Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — Thorens TD 404 DD

The TD 404 DD is a direct-drive turntable from Thorens, the company founded in Switzerland in 1883 and now based in Lahr, Germany. It borrows its motor from the TD 124 DD, the brand's more expensive direct-drive deck, and places it in a new plinth with a different arm, platter and set of convenience features. Thorens gives a recommended price of EUR 4,499 with availability in 2026, while the US price is USD 6,750, or USD 7,500 with the optional TPN 124 linear power supply. Finishes are black high gloss, walnut high gloss and dark oak matt.

Key specs that matter

The deck plays at 33 1/3, 45 and 78 rpm. The aluminium alloy platter weighs 3.2 kg, and the complete turntable is 450 mm wide, 160 mm high and 370 mm deep, with a weight of 12.3 kg. Outputs are gold-plated RCA sockets plus a balanced XLR pair. The fitted TP 160 is a 9 inch J-shaped arm with an effective length of 232.8 mm, an overhang of 17.8 mm, an offset angle of 23.66 degrees and an effective mass of 16 g. No cartridge is listed in the scope of delivery, which includes a removable cover.

Engineering and use context

With no belt or idler between motor and platter, the drive depends entirely on motor quality, and Thorens chose the TD 124 DD unit for its high torque and smooth running. The redesigned platter carries internal resonance damping and an integrated stroboscope, and a pitch control lets the owner correct speed while watching the strobe markings. The plinth is a sandwich construction topped by a 5 mm aluminium plate, and it stands on three spring-loaded feet that can be adjusted in height and decouple the deck from its support. The TP 160 pivots on a knife-edge bearing, where a hardened steel edge sits in a two-part shell, and a magnetic guide keeps the bearing centred without contact. The arm is set up to Baerwald / Loefgren A geometry with null points at 66.0 and 120.9 mm, and Thorens gives a maximum tracking distortion of 0.63 percent between them. Headshells attach through an SME-type connector, anti-skating is applied by a spring, and the arm cable connects by a 5-pin DIN plug. The electronic e-Lift lifts the arm once the record ends and then stops the platter, limiting stylus and vinyl wear. The optional TPN 124 feeds the motor from an external linear supply instead of the standard one.

Pairing

The 16 g effective mass places the TP 160 in the medium-mass class, suited to moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges of low to medium compliance. The balanced XLR outputs make sense with a phono stage that has balanced inputs, which keeps the low-level signal on a differential path.

Alternatives

The Thorens TD 124 DD is a direct-drive turntable fitted with the TP 124 tonearm, a removable headshell and an external power supply.