Hi there...I am new to the forum...and I am sure this ground has been covered before, so I thank you in advance for your indulgences...

I am helping my friend upgrade his decidely lo-fi system...the man has close to 10,000 records that he has accumulated over the years, but he listens to them on a system that does not do them justice...as of now, I have upgraded the cartridge (A-T AT440ML), his amp (a NAD 7130) and a low-end phono stage (a used Parasound ZPhono)...now thinking about what can be done with his TT...he has a 20-year old (plus/minus) Technics DD TT...the man has NO budget, so anything above the range I mentioned above ain't happening. As of now, I have come up with - in his price range - a used Pro-ject 1.2 or Thorens 125/150/160...are there any other decent used TT's out there in regular circulation (the kind of thing that will pop up on Craig's List, for example...I doubt that I'm gonna find anything at Audiogon in his price range) that I should keep my eye out for...or is he better off just getting a nice mat for his Technics?

Thanks...

What model Technics is it? Some of them are pretty darn good...

If you can find one of those Thorens you mentioned in his price range go for it. Mine is a td125II, with a modified Thorens arm. the sound is incredibly good, and as an added bonus, it's almost immune to bass feedback. If your friend's collection includes a lot of rock, he may appreciate that.

John

I just refurbed a Technics SL-D3 for someone. It was a respectable TT.

Hi there...I am new to the forum...and I am sure this ground has been covered before, so I thank you in advance for your indulgences...

I am helping my friend upgrade his decidely lo-fi system...the man has close to 10,000 records that he has accumulated over the years, but he listens to them on a system that does not do them justice...as of now, I have upgraded the cartridge (A-T AT440ML), his amp (a NAD 7130) and a low-end phono stage (a used Parasound ZPhono)...now thinking about what can be done with his TT...he has a 20-year old (plus/minus) Technics DD TT...the man has NO budget, so anything above the range I mentioned above ain't happening. As of now, I have come up with - in his price range - a used Pro-ject 1.2 or Thorens 125/150/160...are there any other decent used TT's out there in regular circulation (the kind of thing that will pop up on Craig's List, for example...I doubt that I'm gonna find anything at Audiogon in his price range) that I should keep my eye out for...or is he better off just getting a nice mat for his Technics?

Thanks...

Yes, let us know the Tecnics model number. I like the Pro-ject 1.2. That turntable is a bargain. I like all those Thorens but I don't think you'll find a Thorens 125 in that price range, even without and arm. That is one of my favorite under $500 turntables. If the guy wants something with a bit of automation, the Thorens TD145 shuts off at the end of the record and it can usually be had for $150 or less. I like it as much as the 160.

You'd have to get very lucky indeed to get hold of a TD-125 for less than $150 but you might come up with a 145/150/160 in that range with just a little bit of luck. Any of those would be a very nice table and a substantial upgrade over most of the low end Technics.

Thanks all for your input...will forward the Technics model number as soon as I get it...not knowing the Thorens line like many of you do, I did not know that the pricing of the 125 is higher than the others...actually, I frequently see 145's in his strike zone, but (in lurking around the forum for a while before joining), I was under the impression that the 145's (or the 165/166's) were not on the same level as, say, the 150/160's.

Am I wrong on that? Are the 145/165/166 flavor still a nice turntable...and a decent upgrade over what I am expecting to be a pretty low-to-mid-end, mass market Technics DD TT?

Thanks in advance for your feedback...

Thanks all for your input...will forward the Technics model number as soon as I get it...not knowing the Thorens line like many of you do, I did not know that the pricing of the 125 is higher than the others...actually, I frequently see 145's in his strike zone, but (in lurking around the forum for a while before joining), I was under the impression that the 145's (or the 165/166's) were not on the same level as, say, the 150/160's.

Am I wrong on that? Are the 145/165/166 flavor still a nice turntable...and a decent upgrade over what I am expecting to be a pretty low-to-mid-end, mass market Technics DD TT?

Thanks in advance for your feedback...

I like the 145. To me it is pretty much a 160 with the shut off feature. Others might disagree, I don't know. My 145 has the same motor, same bearing, same aluminum inner and outer platter, same arm, same plinth, and same dust cover as my 160's. Both of them are very prone to footfall though so if your buddy has bouncy floors you'd have to wall mount them or forget them.

I think what people don't like about the 165 (and maybe 166 but I'm not sure) is that it has a composite inner platter. They also has slightly different arms than the 160 and 145.