Top Ten List; Number 2 (belatedly). The Thorens TD 124

by Nick Seiflow

Humans. Over 6000 languages, but I’ll wager that only German has the *mot juste* to describe the-performance-of-an-action-with-brute-force-whilst-using-the-utmost-delicacy.

Actually it’s not necessary. The Thorens TD 124 is better than any word.

Looking down on a rebuilt 124, complete with original armboard and Formula IV Unipivot tonearm. Forty Pounds Sterling (without arm) in the early '60s......

Looking down on a rebuilt TD 124, complete with original armboard and Formula IV Unipivot tonearm. Forty Pounds Sterling (without arm) in the early ’60s……

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Season’s Greetings

By Nick Seiflow

Season's Greetings!

Season’s Greetings!

Season’s Greetings – Holiday Hours

To all our customers and new friends that have helped to make our first nine months a success and joy, may we wish you and yours the happiest and safest of Holidays. You have made our venture a joy and we thank you all for your support. Keep spinning the vinyl, and we’ll see you in 2015!

Best wishes from us all,

Nick, Evan, Mike and Pete

We will be open regular hours this holiday season except as follows: Closed Dec 25th, 26th – Open Dec 31st 11am-3pm – Closed Jan 1st, 2nd.

The Thorens TD 125 and Thorens TD 126

By Nick Seiflow

Continued from Part 1…

Thorens TD 126 Turntable

Thorens TD 126 Turntable

The TD126 that followed offered even more electronic sophistication, including (again with original Thorens arm) semi-automated arm and start-stop functions. Ultimately, in the Mark III iteration, even the venerable synchronous motor made way for a DC unit, with even more electronic complexity. Perhaps more to go wrong, but servicing and parts isn’t yet a problem, and probably will never be. Some of us won’t let that happen…. Continue reading

Big Discs Are Better?

by Nick Seiflow

Yesterday I had the pleasure of listening to a very fine stereo system. It consisted of a good CD front-end, high quality cabling leading to tubed preamplifier and mono block tube power amps, finally into a pair of excellent custom speakers.

It was one of the first times for a long time that I’d listened to a digitally sourced system, and the experience was revealing. As expected, there was absolutely none of the noise one might expect from vinyl; no obvious compression on peak signals, and imaging and bass control was superb. Continue reading

A Plea for Sanity….

by Nick Seiflow

A funny little industry, the Hi-Fi business. Perhaps uniquely, it manages to straddle two positions simultaneously, two positions that should never be confused with one another. In the words of the estimable A. Salvatore, a well-known writer and critic “Music is art; reproduction is science”.

A simple enough statement, and would that it were reality! Continue reading

Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Remastering

by Branden Haynes

This year I turned 40. It’s a “milestone birthday” that tends to get people seriously reflecting on their life. Where you have been and where you are going are some of the questions you might ask yourself. In addition to the life questions that I’ve been pondering, I started to think back to my 10th birthday. Particularly, I thought of the very first record that I ever purchased with my own money. My parents were always music fans and had it playing frequently in our house. As a result, I developed a taste for music very young and it’s been a constant in my life ever since.

Vintage Springsteen

Vintage Springsteen

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Vinyl: Or How We Rediscovered Our Love For The Record

by Branden Haynes

For any music lover out there who enjoys vinyl. Have you noticed the increased number of people crowding into the shops on “Record Store Day”? If you said yes, it’s not just your imagination. The fact is we are currently in the midst of a full blown vinyl resurgence. In 2013, record sales increased 32% to about 6.5 million worldwide. That is a 12 year high for the industry, and it seems to be showing no sign of slowing down.

What is causing this renewed interest in vinyl?

Vinyl on Vinyl - Eagles Greatest Hits Vol. 2

Vinyl on Vinyl – Eagles Greatest Hits Vol. 2

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Transcriptors and Michell: Hydraulic Reference to Gyro Dec

Turntable Heaven For A Day

by Nick Seiflow

Is there a legal limit to the amount of turntable pulchritude permissible in one room?

Here at The Turntable Shop we believe in challenging the Statutes; to boldly go where no sane vinyl spinner would – just another day at the TTS.

So, when a customer brought in a Michell Hydraulic Reference for servicing, the obvious thing to do was to scour the shelves and assemble an armada of our favourite objets de vinyl and gaze in awe at the result.

Transcriptors and J.A. Michell Day at The Turntable Shop

Transcriptors and J.A. Michell Day at The Turntable Shop

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