin the platter and it was a consistent 33 1/3 RPM. So I think it's ok. Just tried another record of Phil Collins and it seems ok. The Thorens should be fine and the difference (slightly) should be within the vinyl and streaming, like you said.

If it shows a constant 33 1/3 it is OK.
Never tried checking it with an app though, always used a strobe disc.

 

[daytona600]

Record player only has to do the one thing rotate @ 33/45
Pitch of instruments will not be correct at wrong speed , also rythmn , pace & timing

Thorens DD are not too bad on Speed/WF compared to belt drives , But miles behind technics Direct Drives

Speed
Thorens TD 403 DD: ±0.33 %
Technics 1200GR ±0.01 %

Wow & flutter
Thorens TD 403 DD: 0.15 % WRMS
Technics: 1200GR 0.025 % WRMS

Technics is roughly 33 times better on Speed accuracy
Technics is roughly 6 times better on W&F
Chinese copy of a Technics motor not even close

Hifi news tested a Technics SL1000R A laboratory test reported:

Speed accuracy: –0.006 % error (essentially perfect 33.33 RPM)
Peak wow: 0.01 %
Peak flutter: 0.01 %
The reviewer noted that the speed accuracy was “beyond the limits of accuracy using any test record”, meaning the measurement is partly limited by the record itself rather than the turntable.

Technics is roughly 250 times better on Speed accuracy
Technics is roughly 33 times better on W&F

 

[freddyonderstal]

Record player only has to do the one thing rotate @ 33/45
Pitch of instruments will not be correct at wrong speed , also rythmn , pace & timing

Thorens DD are not too bad on Speed/WF compared to belt drives , But miles behind technics Direct Drives


Speed
Thorens TD 403 DD: ±0.33 %
Technics 1200GR ±0.01 %

Wow & flutter
Thorens TD 403 DD: 0.15 % WRMS
Technics: 1200GR 0.025 % WRMS

Technics is roughly 33 times better on Speed accuracy
Technics is roughly 6 times better on W&F
Chinese copy of a Technics motor not even close


Hifi news tested a Technics SL1000R A laboratory test reported:

Speed accuracy: –0.006 % error (essentially perfect 33.33 RPM)
Peak wow: 0.01 %
Peak flutter: 0.01 %
The reviewer noted that the speed accuracy was “beyond the limits of accuracy using any test record”, meaning the measurement is partly limited by the record itself rather than the turntable.

Technics is roughly 250 times better on Speed accuracy
Technics is roughly 33 times better on W&F

Thanks. But I don't like the looks of a Technics. I know the technology is the best. I think it was in my mind. Just tested again with the RPM app on my iPhone and again it was a nice steady 33.3 speed. So I think it's ok. I'm just too much OCD when it comes to expensive tech 🙂.

 

[Gray]

...I think it was in my mind.

Could be.
Though I never forget the first (and only) time I heard a Linn Sondek.
It was actually the amp I'd gone to audition, but the TT sounded noticeably slow. Hard to believe its speed could've been as far out as it sounded to me.
I wondered if it had been to do with a different (better) sound 🤔
More likely my own TT had been running slightly fast.

(In a previous job we used accurate measurement to check and adjust tape speeds, but I found my ears to be very good at noticing only slight speed inaccuracies - with music I knew well).