Hello everybody,
10 years ago, I bought a second-hand Thorens TD-160.
It is equipped with the tonearm of a TD-165 (TP11). I swapped the original cartridge for an Ortofon 2M (which I mounted from above, whereas the original cartridge was mounted from below). However, I can't get it aligned perfectly, so I hear a lot of distortion when spinning records.
Cables are all original so old. Switching from 33 tot 45 rpm doesn't work any more, only works when I manually put the belt into place.
I want to improve the sound quality of my vinyl, so now I am in doubt: do I put my money in restoring the old Thorens (have it aligned, RCA connectors, new housing, new power cables...) or do I just invest in a decent, fit-and-forget turntable like the Audio-Technica AT-LP7 or the Rega Planar 3?
Current set-up is a Pioneer VSX-521 receiver paired with a TC-750 phone preamp and Klipsch RF-52 floorstanding speakers.
I don't think the TC-750 is a high quality preamp, although it does a decent job.
As the Audio-Technica has a built-in preamp (that can be ruled out in case of further upgrades), this one looks appealing to me.
However, I can't find it in Europe, whereas the Rega is widely available here.
I am also planning in investing in new speakers (higher quality bookshelf speakers in stead of the current floorstanders) and maybe in a dedicated stereo receiver.
What would be your choice?
10 years ago, I bought a second-hand Thorens TD-160.
It is equipped with the tonearm of a TD-165 (TP11). I swapped the original cartridge for an Ortofon 2M (which I mounted from above, whereas the original cartridge was mounted from below). However, I can't get it aligned perfectly, so I hear a lot of distortion when spinning records.
Cables are all original so old. Switching from 33 tot 45 rpm doesn't work any more, only works when I manually put the belt into place.
I want to improve the sound quality of my vinyl, so now I am in doubt: do I put my money in restoring the old Thorens (have it aligned, RCA connectors, new housing, new power cables...) or do I just invest in a decent, fit-and-forget turntable like the Audio-Technica AT-LP7 or the Rega Planar 3?
Current set-up is a Pioneer VSX-521 receiver paired with a TC-750 phone preamp and Klipsch RF-52 floorstanding speakers.
I don't think the TC-750 is a high quality preamp, although it does a decent job.
As the Audio-Technica has a built-in preamp (that can be ruled out in case of further upgrades), this one looks appealing to me.
However, I can't find it in Europe, whereas the Rega is widely available here.
I am also planning in investing in new speakers (higher quality bookshelf speakers in stead of the current floorstanders) and maybe in a dedicated stereo receiver.
What would be your choice?