Thorens TD 145 MK2
The Thorens TD 145 MK2 is derived from the Thorens TD 160 but expanded with an automatic stop and arm lift.
History of the Thorens TD 160 in a nutshell
After Thorens made a name for itself in the pro audio world with their TD124 and the Thorens 124 gained worldwide fame and was used in respected recording studios and radio stations, the Swiss company Thorens came up with their first belt-driven turntable, the Thorens TD 150, which was intended for the consumer market. This Thorens TD150 was quickly followed by its bigger brother, the Thorens TD 160.
By the way, there was/is nothing wrong with the Thorens TD 150. Without much imagination you can see that the very popular Linn Sondek LP12 is a direct derivative of this Thorens TD 150. This Linn Sondek turntable is still in production.
r in the 70s, quite a few good record players were made of the previous century. It couldn't be otherwise, because it was the golden age of the LP. The compact disc was only introduced in 1983. The great thing is that the digital disc has never been able to oust the black vinyl record. In fact, the LP will easily outlive the now almost dead compact disc. Even next to the now mature streaming audio, the record player can simply continue to exist.
In addition to the Thorens TD160 series discussed here, the idler wheel driven Lenco L75 was a formidable competitor. Dual also had a strong asset in its hands with the also idler wheel driven 1229 and its successor, the direct drive Dual 701. Unfortunately, the purchase price of these two Dual players was a lot higher at the time and not for the average Joe.
That was different for the Thorens TD160. This relatively affordable turntable became very popular within a short time due to its good price/quality ratio. When the popularity of belt-driven turntables increased in the mid-70s and everyone suddenly had to have a Japanese belt or direct drive player, the idler wheel driven Lenco L75 quickly disappeared into the background. A development that benefited the sales of Thorens turntables. Various upgrades of the first TD160 followed in time. These upgrades were mainly cosmetic.
The biggest change was the adjustment of the arm with 'cake scoop' into an arm that could be quickly dismantled by means of a swivel. The headshell also underwent a major metamorphosis. Incidentally, the arm with the so-called cake scoop is the most popular among collectors. But don't let that fool you, I think that the latest version is also capable of great performances. It is often the 'talk' that goes about it, what makes a product popular or not.
In the 1960s and 1970s, a huge number of these turntables were made and sold worldwide. Fortunately, in 2013, many of these classics have been preserved.
