Thorens TD403 DD
Thorens direct-drive turntable, TP 150 tonearm and pre-fitted Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, for accurate playback at 33 and 45 rpm.
Description
The Thorens TD 403 DD is a manual direct-drive turntable, featuring an MDF chassis and a 22 mm thick aluminium platter weighing 1.4 kg. It is supplied with a Thorens TP 150 tonearm and a pre-fitted Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, ready for use.
The direct-drive motor runs at two rotational speeds, 33 and 45 revolutions per minute, selectable via a front-panel switch that also controls the platter's start and stop. The TP 150 tonearm, of the S-shaped type, is adjustable for height and azimuth and has an effective mass of 14 grams; its SME connector allows the headshell to be changed without major intervention, while the antiskating relies on a sliding weight guided by a nylon thread over a ruby bearing built into the base of the tonearm.
The Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, a moving-magnet design with a bare elliptical diamond stylus (radius r/R 8/18 µm), delivers an output level of 5.5 mV at 1000 Hz and a frequency response of 20 to 25,000 Hz (-3 dB). Its recommended tracking force is 1.8 g, for a load of 47 kOhm and 150-300 pF on the phono preamplifier side.
- Channel separation: 25 dB at 1 kHz, 15 dB at 15 kHz
- Channel balance at 1 kHz: 1.5 dB
- Internal impedance: 1.3 kOhm, internal inductance: 700 mH
- Lateral compliance: 20 µm/mN
This turntable is aimed at vinyl enthusiasts looking for a reliable, ready-to-use source, with a cartridge already fitted and aligned, without having to put together separate components.
Technical specifications
| Platter weight | 1,4 kg |
| Speed | 33 1/3 rpm, 45 rpm |
| Speed switching | Manual (front-panel switch) |
| Output level at 1000 Hz, 5 cm/sec | 5,5 mV |
| Channel balance at 1 kHz | 1,5 dB |
| Channel separation | 25 dB (1 kHz) to 15 dB (15 kHz) |
| Frequency response | 20 - 25 000 Hz (-3 dB) |
| Lateral compliance | 20 µm/mN |
| Stylus type | Bare elliptical |
| Stylus radius | r/R 8/18 µm |
| Tracking force | 1,6-2,0 g (16-20 mN) |
| Recommended tracking force | 1,8 g (18 mN) |
| Tracking angle | 20° |
| Internal impedance | 1,3 kOhm |
| Internal inductance | 700 mH |
| Recommended load | 47 kOhm / 150-300 pF |
| Cartridge weight | 7,2 g |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 420 x 141 x 360 mm |
| Weight | 7,2 kg |
What to check before buying used
On a direct-drive turntable, it is worth checking that the motor runs properly and that both speeds, 33 and 45 rpm, are stable and start smoothly without jolting. The bare elliptical stylus of the Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge wears with listening time: its condition directly affects the quality of the sound reproduced. The tracking force setting, to be adjusted to around 1.8 g, and the correct sliding action of the weight-and-nylon-thread antiskating system are also worth checking before first use.
Looking for this reference: TD 403 DD ?
Tell us what you are looking for: our merchants are notified, and one of them may have it in stock.