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Thorens is a formerly
In 1883, the Thorens family business was first registered in Sainte-Croix (Ste-Croix), Vaud, Switzerland by Hermann Thorens. An initial producer of connect.de 31 August 2010, Plattenspieler Thorens TD 309 + TP 92
(German), retrieved 10 May 2020. In May 2018 Gunter Kürten, who had been manager at
CIMA mg 8371.jpg, Thorens pladespiller
CIMA museum (Centre International de la Mécanique d'Art) Thorens TD124 MkI SME3009 SII (14064040846).jpg, Thorens TD 124 (1957–1965) Thorens TD150 MkII + TP13a tonearm + Shure M44C (9486911553).jpg, Thorens TD150 MkII with TP13a tonearm (1965–1972) Thorens TD125 MkII + Mayware Formula IV + Signet Mk 111 (9590917310).jpg, Thorens TD 125 Mk II (1972–1975) Thorens TD 160 (3061166490).jpg, Thorens TD 160 (1972–1976) Thorens TD126mkiii (10297375545crop).jpg, Thorens TD 126 Mk III (1979–1986)
Official website
The Thorens 'Excelda' portable gramophone: 360° rotatable view of a machine held at the British Library
Thorens is a formerly Swiss
Swiss most commonly refers to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Swiss may also refer to: Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss Café, an old café located ...
manufacturer of high-end audio
High-end audio is a class of consumer home audio equipment marketed to audiophiles on the basis of high price or quality, and esoteric or novel sound reproduction technologies. The term can refer simply to the price, to the build quality of th ...
equipment. Thorens is historically renowned for the range of phonograph
A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...
s (turntables) the manufacturer produces. In addition to audio playback equipment, Thorens is also a historical manufacturer of harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...
s and has been separately a producer of Swiss-made cigarette lighters, most notably the button actuated "automatic lighter".
History
In 1883, the Thorens family business was first registered in Sainte-Croix (Ste-Croix), Vaud, Switzerland by Hermann Thorens. An initial producer of musical box
A music box (American English) or musical box (British English) is an automatic musical instrument in a box that produces Musical note, musical notes by using a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder (geometry), cylinder or disc to pluck ...
es and clock
A clock or chronometer is a device that measures and displays time. The clock is one of the oldest Invention, human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month, a ...
movements (which they were still producing in the 1950s), as well a cigarette lighters, they started producing Edison-type phonograph
A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...
s in 1903.
In 1928, they produced their first electric
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
(motor-drive) record player, and went on to produce a range of audiophile
An audiophile (from + ) is a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction. The audiophile seeks to achieve high sound quality in the audio reproduction of recorded music, typically in a quiet listening space in a room with ...
record players in the 1950s and 1960s which are, even today, regarded as high-end audio
High-end audio is a class of consumer home audio equipment marketed to audiophiles on the basis of high price or quality, and esoteric or novel sound reproduction technologies. The term can refer simply to the price, to the build quality of th ...
equipment, and are much sought-after, for example, the belt-driven and sub-chassis suspended TD 150 which was presented 1965. Its principle is also found in the Linn Sondek LP12. Its successor TD 160 appeared in 1972 and was built nearly without discontinuity for 20 years. With the TD 320 Thorens presented in 1984 changed the springs of the sub-chassis to laminated springs.
Although Thorens embarked on a cost-reduction effort in 1997, the company became insolvent in 1999. A new Suisse Thorens Export Company AG took over the assets and continued trading. The owner of the rights to the name was Heinz Rohrer.
From 1999 the less expensive TD 190/170, later the TD 190/170-1, without sub-chassis was offered, its design is similar to the more expensive Thorens-players.
First 2004 Thorens presented a mass drive player the TD 850.
2012 Thorens got the EISA Award "best product 2011 / 2012" for the TD 309, a sub-chassis player with a three-point-suspension and a turntable made of glass.(German), retrieved 10 May 2020. In May 2018 Gunter Kürten, who had been manager at
Denon
is a Japanese electronics company dealing with audio equipment. The Denon brand came from a merger of Denki Onkyo (not to be confused with the other Onkyo) and others in 1939. It originally started as Nippon Chikuonki Shoukai in 1910 by Freder ...
and Elac, became CEO and relocated operations to Germany.
As of 2019, Thorens continues to produce well-regarded turntables for the playback of vinyl and 78rpm gramophone records.
Gallery of record players
CIMA museum (Centre International de la Mécanique d'Art) Thorens TD124 MkI SME3009 SII (14064040846).jpg, Thorens TD 124 (1957–1965) Thorens TD150 MkII + TP13a tonearm + Shure M44C (9486911553).jpg, Thorens TD150 MkII with TP13a tonearm (1965–1972) Thorens TD125 MkII + Mayware Formula IV + Signet Mk 111 (9590917310).jpg, Thorens TD 125 Mk II (1972–1975) Thorens TD 160 (3061166490).jpg, Thorens TD 160 (1972–1976) Thorens TD126mkiii (10297375545crop).jpg, Thorens TD 126 Mk III (1979–1986)
See also
*List of phonograph manufacturers
This is a list of phonograph manufacturers. The phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone, record player or turntable, is a device introduced in 1877 for the mechanical recording and reproduction of sound. Phonographs can also spec ...
External links
Official website
The Thorens 'Excelda' portable gramophone: 360° rotatable view of a machine held at the British Library
References
{{Authority control Phonograph manufacturers Manufacturing companies established in 1883 Audio equipment manufacturers of Germany Audio equipment manufacturers of Switzerland Swiss brands