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Limited Edition
The TD 124 "drive platter", also known as the "main platter" or "sub-platter", is an essential element in the Thorens design concept. Thorens chose cast iron for the TD 124 series due to its outstanding properties: high density and damping capacity, great rigidity and extraordinary dimensional stability. These structural advantages, so important to the Thorens sound, involved one major disadvantage: the platter is magnetic.
This is limiting the choice of cartridge. Heavy cartridges with strong magnets – like the Ortofon SPU – were drawn to the platter by magnetic attraction, sometimes to the point of damaging the cartridge. Tracking force across the platter, and accurate anti-skate was impossible to achieve. To address the problem, Thorens engineers in Sainte-Croix experimented extensively with alternative platter materials. Each of these experiments resulted in a platter which was either prohibitively expensive or sonically inferior to the original formulation. In the mid-60's, for example, Thorens offered on special order a non-magnetic replacement main platter manufactured from pressed aluminum. The platter was produced by Inca, the Swiss foundry that also produced the TD 124 chassis. In addition to the excessively reduced weight (2.8 kg), the platter brought with it distinct sonic disadvantages, namely high-frequency ringing! For this reason the platter was never offered as a standard component in the TD 124 series.
In the early 1960s Thorens developped a bronze and a brass platter. About 10 pieces were made. But they found out that it was way much to expensive to produce. That’s why these platters weren’t released.
We own one of the bronze prototypes. After listening to it we decided to produce it. Because it is simply the best sounding platter for the Thorens TD 124.
Today, however, we can offer a Swissmade non-magnetic bronze replacement platter weighing 4.5 kg - nearly the same weight as the original – which surpasses the original in all respects.
Our replacement bronze platter is made in a foundery, then sledge hammered to remove all left over air bubbles. And finally cut down by precision machining to the final size. And finishing with a reproduction of the original strobe markings for 50 and 60 Hz all speeds.
The original aluminium upper platter will fit this main platter. Sometimes the speed break has to be adjusted.
magnetic replacement platter for the Thorens TD 124 Series I and II meshes effortlessly with the original Thorens concept, while offering the advantages of:
- no magnetic influence on cartridge coils or magnets
- exact, reliable anti-skating adjustment now possible
- lower noise floor and radically enhanced dynamics
- greater overall tonal balance and coherence
- extended frequency response
- tighter bass
- no restrictions on cartridge selection
- best possible sound
Price: CHF 1990.--
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