It’s a TD-121 from the early '60s. Little sibling to the TD-124. (It’s a single-speed 33-1/3 RPM, and has a less-complex platter than the TD-124.)
The cool thing about Thorens (and similar) is that they are so perfect for customization. This is the same turntable before I built the plinth.
Here’s my TD-150:
It is such a joy to play a record on these beautiful machines. New turntables are great, and perform brilliantly, but there’s nothing like the soul of a vintage Thorens.
I currently have a Rega RP10 with a Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC ☆ cartridge that I adore. It’s about an $8k setup. I’ll soon be replacing it with a TechDAS Air Force III Premium and a Graham Phantom III tone arm and a My Sonic Lab Signature Platinum Phono Cartridge. The turntable has an air bearing supporting the platter and also offers vacuum hold down for the record. The cartridge alone costs more than my Rega setup. I am expecting to enjoy it a bit more than my beloved Rega.
These days if you want to purchase uncompressed music you find it on vinyl more than any other source including hires digital downloads. It is a fact jack.
I love using Roon to stream my files and from Qobuz. Its so easy. But if I want to hear the best sound from my system nothing beats my Rega setup. For another few weeks at least.
If you have a chance to listen to a turntable on the level of the TechDAS I strongly encourage you to avoid it! Once I heard it I was hooked, lined, and sinkered.
Sadly, there are even better turntables available.
Unfortunately, I can not comment on the files. Have neither means to extract the files from the discs nor a playback mechanism for DSD files.
That’s a fair position. I have quite compartmentalised my categories so I am happy to say that for classical I prefer SACD but never got into it on other genres. It is possible that that is because of the lack of trying. Somehow jazz, prog and alike feel more right from vinyl. Unless it’s ECM jazz where they make great work with the CD releases and vinyl is hard to find in this corner of the planet.
Of course, for each use of universal quantifier it applies that the use is incorrect so we can’t say anything and claim it to be unconditionally true. And I have to admit that some of my best sounding classical music records are ECM New Series CD’s. We are swimming in murky waters here.
This is super interesting. Did you pull the trigger and back it. At the price I am very close to signing up.
I haven’t quite, but will be in a couple of weeks just before it closes on the 30th January.
I’ve spent the time triple researching the company, they are legit and have their own production facility as they claim.
It’s not going to be as good as a Degrittter or something currently on the market with those kinds of specs obviously, the degritter alone uses much more powerful sonic generators, but for the cost, it seems a really good risk to take IMHO.
The price is just so good for early backers, too good to miss!
keep us posted. I’m tempted to do it, and hang on to it as a gift for my son next christmas!
I will, may make a thread about it when it arrives hopefully in July with photos and details.
Even when it is fully released to market, I don’t see them increasing the cost exorbitantly, so I think it will still be very good value.
Cool. Yeah, even a “Show us your record-cleaning machines!” thread might be worth something 
The Fluance RT85 comes with two grounding wires. One between the turntable and the phono preamp. And one between phono preamp and amp. My Hegel does not appear to have a grounding post. How would I solve this?
I’ve read that the RT85 can hum without grounding.
I’ve heard $100 vinyl systems that were more enjoyable to listen to than literal $100,000 digital systems. If you have good analog pressings, a decent 70s Pioneer or Yamaha receiver, and decent turntable there are just certain things you get with analog, even noisy, low quality analog, that are extremely difficult if not impossible with digital.
Interesting. I love that philips table. I believe stock has green backlit buttons. Love that table as my brother had one.
Yes, it was a fun turntable in its day. The GA 212 had the green back lit capacitive switches while the GA 312 had the red led switches. My daughter still has a GA 212 I rebuilt, she keeps it for the cool factor.
Yes. I’m thinking of the 212. I like the green better. 
Any ideas on how to ground a turntable if the amp has no grounding post? I thought with all these vinyl aficionados there would be a known fix 
Make a single ended plug without connecting the pin and use it on any unused input.
If this is a good enough ground, someone with EE knowledge must say.
Unfortunately there are only two RCA inputs. The DAC in one, the turntable in the other.
Can you show me what is that $100 vinyl system so I can save $999,900.
If you use an external phono preamp, that should have a grounding post.
I have had a VPI RCM for about 15 years. However, I backed the unit on kickstarter about a month ago. You cannot beat the price for this type of RCM. The investment is small, so it was worth the risk to me.
