Jerome W
Active member
- Thread Author
- #1
Hello folks,
A few months ago, I got the opportunity to buy a TD124 from a french maker of tube amps and preamps. He had two of them along with a Garrard 401 and he decided to keep only one tt. He kept the Garrard I think.
He made the plinth himself ( You know this kind of guy who can do anything...).
I was keeping an eye on these old ladies since a long time.
The plinth is not the most sexy I know. But is made of solid wood. Very dense and heavy. The TT came fitted with a Jelco SA250 tonearm.
Thanks to the 4 inputs of the Cyrus Phono Signature preamp, I can use 3 different carts now, 2 on the Verdier ( SPU and EMT XSD15 ) and a DL103 Expert Stylus on the 124.
The TD124 is a superb sounding turntable.
Its speed is extremely accurate, although depending on the temperature, it takes between 2 and 10 minutes to get to 33.33 ( well I guess we are very close because the dots on the stroboscope are perfectly stable ).
I put the 124 on a Pro Audio Bono suspended standard platform, and I added 4 PAB anti vibration feet made of panzerholz ( Lignofol ). I like my TT's to be intensely isolated.
The sound of the 124 is not by any means "colored" in the classic vintage sound. Indeed, this turntable sounds very neutral.
The differences between the SPU and the 103 carts are very distinct, and so are the differences between records.
I was expecting great mids and treble, which I got. But not this outstanding bass : clean and detailed, full bodied and tuneful.
Moreover I was not expecting this silence.
The tt itself is a bit noisy when you are very close to it. You can hear the motor, the large pulley, the idler mechanism, whatever I do not know exactly.
But from your seat of course even at low volume, only the music emerges. From a dark dark background.
The built construction is impressive. Reminds me of the good old times, when they were building stuff to last for ever.
Nowadays we get trouble with everything !
I have listened to various modern TT's from 500 to 25000 euros. A TD124 ranges today from 700 euros to 7000 ( the Swissonor version ! This obsession with high end never ends...) but most well cared 124's will cost you between 1500 and 2500 dollars with a good plinth and a good arm.
And when you listen to it, you really wonder why the need to spend fortunes on a modern tt. Imho the 124 outperforms or equals many TT's of today, including very expensive ones. I guess I could write the same statement with the Garrard 301 and 401.
A few months ago, I got the opportunity to buy a TD124 from a french maker of tube amps and preamps. He had two of them along with a Garrard 401 and he decided to keep only one tt. He kept the Garrard I think.
He made the plinth himself ( You know this kind of guy who can do anything...).
I was keeping an eye on these old ladies since a long time.
The plinth is not the most sexy I know. But is made of solid wood. Very dense and heavy. The TT came fitted with a Jelco SA250 tonearm.
Thanks to the 4 inputs of the Cyrus Phono Signature preamp, I can use 3 different carts now, 2 on the Verdier ( SPU and EMT XSD15 ) and a DL103 Expert Stylus on the 124.
The TD124 is a superb sounding turntable.
Its speed is extremely accurate, although depending on the temperature, it takes between 2 and 10 minutes to get to 33.33 ( well I guess we are very close because the dots on the stroboscope are perfectly stable ).
I put the 124 on a Pro Audio Bono suspended standard platform, and I added 4 PAB anti vibration feet made of panzerholz ( Lignofol ). I like my TT's to be intensely isolated.
The sound of the 124 is not by any means "colored" in the classic vintage sound. Indeed, this turntable sounds very neutral.
The differences between the SPU and the 103 carts are very distinct, and so are the differences between records.
I was expecting great mids and treble, which I got. But not this outstanding bass : clean and detailed, full bodied and tuneful.
Moreover I was not expecting this silence.
The tt itself is a bit noisy when you are very close to it. You can hear the motor, the large pulley, the idler mechanism, whatever I do not know exactly.
But from your seat of course even at low volume, only the music emerges. From a dark dark background.
The built construction is impressive. Reminds me of the good old times, when they were building stuff to last for ever.
Nowadays we get trouble with everything !
I have listened to various modern TT's from 500 to 25000 euros. A TD124 ranges today from 700 euros to 7000 ( the Swissonor version ! This obsession with high end never ends...) but most well cared 124's will cost you between 1500 and 2500 dollars with a good plinth and a good arm.
And when you listen to it, you really wonder why the need to spend fortunes on a modern tt. Imho the 124 outperforms or equals many TT's of today, including very expensive ones. I guess I could write the same statement with the Garrard 301 and 401.
