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I am sure this is what Trompie was really thinking. Sometimes I wonder myself. First things first though:
The Thorens Reference turntable:
I am putting this here as much to give information as ask for information. The story goes that in the late 70s Thorens distributors from around the world toured the factory. They spotted a curious monster there. It was developed as a research tool for Thorens and not intended as a product. So much hooh hah was kicked up that Thorens eventually agreed to a limited production run of 100 pieces in 1979-1980. Allocation would be per distributor per market share in individual countries. We always had it that 2 came to South Africa but I now have reason to suspect the presence of a 3d.
One of these belong to me (number 90 something) and another ( number 20 something) to my good friend that goes by the name of Genesis here. Of mine the two of us know nothing but the other,in a glorious grey Nextel type finish was brought in for the then distributor for his own use. These tables turned out to be so expensive that the distributor quickly sold his on to Bloemfontein dealer S Saunders & Sons where, used with the equally exotic Breuer arm, it was used by the dealer in his personal system. Ask Marius Saunders what it cost and his reply varies from "Baie duur" to " Moer duur". These are the 2:
I'll never ever forget the first time I heard one. Genesis is a Linn expert and had a fully laden Linn setup. To say the freshly installed ,not yet optimised, Thorens vanquished the Linn would be a gross understatement. I had glamorous ideas of a final turntable after my Goldmund,Michell Orbe etc . The day Andy Stuart offered me his Ref was the day I lost all interest in any other table,regardless of cost.
So what is it? Weighing in at 90kg,a large cast chassis carries a cast subchassis through four suspension towers featuring a system of blade and conical springs. By adjusting the resonant frequency of these the sound of the table can be varied from tight and almost over damped to loose and billowing. It is imperative to get this right for the chosen arm,room and system. The subchassis has compartments filled with iron filings for damping. Bearing is enormous but appears fairly Thorensy. Drive is by belt around the circumference of the platter. Motor is a 3 phase design ,custom built by Berger in Lahr. It runs of three electronically generated sine waves managed by an enormous brain ,suspended below the table.Coupling to the belt by an ingenious clutch system. At the time Thorens claimed the lowest rumble and wow and flutter figures by any turntable ,well below the measuring ability of their equipment.Platter is a composite of metal and heavy duty armour proof plywood (Panzerholz)
Arm mounting is through a system of pods ,allowing the the table to carry up to three arms. These pods also feature cavities to be filled with iron filings to varying depths. Owners can knock themselves out battling to find just the right amount. Armboards,as per Thorens habit , are of a soft composite wood. Thinking we have learned much in the interim , I have tried all sorts of fancy stuff only to find,as my system got more refined, that a soft wood is best. I currently favour white ash but next week,who knows?
Three arms,really!
Well it is all about flavour really. Post my love/hate relationship with the fantastic but oh so quirky Goldmund arm ,I fell into a deep black hole. It was called the SME V. Superb engineering in an arm that had no character,or so I believed. So much that I got rid of some of the most wonderful arms ever: FR,Breuer, Souther, Goldmund. It took me a decade to realise how that series V was killing my system and my music.
There is no perfect arm,they are TONE arms,each has a taste,each a flavour. Just as no wine can complement all dishes,no tonearm/cartridge can complement all music. It is not the type of music but that specific production.
IMG_0149 by jdza, on FlickrJust after taking this photo last night I did what I should have done in the first place. The pressing is new to me,so I wanted to hear everything,the detail,precision playing. But this is Ten Years After ,after all, so I changed to the Fidelity Research arm/cart and we were swinging.Thunderous driving bass,Alvin Lee's guitar soaring.,maybe not as clinically precise but foot tapping stonking power. Had I chosen the second Fidelity Research arm with the Koetsu Stonebody ,I may have marvelled at Lee's voice and how that voice had aged but that was not what was needed there and then.
A while ago Ingvar marvelled about the Denon 103 cart. It has a basic honest sound that most love and others hate. I use mine on the FR to understand music I don't "get". Be it Milhaud, Shoenberg, Ornette Coleman or Zappa. The Denon will make it basic enough for my bird brain. Once I get it, I then revert to the Skollie meister for the full HD picture.
The EMT 996 arm carries the Blue Angel Gogga cartridge. It was a one off built for me by Andre Hanekom. It is ultra precise,ultra low distortion that yet in its precision manages to convey and evoke emotion unlike any transducer I ever encountered.
Other cartridges include a high end Grado from long ago,another Fidelity Research (MC202-lovely) and an EMT TSD 25 SFL. Arms in rotation are a Koetsu 1100D (toss up between this and the second FR 64S) ,an EMT 929 and a marvelous Skollie/Grace hybrid that I threaten to fit and one day will. Mono replay is Thorens TD 124 with EMT OFD 25 cart and any of the above arms. SUTs from Air Tight(constant as it has 3 inputs) ,Ortofon,Ortofon, EMT, Nakamiichi etc and phono by Valve Audio Whisper and a custom built all valve monster that sort of rattles one's senses in what can be done in someone's garage. Arm cables ,Audioquest Leopard (EMT997) Cardas Neutral Reference (FR64S) Synergistic Research Tricon (FR64S nr2) Nordost Heimdall (Koetsu 1100) All other cable as always by Genesis.
