Description

Thorens TD 125 turntables have become very sought after and they command top dollar in the used market. However not all TD 125 turntables are equal, this article should provide you the information you need to purchase with confidence.

The Thorens TD 125 MK I or TD 125 MK II, which one should you purchase? The TD 125 is a turntable that stands the test of time and easily competes or outperforms very costly modern turntables of today. The TD 125 MK I was produced from 1968 through 1975 and the TD 125 MK II was available between 1972 -1975. Weighing in at 32 Lbs. the TD 125 is a solidly built with a beautiful mid-century modern design. The control switches have a satisfying tactile feel. It’s both a pleasure to look at and to operate.

If you have a choice between the two models — choose the one that is in better condition. The TD 125 MK I and MK II are almost identical — and both highly coveted.

This list highlights the most meaningful differences between the TD 125 MK I and MK II:

Bearing: The Thorens TD 125 MK I has a captured ball bearing shaft design versus simple bearing shaft on the MK II.

Tonearms: Both the TD 125 MK I and MK II were offered with SME 3009 tonearms, but the standard Thorens TD 125 MKII was also offered with the Thorens TP 16 tonearm. There was also an option to purchase without a tonearm. (More details on tonearms below)

Control Switches: The TD 125 MKII with TP 16 arm had three operating switches, Speed, Power, and Tonearm lift/lower vs two switches on the SME equipped models (which have no tonearm lift/lower switch) The switches on most MK I models are metal, not plastic, although they look identical, the MK I switches have a more pleasant tactile / weightier feel to them.

Motor: The MKII includes a clutch to improve motor function, for improving start-up speeds — yet both models, with good condition belts, come to speed in the same amount of time.

Electronic speed control board: The MK I is considered a little more complex and difficult to service.

Rubber platter mat: The MK I and MK II each have a unique texture design mat.

Where can you find a vintage Thorens TD 125? What is the market price?

The best online tool for shopping for used HiFi gear, including vintage Thorens turntables is www.hifishark.com. This site aggregates listing from global “audiomarts” and web sites where people sell used goods. It allows you to filter by country and currency, and view items listed for sale, and see what has sold. It’s important to note that sold doesn’t necessarily mean the item sold for asking price — but nevertheless it provides some guidance of what the average selling prices are for your country/region.

Facebook marketplace is also a great source for finding used Thorens turntables. Hifishark does not display Facebook listings.

eBay prices are not indicative of true market value – they are for the most part highly inflated.

What to look for

My assumption is that most readers of this are audio enthusiast, and not experienced turntable technicians, therefore I’m keeping the inspection to the fundamentals. It’s important to note that regardless of what Thorens TD 125 turntable you purchase it will very likely need some level of servicing — from a basic tune-up to more intricate repairs, more on this in the “service section” of the article.

When you’ve found an interesting TD 125 listed, I highly recommend you speak to the current owner to ask some basic questions. A few minutes invested could save you time and money.

• Does it turn on and play?
• When was the last time it was used on a regular basis? (buying a turntable that has sat unused for decades is sometimes problematic)
• Do they have a stereo and records to test it when you arrive? (If not, are they open to you bringing to test the Thorens?)
• Are they the original owner (if the turntable has not been transported too often this generally is good thing)
• Has it been serviced recently, and if so, what repairs were done?
• Is the cartridge/stylus working, and has been changed recently, ever?
• Do they have extra headshells and cartridges?
• How would they rate the physical condition on a scale of 1–10? (scratches, dents, missing parts…)

Inspecting and testing the turntable:

Motor and Bearing: Start with the basics — does it turn on? Not powering up reduces the value by half as you cannot do basic testing. However, if the unit looks clean overall it could be a relatively minor repair, including replacing some capacitors.

If you can turn it on, does the platter come up to speed with very little noise? Any minor noise should abate when it reaches speed. Any significant noise, not related to a used belt could be a major repair issue including bearing wear from lack of lubrication. Ideally, bring your own belt to test, this could save you a lot of disappointment and money.

Buy or walk away? If it doesn’t power on, but the price is discounted heavily and it is in very clean condition, it could be worth the risk. If it makes significant noise while operating that doesn’t end after it reaches speed — I would walk away. Either motor replacement or bearing issue are too costly and time consuming.

Speed Control: Does it keep speed at each different speed setting?

It’s not unusual that the belt needs to be replaced which directly impacts speed due to slippage. It should take only a 3–5 seconds to come to steady speed.

Does the speed control strobe light work? Often the strobe light bulb burns out, or the bulb comes loose on the TD 125. There are smartphone apps available that accurately track speed if you can’t test with the strobe.

Adjust the speed control dial left and right a dozen times this sometimes improves speed control by removing some dust from the switch. Try changing speed settings while operating between 45, 33, 16 to see if it holds new set speed.

Buy or walk away? Expect almost all used TD 125 to need professional electronic speed control cleaning. Strobe light repair is not complex. If the turntable is clean overall, it may be worth buying even if it has trouble keeping speed.

Suspension

The turntable should sit with somewhat equal space on all four sides between the deck and the plinth. If the table is deeply sagging in front, back or sides it likely requires adjusting the springs — but the rubber spring gaskets may be brittle, and it may require servicing by professionals. Sagging springs can also cause the platter to rub against the rear of the plinth causing extra stress on the motor and damage the plinth.

Buy or walk away? Normally the TD 125 springs are quite robust — if you do need to replace them, spring kits are available, and they are not too costly.

Tonearm: which model?

Most Thorens TD 125 turntables will have one of the following three tonearms:

SME 3009 series II unimproved (normally on the TD 125 MK I).

