Last Updated on March 2, 2023
Thorens, as we have written in the article Review Of The Highly Rated Thorens TD 190-2, is one of the most highly rated brands when it comes to turntables. Turntables is a vintage record player that allows you to play vinyl records on its device. Classical music lovers will usually choose turntables as the sound that the turntable produces is unblemished and unedited.
But having a turntable might not be an easy decision, especially when it comes to newcomers. There are plenty of people that would love to own a turntable but will be frightened by the ‘complexity’ that comes with it. Having a turntable should not be a difficult decision to make. If you love to have pure, unedited music, then a turntable will be for you. Of course, we do know the issues when it comes to owning a turntable, and it is honestly daunting for beginners. As such, in our quest to find a suitable turntable that beginners can use, we have stumbled upon the Thorens TD 170-1, which is often touted as one of the most suitable turntables for beginners.
We were lucky in the sense that we managed to obtain a Thorens TD 170-1 for a trial run, and here is our completely unbiased review of the Thorens TD 170-1.
Why The Thorens TD 170-1 Is Suitable For Beginners
When we had the chance to loan a Thorens TD 170-1, we couldn’t wait to place a record there to listen to the beautiful sound that comes out from the turntable itself. Unwrapping the Thorens TD 170-1 took us little time as our contact managed to wrap it nicely, yet protecting the parts.
This is one of the rare few turntables that is suitable for beginners and will not break your budget. With the low price point, it will be even better if you can manage to locate a Thorens TD 170-1 on sale. If so, you better grab it before another audiophile comes along.
Let us now look into some of the major factors that influence our decision when it comes to purchasing a new turntable.
Design and Build Quality
The first thing you’ll notice about the Thorens TD 170-1 is its stunning design. The turntable features a sleek, minimalist aesthetic that looks great in any home. But the beauty isn’t just skin deep – the TD 170-1 is built to last. The plinth is made from dense MDF and the turntable itself is constructed from high-quality materials that are designed to stand the test of time.
Functionality
In terms of functionality, the Thorens TD 170-1 is a fully automatic turntable that allows you to play vinyl records in three different speeds. You can choose between 33, 45, and 78 rpm. This setting allows you to play the music of different genres, hence allowing you to sit back, relax, and really infuse yourself with the beautiful tones.
The turntable is driven by an electric motor via a belt. One reason why this is suitable for beginners is that it allows you to play records on it with just a button. You really need not care about the settings as most of the variables have been fixed. For example, there is a built-in phono preamp version of the Thorens TD 190-1 that helps to amplify the sound via amplifiers. This itself help to save you some cost. Also, the tonearm itself is pretty rigid and fixed to the turntable itself. This means that problems such as alignment can be totally negated by you, which is extremely perfect for beginners.
However, the platter itself is not that heavy. This can be a minor problem when it comes to the faster speeds, so you will need to take note of this.
Aesthetics
This is pretty much a fuss-free turntable whose aesthetics will be more suited for homes or areas at which is more modernized. It does not have the vintage look of the Dual 1229q Turntable, but it still looks nice in my hall.
Being the epitome of minimalistic, you can expect all the parts to be simply designed and packed into the rectangular space that it is. The entire design is so simple, that the only ‘blemish’ that you can find is the Thorens logo that is located at the bottom of the turntable itself.
As for the switches, Thorens TD 170-1 moved away from the usual buttons and utilized switches that allow you to choose the specific speed of playing the records.
Another reason why this turntable is good for beginners is that there is a dust cover that comes along with the turntable itself. This means that you do not need to fumble around installing a new dust cover, which can be a problem in other turntables itself.
Sound Quality
Despite its relatively affordable price as well as the simplistic outlook, the sound quality itself is something that really stands out. The sound is being playback smoothly and seamlessly, and even without an amplifier, it is still able to project sounds out clearly.
Since it is fully automatic, all you need to do is to depress on the play button, and you will be able to enjoy the songs that the turntable belts out. We are completely satisfied with this.
Speed Accuracy
One of the key features of the Thorens TD 170-1 is its speed accuracy. The turntable is equipped with a high-precision, quartz-controlled motor that ensures perfect speed stability. This means that your records will play exactly as they were meant to be heard, without any warping or distortion.
Tonearm and Cartridge
The TD 170-1 comes with a high-quality tonearm and cartridge that are designed to extract the maximum amount of detail and nuance from your records. The tonearm is fully adjustable, allowing you to dial in the perfect tracking force and anti-skating settings for your specific cartridge. And speaking of cartridges, the TD 170-1 comes with a pre-installed Ortofon OM10 cartridge that delivers clear, dynamic sound with excellent stereo separation.
Ease of Use
The Thorens TD 170-1 is designed with ease of use in mind. The turntable comes with a fully automatic operation mode, which means you can simply press a button and the turntable will take care of the rest. The TD 170-1 also features a built-in phono preamp, which means you can connect it directly to any amplifier or receiver without the need for a separate phono stage.
What Can Be Improved
If there is a need, you can consider purchasing other cartridges other than using the stock Ortofon 2M Red MM. If not, then there is hardly anything that can be improved apart from the aesthetics, which we know is pretty fixed.
Conclusion
As you can see, the Thorens TD 170-1 is truly one of the best turntables for beginners. As it is fully automatic, all you need to do is really just to depress on the play button and you can enjoy music of various genre that is coming out from the turntable.
The Thorens TD 170-1 is indeed the best turntable for beginners!
