Description
“Things men have made with wakened hands, and put soft life into are awake through years with transferred touch, and go on glowing for long years… warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them.” DH Lawrence
Why buy a restored vintage Thorens turntable from Vinyl Nirvana?
When you invest in a restored turntable from Vinyl Nirvana, you aren’t just buying vintage audio gear—you are acquiring a precision-tuned musical instrument. Every table undergoes a rigorous, multi-step inspection, complete mechanical overhaul, and detailed aesthetic restoration.
Here is what sets a Vinyl Nirvana restoration apart:
Specialized Craftsmanship: For over two decades, I have focused exclusively on belt-driven, suspended subchassis turntables like Thorens and AR. I know these designs intimately and use proprietary restoration techniques developed over a lifetime of passion.
Unmatched Parts Access: Hosting North America’s largest inventory of original and replacement parts means your turntable never suffers from compromised workarounds. If a part is worn, missing, or broken, it gets replaced with the correct component—period.
Complete Transparency: Every turntable I sell is guaranteed 100% functional. Because these are vintage pieces, cosmetic character varies. I promise absolute transparency: every cosmetic flaw is explicitly noted in the description and captured in high-resolution photos. Unlike buying blindly on eBay, you will know exactly what is arriving at your door.
Artisanal Customizations: For customized builds, I partner only with top-tier regional specialists who share my standard of excellence. Custom plinths are handcrafted by a master finish carpenter with 30+ years of experience, balancing structural resonance with striking beauty. Machining is handled by New England’s premier machining companies.
Over 99% Safe Delivery Rate: A flawless restoration means nothing if it arrives damaged. Shipping over 100 vintage turntables a year, I’ve perfected custom packing methods that ensure safe transit. TD-125s and TD-160 Super Reproductions get shipped in custom designed shipping boxes. On the rare occasion an issue arises, my absolute commitment is your complete satisfaction.
I don’t just service these iconic turntables—I love them. Bringing a vintage masterpiece back to its true glory is my passion and my lifework.
See our testimonial page.
The Story
Introducing the Vinyl Nirvana TD-160 Super Reproduction
The legendary Thorens TD-160 Super remains one of the most requested turntables in high-end vintage audio—and one of the hardest to find. Because original factory units were produced in limited quantities, finding one on the used market is rare.
Rather than waiting for a rare original, we engineered a complete reproduction that meets—and exceeds—the original Super specifications.
What Made the Original “Super”?
Upgraded Structure: A beefier plinth and heavy-duty bottom plate for improved resonance control.
Under-Chassis Damping: Factory damping applied directly to the underside of the top plate.
Upgraded Hardware: Heartier hinges designed for long-term reliability.
Streamlined Top Plate: A clean, sleek top plate designed without the vestigial cueing lever or armrest holes, allowing effortless arm swaps.
How We Recreated (and Improved) It Working alongside precision metal fabricators and expert silk screeners, we created exact-replica top plates that match the original factory aesthetic.
We then elevated the build beyond factory standards:
Solid Hardwood Plinths: Replaces the original veneer with heavy, solid wood for superior density and vibration isolation.
Heavy-Duty Bottom Plate: Upgraded to a 1/2″ black-dyed MDF base.
Premium Dust Cover: Includes a custom-fabricated acrylic hinged cover made in NY.
Exclusive Vinyl Nirvana Upgrades Included:
Proprietary Bearing Well Damping Ring
Proprietary Torlon 4203 Thrust Pad
Proprietary Machined One-Piece Aluminum Armboard (Brushed and Anodized)
Proprietary Adjustable Rubber Feet (4)
The Bottom Line Side-by-side on the bench, our reproduction delivers greater structural mass, superior damping, and modernized precision components—offering performance that directly surpasses a stock original TD-160 Super.
The Featured Thorens TD-160 Super Reproduction, new Sorane TA-1 tonearm, solid Black Walnut plinth
What makes this week’s offering EXTRA special is the custom plinth in solid 3/4″ black walnut. I just love the classic coloring and grain patterns. As fabulous as this looks in the photos, it is even more so in person. The custom plinth was crafted by a finish carpenter/cabinet maker with over thirty years of experience. It was finished in mulitiple coats of Danish oil finish. As mentioned above, the custom plinth is substantially more dense and heavy than the stock plinth. A 1/2 inch mdf bottom also adds mass.
Cosmetically, this table is a solid 9.5 on a scale of 1-10. With the new plinth, new top plate and new cover, it really is museum quality, with not one single cosmetic flaw to report. (Why not a 10.0? I just don’t feel comfortable listing a vintage table as a 10.0.) Note the new custom acrylic SET ON style dustcover is included. If you’d like to opt for the HINGED style cover, write me a note in check out and I will invoice you $79 separately.
The new 9″ Sorane TA-1 Tonearm
“Reproduced sound is precise and clean, thanks to hand assembly by highly skilled craftsmen.”
Sorane was founded in 1974. Katsuaki Ishiyama-san collected designing and development knowledge for various tonearms manufactured by only handmade and assembled process, with his belief the fine tuning is only available by craftsmen’s precise and sensitive hand. Even after applying modern CNC milling machine at their own plant for basic parts production, their tonearms still rely on craftsmen’s expertise for final assembly, in particular, to have idealized mechanical surface contact with each other, by hand-tuning and hand-adjustment.
The major key to tonearm quality is the sensitivity and stability in retrieving delicate signals, for which the bearings are the determining factor. The TA-l employs a miniature radial bearing for horizontal movement and a miniature pivot bearing for vertical movement. Very high performance is achieved at a reasonable price. The body is constructed from a machine-tooled solid aluminum block. The hand-assembled arm wand satisfies every vital condition necessary for vibration-free and noise-free reproduction. Retail is over $1600USD.
The 9″ arm is mounted on a Vinyl Nirvana custom machined aluminum armboard with special machined collar.
The Details
110/120 volt 60 hz only
Note: Due to the nature and scope of my business, shipping your turntable package can range from 2-10 business days. After your purchase, I will contact you within 24 hours with my best shipping estimate date.
Note: Turntables with sprung subchassis are wonderful in many ways for isolating your turntable from unwanted resonances, however, they are susceptible to footfalls. If this turntable is going in a room with bouncy floors, it will need to go on a wall shelf for proper functioning.
We have over twenty-five years experience shipping vintage turntables successfully. All turntables are packed with the utmost concern with them arriving in the same condition you see pictured here.
If the buyer needs it, I can supply up to a half hour hour of help by phone with set up. (At a mutually arranged time.) In general, most buyers don’t need it, but if there IS a problem, I am there. I also have many videos available to hel with various set-up issues.
Your table is guaranteed to look and work as described, or you may return it within ten days of arrival for a full refund, minus return shipping charges and a 15% restocking fee. After ten days, all returns are for merchandise credit only. If you ever have an issue with your purchase, 3 weeks or months or years after the purchase, please contact me and we will resolve the issue in a way we mutually agree upon.
Read what Ben Folds and others have had to say about buying from Vinyl Nirvana.
