Thorens Turntable New Reference
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Product Overview & Specifications
Developed to celebrate Thorens' 140th anniversary, the Thorens New Reference represents a groundbreaking pinnacle in turntable engineering. Designed from the ground up in collaboration with German active vibration specialist Seismion, it is the world's first turntable to feature an integrated, fully active piezoelectric vibration isolation system. Operating on Sky-Hook-Damping principles, the mechatronic system isolates parasitic mechanical disturbances down below 1Hz, reducing unwanted environmental and room vibrations by over 99% (-40dB) at 10Hz and above.
The drive architecture couples a German-made 3-phase synchronous motor with a hand-finished hydrodynamic bearing optimized using Sommerfeld hydrodynamic principles. To eliminate the 4Hz wow and flutter resonance typical of belt-driven systems, Seismion engineered a world-first active platter absolute-velocity-damping system. Utilizing twin high-precision quartz oscillators stable to within 3 ppm over 20 years, the system dynamically eliminates rotational speed modulations without creating static friction or wear on the belt and bearing assemblies. Accommodating up to three tonearm bases, it comes configured with the 12-inch Thorens TP160 knife-edge tonearm and the zero-tracking-error Thiele TA01 kinematics tonearm.
KEY FEATURES & TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
- Integrated Seismion Active Vibration Isolation: Embedded mechatronic system using piezoelectric acceleration sensors and linear actuators to eliminate footfall, structural, and acoustic vibrations down to sub-Hertz frequencies.
- Active Platter Absolute-Velocity-Damping: Dynamic encoder-driven active control eliminates the 4Hz belt-resonance wow peak while preserving high-frequency platter inertia and minimizing motor strain.
- Ultra-Precise Quartz Clocking: Dual quartz oscillators guarantee long-term rotational speed stability within 33.3332 to 33.3334 RPM over a 20-year operational span.
- Sommerfeld Hydrodynamic Bearing: Precision hand-finished German bearing engineered with an optimized Sommerfeld number for rapid self-centering, ultra-low friction, and minimal eccentricity.
- 3-Phase Synchronous Drive: Driven by three linear power amplifiers generating 120° phase-shifted sine waves for exceptionally smooth, ripple-free torque delivery.
- Triple Tonearm Capacity & Premium Arms: Features up to three tonearm bases (9", 10", and 12") and includes the 12" Thorens TP160 silver-wired tonearm and the Thiele TA01 tangential-pivoted tonearm (0.036° max tracking error).
SPECIFICATIONS
| Turntable Type | Flagship Active Isolation Belt-Drive Reference Turntable |
| Isolation System | Integrated Seismion Active Vibration Isolation (Piezoelectric Sensors / Sky-Hook-Damping) |
| Isolation Bandwidth / Efficiency | Active isolation starting below 1Hz | >99% (-40dB) suppression at ≥10Hz | Active leveling within 20µm |
| Drive Motor | German 3-Phase Synchronous Motor driven by 3x Linear Amplifiers (120° Sine Shift) |
| Platter Speed Damping | Seismion Active Absolute-Velocity-Damping (Optical Shaft Encoder) |
| Platter Bearing | Hand-Finished Hydrodynamic Bearing (Sommerfeld-Number Optimized) |
| Speed Accuracy & Stability | Dual Quartz Oscillators | Long-term stability <3 ppm over 20 years (33.3332–33.3334 RPM) |
| Tonearm Capacity | Supports up to 3 Tonearm Bases (Accommodates 9", 10", and 12" Tonearms) |
| Included Tonearms | Thorens TP160 12" Knife-Edge Bearing Tonearm (Continuous Silver Cable) Thiele TA01 Kinematic Tangential-Pivoted Tonearm (0.036° Max Tracking Error Angle) |
| Cartridges Included | None (Supplied Without Cartridges) |
| Chassis Construction | Multi-Layered Damped Non-Resonant Structure with Low Center of Gravity (COG) |
Customer Reviews
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Thorens Turntable New Reference
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