Mister Pig
Pigamus Maximus
As some might know, my current table is a Galibier Serac with a 12" Pete Riggle String Theory arm and ZYX 4D cartridge.
This summer I came into possession a Thorens TD124 table with an ESL arm. The Thorens needed a general cleaning, a lube job, and new belt. In the process it got a new arm board and ADC LF2 arm. With back to school and the last summer vacation putting a hurt on the summer finances, I was fortunate enough to be loaned a Digitrac 200NE, which happened to be one of the cool bargains scored on by the frugal vinyl-o-phile.
The Thorens has a small issue or two to take care of still. The major one being a slight warp in the upper aluminium platter. These thoughts I am putting down are not meant to be all encompassing, or definitive to any degree. This is just my initial observations, which are certainly subject to change. Nor is this meant to be any kind of declaration of value between these two tables, although I can make some inferences...even at this point.
The Serac is the better sounding table at this point. The sound is expansive and wonderfully detailed and layered. The presentation of dynamics is effortless, and it brings about all the good attributes of vinyl. This table has brought me contentment and bliss from the day I put this final combination together. The ZYX cartridges are remarkable, and I appreciate mine every time I get to listen to it. From my perspective, the ZYX cartridges are competitive with anything at its price point, whether it is a Shelter, Koetsu, Lyra, Vandenhull, or many other cartridges. Is it perfect? Probably not, but whatever it does wrong I sure don't notice it.
Now the Serac has every advantage over the Thorens. It certainly costs more, has a more sophisticated arm, a well respected cartridge, and the some formidable technology in terms of the latest analog manufacturing trends.
Yet the Thorens does an excellent job of playing vinyl in its own right. Actually there are many aspects of presentation that is shared between the two tables. There is an easy flow to the music, yet an immediacy that is only contained in the better tables I have encountered. This is something that tends to fall in line with the Linn philosophy, where the table sets the foundational structure for the music, and allows the arm and cartridge to reach their full potential. This is something that a Technics SP25 in a 3" birch plinth could not do, even with the Riggle arm and ZYX installed on it. This is with a plinth that more than likely had 10 times the mass as the Thorens. However, the body of the Thorens drive unit has significantly more mass than the SP25.
The ADC arm has a far more unassuming, and lacks all the cool techie fittings the String Theory arm has. No uni-pivot bearing, no dampeming cup, or on the fly azimuth adjustment. It is fitted with a no frills cartridge with elliptical stylus, and a P Mount adaptor, Yet it gets so much of the music right. Yes it lacks the fine detail, and the harmonic texture of the music that the expensive rig gets right, Yet if has nice tonal balance, is fairly focused, and does a decent job presenting space. With vinyl in good condition the Digitrac is quiet, however surface noise does get higher than the ZYX with worn vinyl. Actually both the ADX and the Digitrac came from good folks here on AK, and in many respects this table project is representative of what this site members consider to be worthy components.
What I really wonder is how good can this table be with a higher quality cartridge. There are issues with MC cartridges and the iron platter, there is a real danger of destroying a MC cartridge on this table. Also the low mass of this arm means that only a few MC cartridges that happen to be fairly compliant can be used on this arm. But I wonder what could happen if I were to find one of the well regarded Grace FL 9 series of cartridges, or placed a Soundsmith upgraded Grado wood body, or maybe even a Soundsmith cartridge itself. From everything I hear now, I am curious to know what the ceiling of this table is with an upper tier cartridge. Could it approach the performance of my main table at 1/5th the cost...maybe even less?
Restored versions of the TD124 can easily fetch over $1K on the open market, especially depending on what arm they are fitted with. From what I hear, this is not an unreasonable price for what you get. While I have not lived with an older VPI or SOTA, and its been years since I had a Well Tempered in the house......I have a sneaking suspicion that this 124 could give any of them a run for their money. From what I can see, these tables are worth investing time and money into. I think you can get quality vinyl playback from them, and while not dirt cheap, at a price that can be pretty darn reasonable.
