Plinths - Thorens
One of the very first OMA slate plinths was for the classic idler drive Thorens TD124 turntable. Our first plinths for the Thorens followed the design principle of a two layer plinth, emphasizing mass, reducing the vibrations from the motor to vanishing levels, and complimenting the mid 20th century aesthetics of this great deck. But soon we received requests from Thorens owners who wanted to use longer tonearms, like the Schick or vintage classics like the SME 3012, which are too long to fit on the table's built in armboard design. In the past, cantilevered armboards were built for these longer transcription arms, which was not an optimal solution, as this did not offer a solid support for such long, heavy arms.
OMA's solution is to place a separate armboard, made of slate, to the rear of the plinth, and this allows the use of two arms with the TD 124. It also provides the best possible support for an arm, anchored directly to the full mass of the slate plinth, not being suspended from the turntable's chassis at all.
With this design, a single layer of slate can provide adequate mass for the plinth to ensure silent operation of a properly restored Thorens TD 124.
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| TD124 two layer plinth. | Plinth layers can each be 1.5 or 2 inches in thickness. | OMA can produce slate armboards for customers ordering a slate plinth for their TD124. | ||||
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Single 2" thick TD 124 plinth for a Schick tonearm. Note cutout for arm in rear. |
The armboards in this design mount directly to the slate plinth with hardware provided. This armboard is .5" thickness. | Complete single layer TD124 plinth for two arms. This plinth weighs approximately 70 pounds. | ||||
Testimonials
Just wanted to say thank you again. The table is up and running with the Schick arm and a D103R cart. It sounds fantastic, better than I expected to be honest. It's hard to stop spinning but my bed is calling.
Aaron J.
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Thank you very much for taking care of the table for me. My early impressions so far ….
The table is dramatically changed in a big way – I suspect it is 95% due to the slate plinth. It sounds like a massive table. I have never had bass response like that before in my system - very heavy yet very controlled. The new Plant/Krause LP sounds haunting – deep, dark bass. Classical piano – Shostakovich Preludes - is the best I have heard on a table in my system. I have the full weight of the piano. The soundstage overall is solidified with instrument placement more defined and disciplined. Now, the table screams for a better cartridge and possibly a new arm.
Paul K.
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It sounds really excellent...and looks great too! So far, I have engaged primarily in casual listening, primarily to lots of my old LP’s from the 70’s…no audiophile type stuff, just old vinyl. But I really like it. I’m not very good with all the words to describe the sound, but again, it sounds excellent – way better than CD’s. An added bonus is that, when I had my old Linn turntable set up, I couldn’t even walk anywhere near it without skipping the cartridge. Now, the Thorens is rock solid, and I can walk around with no problems.
Martin L.
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Steve Clarke’s thread at The Analog Dept. using the prototype slate TD124 plinth-
www.theanalogdept.com/124_in_slate.htm