Foto © Thorens GmbH | Thorens TP 160 9 inch J-Shape cutting bearing tonearm

Thorens TP 160 9 inch J-Shape cutting bearing tonearm – Now also available separately

Designed as a 9-inch tonearm with cutter bearing and equipped for a wide variety of pickup systems, the Thorens TP 160 was previously only available as a complement to the Thorens TD 1600, but is now also offered separately by Thorens GmbH.

Michael Holzinger 7 May 2024Last Updated: 10 May 2024

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Initially it was only available with the Thorens TD 1600, but now the Thorens TP 160 tonearm can also be purchased separately.

The German analogue specialist Thorens GmbH describes the Thorens TP 160 as a tonearm with a cutting bearing in the top class, which was presented for the first time in combination with the Thorens TD 1600 turntable and is intended to combine classic design with innovative technology, as the manufacturer puts it, who also speaks of uncompromising manufacturing quality and an astonishingly fair price.

Now the Thorens TP 160 will not only be available in combination with the aforementioned Thorens TD 1600 turntable, but also individually, as Thorens GmbH announces.

Redesigned by Helmut Thiele

According to the manufacturer, the Thorens TP 160 is a new 9-inch medium-weight tonearm designed by Helmut Thiele. It is aimed at users who are looking for a tonearm for high-quality MC cartridge systems, with the Thorens TP 160 being equipped with a corresponding headshell ex works.

However, as the Thorens TP 160 also has an SME bayonet, this tonearm is also suitable for use with cartridge systems such as the Ortofon SPU Series from the Danish specialist Ortofon A/S.

Always optimally adjusted

Regardless of which cartridge system is used with the Thorens TP 160, the perfect overhang can always be set via the axial adjustment of the tonearm tube.

According to the manufacturer, the VTA of the Thorens TP 160 is adjusted via a fine thread on the tonearm base, which allows for particularly precise adjustment. The skating force is compensated by a closed, calibrated, infinitely adjustable spring mechanism. The headshell of the Thorens TP 160 can be rotated and locked to correct the azimuth if necessary. Finally, according to Thorens GmbH, the tracking force is traditionally generated with static balance. Thanks to its two-part counterweight, the arm copes equally well with heavy and light pickups and headshells, as Thorens GmbH explicitly states.

A reminiscence of legendary studio arms

According to Thorens GmbH, the Thorens TP 160 has a powerful, clear shape that is reminiscent of the legendary studio arms and looks impressive on both old and new turntables.

For horizontal movement, the arm is fitted with particularly high-quality Japanese ball bearings, which have been adjusted for perfect smooth running and freedom from play. Vertically, the tonearm tube moves in a completely newly developed cutter bearing,

“Even the historical models of various tonearms with cartridge bearings brought a new quality to the tracking behaviour of the finest cartridges with their typical, extremely fine response behaviour and freedom from stick-slip effects. But they also had weaknesses, which we have systematically and specifically eliminated with the TP 160.”
Gunter Kürten, CEO of Thorens GmbH

Prices and availability

The Thorens TP 160 will be presented for the first time at the High-end 2024 as a separately available product, but will also be available immediately from specialist retailers, according to the German company Thorens GmbH. The recommended retail price is listed at € 1.899,-.

Getting to the point

When Thorens GmbH first presented the Thorens TP 160 tonearm on the Thorens TD 1600 turntable, the company was immediately confronted with customer requests to offer this tonearm separately. This is exactly what Thorens GmbH can now offer: the Thorens TP 160 is now available as a stand-alone product, whereby Thorens GmbH speaks of a solution that offers classic design with innovative technology and uncompromising manufacturing quality at a fair price.