Regards
Mister Pig
This summer I came into possession a Thorens TD124 table with an ESL arm. The Thorens needed a general cleaning, a lube job, and new belt. In the process it got a new arm board and ADC LF2 arm. With back to school and the last summer vacation putting a hurt on the summer finances, I was fortunate enough to be loaned a Digitrac 200NE, which happened to be one of the cool bargains scored on by the frugal vinyl-o-phile.
The Thorens has a small issue or two to take care of still. The major one being a slight warp in the upper aluminium platter. These thoughts I am putting down are not meant to be all encompassing, or definitive to any degree. This is just my initial observations, which are certainly subject to change. Nor is this meant to be any kind of declaration of value between these two tables, although I can make some inferences...even at this point.
The Serac is the better sounding table at this point. The sound is expansive and wonderfully detailed and layered. The presentation of dynamics is effortless, and it brings about all the good attributes of vinyl. This table has brought me contentment and bliss from the day I put this final combination together. The ZYX cartridges are remarkable, and I appreciate mine every time I get to listen to it. From my perspective, the ZYX cartridges are competitive with anything at its price point, whether it is a Shelter, Koetsu, Lyra, Vandenhull, or many other cartridges. Is it perfect? Probably not, but whatever it does wrong I sure don't notice it.
Now the Serac has every advantage over the Thorens. It certainly costs more, has a more sophisticated arm, a well respected cartridge, and the some formidable technology in terms of the latest analog manufacturing trends.
Yet the Thorens does an excellent job of playing vinyl in its own right. Actually there are many aspects of presentation that is shared between the two tables. There is an easy flow to the music, yet an immediacy that is only contained in the better tables I have encountered. This is something that tends to fall in line with the Linn philosophy, where the table sets the foundational structure for the music, and allows the arm and cartridge to reach their full potential. This is something that a Technics SP25 in a 3" birch plinth could not do, even with the Riggle arm and ZYX installed on it. This is with a plinth that more than likely had 10 times the mass as the Thorens. However, the body of the Thorens drive unit has significantly more mass than the SP25.
The ADC arm has a far more unassuming, and lacks all the cool techie fittings the String Theory arm has. No uni-pivot bearing, no dampeming cup, or on the fly azimuth adjustment. It is fitted with a no frills cartridge with elliptical stylus, and a P Mount adaptor, Yet it gets so much of the music right. Yes it lacks the fine detail, and the harmonic texture of the music that the expensive rig gets right, Yet if has nice tonal balance, is fairly focused, and does a decent job presenting space. With vinyl in good condition the Digitrac is quiet, however surface noise does get higher than the ZYX with worn vinyl. Actually both the ADX and the Digitrac came from good folks here on AK, and in many respects this table project is representative of what this site members consider to be worthy components.
What I really wonder is how good can this table be with a higher quality cartridge. There are issues with MC cartridges and the iron platter, there is a real danger of destroying a MC cartridge on this table. Also the low mass of this arm means that only a few MC cartridges that happen to be fairly compliant can be used on this arm. But I wonder what could happen if I were to find one of the well regarded Grace FL 9 series of cartridges, or placed a Soundsmith upgraded Grado wood body, or maybe even a Soundsmith cartridge itself. From everything I hear now, I am curious to know what the ceiling of this table is with an upper tier cartridge. Could it approach the performance of my main table at 1/5th the cost...maybe even less?
Restored versions of the TD124 can easily fetch over $1K on the open market, especially depending on what arm they are fitted with. From what I hear, this is not an unreasonable price for what you get. While I have not lived with an older VPI or SOTA, and its been years since I had a Well Tempered in the house......I have a sneaking suspicion that this 124 could give any of them a run for their money. From what I can see, these tables are worth investing time and money into. I think you can get quality vinyl playback from them, and while not dirt cheap, at a price that can be pretty darn reasonable.
Regards
Mister Pig
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401's aren't going to get any cheaper. 