• The unimproved version feels a bit more robust; it can support up to 5 grams of tracking force with the extra rider weight (which is rarely on the tonearm, but a replacement can easily found online).
• One frequently found problem with this tonearm model is the arm tube extension, at the very rear of the tonearm. It is held in place to the main body tube with two bushings — one inserted into the main tube and one into the extension. The original rubber bushings dry and shrink causing the rear end of the arm tube to sag, pulled down by the weight of the outrigger weight. While it may look like the arm is broken, the part can be ordered for around $70, and the fix is relatively simple.

Thorens TP 16 (Normally on the TD 125 MK II)

• A good entry level tonearm — easy to set-up. It has fans and detractors, overall, I’ve been happy with mine.

SME 3009 series II improved (Normally on the TD 125 MK II)

• The Improved version is less finicky and easier to setup but supports less tracking force. You can manually cheat adjustments to add extra tracking force for high compliance cartridges and use a stylus pressure scale to measure — I’ve done this for styluses that need more weight, and it works fine.

Detachable headshell — If you wish to experiment with different cartridges, a detachable headshell will make your life a lot easier. Fixed headshells in theory improve sound quality — I haven’t noticed myself. Changing a cartridge with a fixed headshell is major project.

Tonearm condition & components: Inspect the tonearm to ensure it is in good condition, no cracks and or glued pieces. And it has all original components, counterweights, and does the arm lift work. Vinyl Engine, https://www.vinylengine.com has detailed information about tonearms, with owner’s manuals, illustrations etc.

Overall, I would have difficulty identifying which SME tonearm sounds better when using the same cartridge — both are great, and both have fans of specific models for varying reasons.

Tonearms significantly improve the value of the TD 125. Most buyers prefer the SME tonearms over the TP 16, but personal preferences vary.

Cartridge and stylus — can you play music and hear it on the from the speakers? The majority of the time the cartridge and stylus will be in poor condition and require changing — however if it works you can test if music plays at equal level on both channels. If it does not play at all, or unequal on both channels, it could be lead wires in the headshell, wires in the tonearm itself or the phono cables.

You will also likely see different tonearms installed on the TD 125, including the Grace G 707, Black Widow, Rega and many others. For the purpose of this article, I focused on the three tonearm options originally offered by Thorens.

Buy or walk away? Regardless of tonearm model — if there appears to be any serious damage, sloppy repair to the arm or missing parts — just walk away. Should you require restoration of an SME tonearm, there is a popular SME tonearm expert in Canada that does international work, and has a very good reputation: Alfred Kayser at SME Tonearms, https://www.smetonearms.com

Plinth and acrylic cover

The plinth for the TD 125 MK I and MK II are the same spec and materials. If you come across a TD 125 with a nice quality custom wooden plinth that catches your eye, it adds value to the turntable. These typically cost ~$300. In addition, consider time/cost of swapping the turntable out of the old plinth and into the new plinth — a custom plinth is typically a sign of well-loved and serviced Thorens, therefore it could be worth a premium price.

If you do buy a Thorens with a custom plinth, the original dust cover and hinges will unlikely retrofit, unless the plinth is designed to the identical spec, however most custom plinths are made larger than the original spec.

Replacement dust covers can cost ~$200, and if the hinges are also removed from the plinth, that adds another challenge — finding used TD 125 dust cover hinges is very difficult.

Buy or walk away? From my buying experience, generally, (but not always) the better condition the plinth and dust cover, the better condition the overall turntable. If you plan on having the turntable in your living room, aesthetic condition can be a significant consideration. Appreciating the prices of replacing dust covers and plinths, decide if you’re satisfied with the look of the TD 125 before buying, as the extra expenses can put you well over the amount you had originally budgeted.

Bring it on home — but first….

You’ve found your dream TD 125 and now you need to transport it home. Just a few steps and precautions will ensure you get it home safely.

First, as with any turntable, fasten the arm to the support post with a small twist tie — this will prevent the arm from coming loose from the arm holder and flaying around, damaging itself and the cartridge. If your turntable has am SME arm with a detachable model headshell, I recommend you remove it as well.

Before moving the turntable, remove the main platter and mat. The Thorens should not be transported with the main platter in place, as a bumpy car ride could cause it to damage the suspension springs due to the weight of the platter. The inner platter can remain in place.

Professional service and repair, or DYI

I have learned the hard way that turntables are very delicate pieces of equipment — learn from my errors. Considering the effort of finding a great condition Thorens TD 125, I strongly suggest you have a professional service and repair the turntable. It’s not simply the skills required, it’s the access to diverse parts and materials to do the job properly. Getting a full tune up by a professional will ensure you get more value and enjoyment from your Thorens.

My recommendation for finding a qualified turntable repair technician in your city/region is identify the largest and most reputable used/new record store. Most of these stores also sell vintage audio gear, and they typically turntable have service departments. The nice thing about servicing a Thorens TD 125 is most turntable technicians have serviced hundreds before, so they know where to focus their attention. Expect a comprehensive tune up, cleaning, replace some capacitors, adjust suspension change phono cables… to cost around $300. In addition, budget for a new phono cartridge.

If you live in a rural area, or prefer shipping for service, consider Vinyl Nirvana, they have a great reputation. https://vinylnirvana.com

As per my note about SME tonearm restoration, that is specialized work, and the company I recommend will do it right.

Note: I have no affiliation, or any incentive provided from the companies I’ve highlighted in this article. And, a reminder, that buying vintage gear, particularly turntables, comes with risk.

We hope you enjoyed this article, and it provided some new insights into vintage audio — we’re happy to hear from you and please do follow us on Twitter for vintage micro-reviews and shootouts. @HiFisetup