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Thorens TD 204 – For music lovers with claim

According to Thorens GmbH, the new Thorens TD 204 is a turntable that has all the features of a record player that are relevant for impeccable sound, but is offered at a particularly attractive price-performance ratio.

German company Thorens GmbH presents its latest turntable, the Thorens TD 204, a product that it says is aimed at music lovers with aspirations. Thus, the company from Bergisch Gladbach states that the new Thorens TD 204 is a solution aimed at audiophile beginners, with features of a high-end drive, and at an exceptionally attractive price-performance ratio. The Thorens TD 204 is thus also a solution with sonic expansion potential for the up-and-comer.

Thorens TD 204 – Drive with a downright purist design.

It is a record player, which is to be operated manually and comes up with a belt drive. The focus is on the essentials in order to be able to offer optimal solutions for the budget in the areas that are really relevant for the sound.

The manufacturer itself therefore also speaks of a deliberately purist drive, where the customer finds everything, however, to be able to use it immediately without further investment.

Classic design from Thorens

In principle, the new Thorens TD 204 already looks very familiar at first glance, is clearly recognizable as a solution from the house of Thorens GmbH. Thus, the company states that the drive with dimensions of 420 x 145 x 360 mm and a mass of 4.2 kg relies on a frame, which is designed with surface finishes in black high gloss as well as walnut high gloss and thus fits seamlessly into the existing range in terms of design. In addition, the high quality of workmanship underlines the brand identity of Thorens GmbH and guarantees a long service life. The turntable rests naturally on four damped feet.

Thorens TD 204 – Manual turntable with belt drive and integrated phono preamplifier

As already described, the new Thorens TD 204 is a manual turntable with belt drive. The DC motor with electronic speed control integrated into the chassis drives the platter via a sub-platter by means of a precision-ground belt, whereby the motor is arranged in such a way that it disappears under the platter during operation.

The platter including sub-platter is made of die-cast aluminum, with a rubber mat serving as a support for operation. The speed can be selected between 33 1/3 and 45 revolutions by means of a rotary switch.

It must be emphasized that the new Thorens TD 204 already has an integrated phono preamplifier ex works, which the user can activate if desired in order to connect the turntable directly to a high-level input of an amplifier. This is designed for MM cartridge systems. The corresponding switch can be found on the connection panel on the back, which of course also features high-quality RCA jacks.

  • Foto © Thorens GmbH | Thorens TD 204 Turntable
  • Foto © Thorens GmbH | Thorens TD 204 Turntable
  • Foto © Thorens GmbH | Thorens TD 204 Turntable
  • Foto © Thorens GmbH | Thorens TD 204 Turntable

Thorens TP 120 tonearm

The new Thorens TD 204 is equipped with an also newly developed tonearm, namely the Thorens TP 120 tonearm. This should, of it the manufacturer is convinced, with particularly high-quality bearing technology can come up. One could bring the bearing clearance and the friction coefficients by the employment of modern bearings on an amazingly low level, which is not usual in the price range of the Thorens TD 204, so Thorens GmbH. The Thorens TP 120 used on the Thorens TD 204 is a 9-inch aluminum tonearm, they said, relying on the so-called J-shape in the design of the tonearm tube. The manufacturer states the effective tonearm mass to be around 15 g, and skating compensation is provided by a spring.

The tonearm features a removable headshell with SME connector, so that in principle you can quickly change the cartridge in the simplest way.

Audio-Technica AT95E MM cartridge

However, the new Thorens TD 204 is already equipped with a pickup system ex works, namely one from the specialist Audio-Technica Ltd. So you can find the Audio-Technica AT95E MM pickup system on the tonearm, which can certainly do a good job especially in the entry-level range.

Foto © Thorens GmbH | Thorens TD 204 Turntable
Foto © Thorens GmbH | Thorens TD 204 Turntable

Prices and availability

According to Thorens GmbH, the new Thorens TD 204 is scheduled to hit the market later this year. In specialized trade this new drive is available for the recommended retail price of € 799, -. The scope of delivery includes a matching dust cover, of course.

Getting to the point

The new Thorens TD 204 is a turntable that is basically aimed at price-sensitive, but very demanding music lovers. To users who are looking for a turntable that can be used immediately, and that is equipped in such a way that it allows future upgrades. A record player that, according to Thorens GmbH, is aimed at music lovers with high standards.

PRODUCTTHORENS TD 204 TURNTABLE
Price€ 799,-
BrandTHORENS
ManufacturerThorens GmbH
DistributionThorens GmbH
More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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