TD 170 EV LAB POINTS LAB REVIEW

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1 TD 170 EV LAB POINTS vintage aesthetic Made in Germany fully automatic operation built-in phono pre-amp plays 33/45/78 RPM records easy operation, play records right out of the box - no alignment work required belt drive motor comes with pre-mounted Ortofon OM-10 cartridge LAB REVIEW Thorens TD EV Turntable offers vintage hi-fi looks with great sound and the convenience of fully automatic operation and built-in phono pre-amp. With automatic

2 operation, you never have to worry about leaving the record spinning past the grooves as the needle will automatically return to the arm rest after playing. The built-in phono preamp allows you to connect directly to any line level receiver or powered speakers, while the pre-mounted Ortofon OM-10 cartridge allows you to play records easily right out of the box - no tricky alignment work necessary. An excellent choice for anyone looking for an easy to use, automatic turntable. Plays 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM records. Made in Germany. TECH SPECS Operation: fully automatic Drive System: internal flat drive belt Motor: electronically controlled DC motor Speeds: 33-1/3, 45, 78 rpm Platter: 12" / 0.4 kg (aluminium, non-magnetic) Tonearm: THORENS TP 18 Pick-up Cartridge: OM 10 Anti-skating (Bias): by spring (adjustable) Automatic Shut-off: mechanically Cable Capacitance: 160 pf Power Supply: external mains adaptor ( V / Hz depending on type) Dimensions: 16.5" x 4.92" x 14.1" / 420 x 125 x 360mm Weight: 10.1 lbs. / 4.6 kg

3 Thorens TD-170 EV Turntable Thorens, a well-respected German manufacturer, has responded by launching several new products, including its $650 TD-170 EV turntable. Designed as a simple, plug-and-play option for better a sounding table than the predominantly cheap, plastic products popping up in the bigbox stores, the 170 EV incorporates many user-friendly features and solid build quality. Those features include a built-in moving-magnet (MM) phono preamplifier, Thorens TP-18 tonearm, belt-drive DC motor system and Ortofon OMB-10 phono cartridge. The TD-170 EV offers manual or automatic arm operation and three speeds: 33, 45 and 78.

4 Setup Setting the turntable up took me a couple of hours, mostly due to my limited experience in the category. After inserting the turntable into a system of comparable British products, which included an NAD integrated amp, Wharfedale speakers, Cambridge Audio CD player and QED speaker cables, I put some time on the cartridge to let it break-in. Getting back to the setup, I followed Thorens directions, which included how to set the tonearm s tracking force, the azimuth or the cartridge/stylus and the anti-skating function. Once I got beyond the break-in period, which I estimate was about 60 hours, I pulled out some of my favorite classic rock LPs, including the Doors self-titled debut, Ozzy Osbourne s Diary of a Madman, as well as some Beatles, Sammy Hagar and others.

5 Performance Comparing the sound of the Thorens to my old, capable Kenwood player, I found the Thorens to offer more resolution, a wider soundstage and more bottom-end extension. One aspect that was really noticeable was the organic listening experience of spinning LPs. Records like Michael Jackson s Thriller, which is an immaculately engineered recording, provided a feeling like I was rhythmically in the studio with the bass player and drummer. Listening back and forth between vinyl and CDs showcased to me a missing earthiness that just isn t available with CDs, and the Thorens allowed me to hear this audiophile characteristic. From an installer s perspective, I think the 170 EV provides an affordable, streamlined and almost plug-and-play alternative, or addition, to CD players for clients that want to tap into the vinyl experience. I also think it s a great way for clients to enjoy a higher quality alternative to low resolution digital files, which many consumers use for convenience rather than pure entertainment.