Advice on an Old Turntable

Having finished the almost never ending task of ripping my CDs to hard disk, and pretty much got the digital front end sorted to my satisfaction, I'm looking for something else to fiddle with, and got to thinking about my TT. Vinyl is definitely a second source but we do use it and enjoy it so...

I've got a Thorens TD160 (mk1) which I lovingly stripped down and restored a few years back, including fitting an OL dc motor and RB250/Goldring 1022. It actually sounds pretty good to me - no specific gripes - but I've heard a few people say that the RB250 isn't a great match for the Thorens (not sure why though) and when I was a teenager, the SME 3009 was a huge object of desire that I was never able to afford. So I've been wondering about looking out for a decent second hand one and giving it a go.

Would be interested in the thoughts of those more experienced with vinyl - will a 3009 be a worthwhile improvement? Will it work with the Goldring or will I need to look at a new cart too? (And if so, what - had been thinking of upgrading the stylus to 1042, but also wondered about a Denon high output MC. Don't want to spend a fortune.)

Even if if it's not going to be radically better I may do it anyway, because I've always thought the 'classic' SME was such a beautiful looking piece of engineering, and it would feel like completing something that goes back a long way.

 

I don't know about compatibility issues between the Thorens TT and the Rega arm.

But arm/cartridge compatibility is straightforward enough. The SME 3009 dates from the days when cartridges were valued for low tracking weights and high compliance - the "ideal match" back in those days was the Shure V15. If your cartridge fits those parameters it should be good (there's a mass/compliance calculation that gets you to a fundamental resonance somewhere in the low Hz - I don't have it to hand). Soon after that pairing became favoured the emphasis moved to MC cartridges which all tended to be massier and of lower compliance - they also fed more energy into the arm, so arm resonances became more significant. The arm needs to suit the cartridge, and if it doesn't then all the fine SME engineering rather goes to waste.

That said, maybe the SME/Goldring combination would work well - plugging the numbers into the equation would answer at least the low frequency resonance question.

 

Thanks Dick - I've run the numbers through the formula at The Vinyl Engine and it looks like the Goldring cart would be fine in the SME arm.

 

The Goldring will sing beautifully on the SME 3009 and it's indeed a great match for the Thorens 160. Selling the much sought-after Rega version you've got will probably pay for the arm and... please upgrade the stylus to the 1042! It's absolutely worth the outlay.

The HOMC Denons like the DL 110 or the DL 160 would be a much better match to your actual arm, but since you seem to simply love the SME, just go get one! Besides, if you get one with a detatchable headshell, it will enable you to play a little bit later on...

Regards,

Vincula

 

Thanks Vincula, that sounds like a plan then. Any hints as to what to look out for when buying a second hand 3009? I think it needs to be Series II Improved to fit properly, but anything else?