The Thorens Suspended Sub-Chassis Belt-Drive Tradition
Thorens has been building turntables in Switzerland since 1883, and the company today remains devoted to the craft of analog playback. Its suspended sub-chassis belt-drive range represents one of the most enduring ideas in high fidelity, an approach Thorens helped refine over decades. If you are drawn to a classic, isolation focused design that keeps the record and tonearm insulated from the outside world, this is the family to study.
Three models make up this category at AEA: the Thorens TD 1500, the Thorens TD 1600, and the Thorens TD 1601. All three share the philosophy that defines this range, and the differences between them are best understood as choices about tonearm, features, and how you want to build your system.
What The Shared Design Does
Every model here uses belt drive paired with a suspended, floating sub-chassis. The motor and the sensitive playback components live on separate structures, and the sub-chassis floats to help isolate the platter and tonearm from vibration and footfall. Belt drive is chosen here for the way it decouples the motor from the platter. Each of these three turntables also runs from an external power supply, moving the transformer away from the signal path, and each offers both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs, giving you flexibility to connect to a wide variety of phono stages.
All three play both 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records. From there, the tonearm, the cartridge situation, and the feature set begin to separate the models.
The Models By Tier
The Ready To Play Entry: TD 1500
The Thorens TD 1500 is the most turnkey member of the family. It arrives with the Thorens TP 150 tonearm and a pre-installed Ortofon 2M Bronze moving magnet cartridge, so much of the setup work is already handled for you. Like its siblings, it uses the suspended sub-chassis belt-drive design, an external power supply, and offers both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs.
This is the model for someone who wants the Thorens suspended sub-chassis experience without the task of sourcing and mounting a cartridge separately. The included 2M Bronze is a capable, musical moving magnet pickup, and the balanced output means you are not limited even at this point in the range.
The Enthusiast Platform: TD 1600
The Thorens TD 1600 steps up to the Thorens TP 92 tonearm and is driven by an AC motor with electronic control. Importantly, the TD 1600 does not include a cartridge; you supply your own. That is a deliberate design goal rather than an omission. It suits the listener who already has a preferred cartridge or who wants to choose one to match a specific system and taste.
You still get the floating suspended sub-chassis, the external power supply, and both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs. The TD 1600 is the platform for someone who views the turntable as the foundation and wants to make the cartridge decision their own.
The Fully Featured Model: TD 1601
The Thorens TD 1601 shares the TP 92 tonearm and the electronically controlled AC motor with the TD 1600, and it too is supplied without a cartridge so you can select your own. Within this same range, the TD 1601 adds convenience features that the TD 1600 does not have. It includes electronic auto lift and lower plus a powered lift, along with electronic speed selection.
If you value the automation of an electronic cueing system and the ease of powered operation, and you still want the full suspended sub-chassis belt-drive design with balanced XLR output and an external power supply, the TD 1601 is the most feature complete choice in this category.
Which Should You Buy By Scenario
You Want To Play Records As Soon As It Arrives
Choose the Thorens TD 1500. With the TP 150 tonearm and the pre-installed Ortofon 2M Bronze, it is the most complete out of the box option in the range, while still giving you balanced XLR output and the suspended sub-chassis design.
You Already Have A Cartridge You Love
Look at the Thorens TD 1600. Because it is supplied without a cartridge, you are free to mount the pickup that already suits your ears and your phono stage, on the more advanced TP 92 tonearm.
You Want Automation And The Fullest Feature Set
The Thorens TD 1601 is the one to audition. It carries the same TP 92 tonearm and electronically controlled AC motor as the TD 1600, then adds electronic auto lift and lower, a powered lift, and electronic speed selection. For hands off convenience within this range, it is the standout.
You Are Building Around A Balanced Phono Stage
Any of the three will serve you, since all offer balanced XLR alongside unbalanced RCA. Match the model to whether you want a cartridge included, as with the TD 1500, or the freedom to choose your own on the TP 92 equipped TD 1600 and TD 1601.
Pairing Thoughts
Because all three models provide balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs, they integrate well with a phono stage that suits your listening room and system. On the TD 1600 and TD 1601, plan your cartridge choice as part of the system so the pickup complements the TP 92 tonearm and your electronics. The TD 1500 arrives with the Ortofon 2M Bronze already fitted, so your immediate attention can go to the phono stage and interconnects.
Come Listen In Timonium
AEA is an authorized Thorens dealer with a showroom in Timonium, Maryland. Demo units rotate and not every model is always set up, so we invite you to contact AEA to arrange a listen and hear which member of the Thorens suspended sub-chassis belt-drive family speaks to you.