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
Custom Thorens TD-125 Package named as one of the Best Audiophile Turntables Under $3,500: Editors’ Choice 2024 by Ecoustics.
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 Maestro! Thorens TD-125 MKI w/new Sorane TA-1 tonearm, in solid Zebrawood plinth
The Story
The legendary Thorens TD-125 MKII was their flagship model from the late 60s to the early 70s. It was and is a magnificent turntable using a belt driven, suspended subchassis philosophy, what I feel strongly is the pinnacle of turntable design.
The TD-125 MKII features three speeds: 16, 33, and 45. There is a pitch controller and a stroboscope for precise speed adjustment. The speed control unit has been completely serviced, with the caps, transistors and other parts most likely to fail replaced! It is ready for additional decades of service!
Worthy of this heirloom status, this custom turntable is mounted in a 3/4″ inch solid Zebrawood plinth crafted by a finish carpenter/cabinet maker with over thirty years of experience. It is finished in multiple coats of Danish oil finish. The custom plinth is substantially more dense and heavy than the stock plinth, which I feel further increases the performance of the turntable. Check out the gorgeous coloring and grain on this one. The 1/2″ bottom mdf.
The cork-rubber composite mat is included. A new acrylic hinged style dust cover is included.
All top plates now feature a brushed aluminum cover, this one is clear anodized and brushed.
Custom Thorens TD-125 Package named as one of the Best Audiophile Turntables Under $3,500: Editors’ Choice 2024 by Ecoustics.
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 price is over $1600USD.
Comes with detachable high quality Sorane headshell, featuring SRA adjustment. (2M Bronze for illustrative purposes only.)
- Sorane DIN cable, new
- Five year “bumper to bumper” warranty through Vinyl Nirvana. Any issue, just contact us.
Overall, this is a stunning table with a serious arm capable of handling cartridges in the $400 to $2000 range with ease. I am a dealer for Dynavector, Ortofon, Hana, and Grado. Inquire before or after the sale for pricing.
The Details
110/120 volt 60 hz or 220V 50hz
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 fifteen 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 5% 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.
Custom Thorens TD-125 Package named as one of the Best Audiophile Turntables Under $3,500: Editors’ Choice 2024 by Ecoustics.
Read what Ben Folds and others have had to say about buying from Vinyl Nirvana.
You can view original Thorens TD-125 sales brochures with specs here.
