Thorens TD 1500
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
92/100
Features Usability
89/100
Value for Money
87/100
Blending classic analogue warmth with crisp transient attack, the TD 1500 gives vinyl weight, texture and remarkably stable, open images. SoundStage Solo found its quiet platform especially revealing, while reviewers celebrate the adjustable TP 150 arm, electronic speed control and fitted 2M Bronze. This is a suspended-subchassis deck with modern precision, low noise and enduring analogue character.
Pros
Rich, weighty yet detailed sound combines analogue warmth with crisp attack, strong dynamics and clear instrument separation.
The TP 150 tonearm is smooth, highly adjustable and accommodates quick headshell/cartridge changes.
Quiet suspended platform and electronically controlled motor support low noise, stable speed and focused imaging.
Cons
The freely moving suspension can feel wobbly during handling, and its long-term adjustment requirements may concern some owners.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers find the TD 1500 unusually complete-sounding: richly toned and weighty, yet clean, quick and highly resolved. Its poised speed control, refined TP 150 arm and low noise floor support a presentation that is both warmly analogue and precise.
Overall Sound
95/100
The TD 1500 earned repeated strong praise for rich tone, dynamic range, scale, clarity and musical presence. HiFi News heard exceptional weight, punch, fluidity and warmth alongside near-clinical detail, while SoundStage Solo found it lively, captivating and notably transparent to recordings.
Speed Stability
91/100
Its electronically monitored DC motor automatically corrects speed deviations, and ecoustics judged its speed stability superior to several comparison decks. HiFi News also described images as dead-centre and stable, consistent with assured pitch and timing.
Tonearm Performance
94/100
The TP 150 arm is widely praised as a major improvement, with smooth operation, well-executed bearings and substantially greater refinement than earlier Thorens arms. Reviewers also highlight its height and azimuth adjustment, detachable headshell, and broad cartridge compatibility.
Noise Isolation
91/100
SoundStage Solo's first impression was of a quiet turntable, and it credited the low noise floor with making dynamic shifts especially apparent. The motor produces a faint whir while accelerating, but the reviewer could not hear it even from a short distance away.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
92/100
Reviewers describe a substantially more solidly built deck than its historical predecessors, including a robust armboard and well-executed TP 150 arm. The aluminium-covered MDF plinth, composite suspended subchassis and three-spring arrangement reflect a carefully considered construction.
Features Usability
89/100
Electronic speed selection and automatic motor speed correction make everyday operation straightforward, while suspension levelling can be carried out through the platter. The arm offers height and azimuth adjustment, plus a detachable headshell that makes cartridge changes more practical; the reviewed SoundStage package also arrived with an Ortofon 2M Bronze fitted.
Value for Money
87/100
At roughly $2,400-$2,999, it is a serious investment, but Audiophilepure notes that buying and properly restoring a vintage TD 124, then adding an arm and cartridge, could cost more. SoundStage Solo called it the best-sounding turntable it had reviewed, though it was also the publication's most expensive reviewed model.
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Manufacturer's Description — Thorens
Inspired by a Classic. Developed for Today.
As a tribute to the legendary TD 150, the TD 1500 combines classic suspended subchassis technology with modern precision and outstanding ease of use.
Features
Sub chassis with three conical springs
Belt drive with polished precision belt
Die-cast aluminum platter
1.4 kg and 22mm-thick
Pre-installed cartridge Ortofon 2 M Bronze
Electronical controlled motor
Balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) output
TP 150 tonearm
In 1965, Thorens introduced the TD 150, an unassuming turntable that sparked a technical revolution in turntable design. For the first time, a mass-produced turntable featured a suspended subchassis combined with an inner platter driven by a precision-ground flat belt. This innovative design principle went on to influence countless legendary Thorens turntables and remains a milestone in analogue audio engineering to this day.
Like its famous predecessor, the new Thorens TD 1500 is a fully manual turntable. Its suspended subchassis isolates the platter and tonearm board from the motor and plinth by means of three conical springs. Unlike the original TD 150, these springs can be conveniently adjusted from above through dedicated openings in the platter, making setup and fine adjustment significantly easier.
The speed of the DC motor is electronically monitored by an incremental encoder. Any deviations, for example those caused by the use of a record brush, are automatically corrected. This ensures excellent speed stability and outstanding wow and flutter performance. As a unique feature in its class, the TD 1500 is equipped not only with conventional RCA outputs but also with balanced XLR outputs. Combined with a suitable moving coil (MC) cartridge, this enables true balanced operation and particularly interference-free signal transmission.
TP 150 tonearm
principles of the TP 124 featured on the TD 124 DD and combines high flexibility with precise adjustability. With an effective mass of 14 grams, adjustable height (VTA) and azimuth, as well as a standard SME connector, it provides ideal conditions for the use of a wide variety of cartridges and headshells.
Anti-skating adjustment is achieved via a movable weight located in the tonearm base. The force is transferred by a nylon thread guided with minimal friction over a ruby bearing. This proven design enables precise and long-term stable adjustment.
The TD 1500 comes factory-fitted with the highly regarded Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge. Manufactured by the Danish cartridge specialist Ortofon, this MM cartridge features a nude Fine Line diamond stylus and proves to be an ideal partner for the TP 150 tonearm.
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- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- Accessories 4 less — online and in-store — Apopka, Florida, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- AES — in-store — Mitte, Hessen, Germany (website)
- Ajasom — online and in-store — Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- All Elite Audio — online and in-store — Perry Hall, Maryland, United States (website)
- Alma Music & Audio — online and in-store — San Diego, California, United States (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
and 142 more verified dealers