Thorens TD 125-AB (1971–1975)
The record on the TD 125-AB is mostly the manufacturer's own advertising. Independent test reports from the period haven't survived in this archive. It was an electronic transcription turntable, later marketed as the TD 125 AB Mark II, and the period ads available to us run from 1971 through 1975.
Here is what those ads establish. The motor is a double synchronous 16-pole type, with the drive speed stepped down from 450 rpm to an unusually low 210 rpm to bring rumble below audibility. The platter is a 12-inch, 7 lb. dynamically balanced, non-ferrous die-casting, described as anti-magnetic. The tonearm is the Thorens TP13A, with adjustable tracking force of 0.5-3.5 g and arm resonance below 10 Hz. A 1971 directory listing cited wow and flutter at ±0.09% and rumble at −43 dB. Those figures appeared in HI-Fi-Stereo-Buyers (1971, p.46).
By the Mark II version, the advertising leaned on refinement. It added a precision, 2-way damped cueing control on the front panel, and the general pitch stressed materials, design and engineering. Thorens's ad in Audio (April 1975, p.19) stressed durability and "inherent value." An earlier ad in Audio (November 1973, p.45) quoted Stereo Review calling the TD-125 "unquestionably one of the elite among turntables" and High Fidelity remarking that it "provides a mark for others to aim at." Those are manufacturer-quoted accolades, not independent reviews we can verify.
Production years, original price and service history are not documented in the sources at hand. The owner's manual or a genuine lab review of the AB would fill a real gap.
Known specs (from period sources)
- Drive: double synchronous 16-pole motor; 450 rpm stepped down to 210 rpm
- Platter: 12 in, 7 lb., dynamically balanced, non-ferrous, anti-magnetic
- Tonearm: Thorens TP13A; tracking force 0.5–3.5 g; resonance below 10 Hz
- Wow & flutter: ±0.09%
- Rumble: −43 dB
- Cueing: 2-way damped front-panel control (Mark II)
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