Thorens - TD 124 DD Exclusive Direct Drive Turntable

The TD 124 DD taken further: a twelve-inch TP 124 wired internally in pure silver, a 5mm copper plate bonded to the platter, high-gloss walnut, and an EMT cartridge cut specifically for the longer arm.

Four changes separate the Exclusive from the standard TD 124 DD, and each of them addresses something specific.

The tonearm goes from 232.8mm to 309mm effective length — a twelve-inch special version of the TP 124, with effective mass raised to 20g. A longer arm traces a shallower arc across the record, which means less tracking error at every radius and less of the distortion that error produces. Thorens describes it as a significantly reduced tracking error angle, and that is the whole argument for a twelve-inch arm.

Its internal wiring is pure silver, fitted specifically to protect signal purity over the longer run — a nine-inch arm’s wiring is short enough that conductor material is a marginal question, and a twelve-inch arm’s is not.

The platter gains a 5mm copper plate on top of the aluminium. Copper and aluminium have quite different resonant behaviour, so bonding the two together spreads and damps whatever ringing either would show alone — the same reasoning that puts brass on aluminium in other high-end platters.

And the cartridge is an EMT Tontechnik design, the EMT-TSD Exclusive: ruby cantilever, Gyger-cut stylus, pure gold coil wire, 0.7mV at 5cm/s into 12Ω, channel balance within 0.5dB. Thorens describes it as specifically optimised for the twelve-inch TP 124. Be aware that Thorens’ own spec sheet lists the cartridge as optional even while their marketing describes the pairing as designed together — ask us to confirm the current bundling before you order rather than assume it is in the box.

One thing to keep straight: this is not the TD 124 DD 140th Anniversary edition, which was a separate, earlier limited run reported at 140 units. Thorens publishes no production cap for the Exclusive. If someone quotes you a unit number for this model, ask where it came from.

The TPN 124 linear power supply is included.

Features

• Twelve-inch TP 124 tonearm, 309mm effective length, for markedly lower tracking error
• Pure silver internal tonearm wiring
• 5mm copper plate bonded to the aluminium platter
• EMT-TSD Exclusive cartridge with ruby cantilever, Gyger stylus and pure gold coil wire
• High-gloss walnut finish
• TPN 124 external linear power supply included
• Balanced XLR and gold-plated RCA outputs
• Fully electronically controlled DC direct-drive motor

Specifications

• Type: Direct-drive turntable, Exclusive edition
• What it adds over the standard TD 124 DD: A twelve-inch TP 124 tonearm in place of the standard 232.8mm arm; pure silver internal tonearm wiring; a 5mm copper plate added to the aluminium platter; a high-gloss walnut finish; and the EMT-TSD Exclusive cartridge developed for the longer arm
• Not to be confused with: The TD 124 DD 140th Anniversary edition, a separate and earlier limited run reported at 140 units. That is a different product. Thorens publishes no production cap for the Exclusive
• Drive: Direct drive
• Motor: Fully electronically controlled DC motor. Note that Thorens describes the motor in more detail here than on the standard TD 124 DD’s own datasheet, which says only direct drive — probably the same motor described more fully, but Thorens does not confirm that
• Speed regulation: Electronic speed selection. No quartz-lock, servo or sensor detail is published
• Platter: Aluminium, 3.5kg, with an additional 5mm-thick copper plate fitted to it. Thorens states this improves acoustic coupling and reduces resonance. Diameter is not published
• Speeds: 33 1/3 and 45rpm. 78rpm is not offered
• Wow and flutter: 0.035% DIN and 0.007% W.R.M.S. — the same two figures Thorens publishes for the standard TD 124 DD
• Rumble / signal-to-noise: Not published
• Tonearm: Thorens TP 124, twelve-inch special version with pure silver internal cable
• Effective tonearm length: 309.0mm
• Overhang: 17.8mm
• Offset angle: 23.66°
• Effective tonearm mass: 20g
• Bearing type: Not published
• VTA and azimuth: Not published for the Exclusive specifically
• Anti-skate: Ruby-mounted counterweight
• Headshell: Removable, SME connector
• Cartridge: EMT Tontechnik EMT-TSD Exclusive — ruby cantilever, Gyger-cut stylus, pure gold coil wire, 0.7mV output at 5cm/s, 12Ω impedance, channel balance 0.5dB. Thorens describes it as specifically optimised for the twelve-inch TP 124, but lists it as optional on the spec sheet. Confirm current bundling with us before ordering
• Built-in phono stage: Not published
• Outputs: Gold-plated RCA and balanced XLR
• Automatic functions: Not restated for the Exclusive. The standard TD 124 DD’s electric lift is presumably carried over, but Thorens does not say so in the Exclusive spec sheet and we are not going to assume it
• Finish: High-gloss walnut. Plinth material beneath the finish is not published
• Feet / isolation: Not published
• Dust cover: Not published
• Dimensions: 510 x 190 x 352 mm (W x H x D)
• Weight: 15kg, stated without the power supply
• Power supply: External TPN 124 linear power supply, included in the scope of delivery
• Country of manufacture: Not published for the Exclusive specifically. Thorens states no manufacturing country on any page or document for this model