The latest launch from the German turntable manufacturer, Erikson Home, is the THORENS TD 204. And there are many good reasons why the Erikson Home THORENS TD 204 should get your attention.
First of all, Erikson Home describes the THOREN TD 204 as a high-end audiophile beginner turntable. Now, what exactly is a beginner turntable?
In short, it is a turntable with huge sound expansion potential and is directed to audiophiles looking for a mid-field priced device.
Even though it is in the mid-range price category, the Erikson Home THORENS TD 204 sits comfortably between the true audiophile-grade and the enthusiast level.
However, not much distinguishes the THORENS TD 204 from the high-end devices. That is, not having some features that are present in the THORENS flagships.
Wondering what features are missing in the Erikson Home THORENS TD 204? One example would be XLR outputs. The audiophile brand also did not isolate the higher-end cartridges and the sub-chassis.
Even so, the overall performance and the value of the Erikson Home THORENS TD 204 are worth it. The surface of the unit comes with two different finishes.
You can choose a black high gloss option or the walnut high gloss option. And the design characteristics are pretty similar to the other devices that are in the THORENS range.
Furthermore, the Erikson Home THORENS TD 204 introduces a new tonearm. It comes with high-quality bearing technology. It significantly reduces the bearing play and the coefficients of friction.
Thanks to that, the tonearm can place the turntable in the high-end range. On that note, the THORENS TD 204 tonearm is 9 inches in size and is J-shaped.
This aluminum tonearm has an effective mass of 15 grams, which is visually similar to the tonearm TP 1500, which is a flagship model.
Besides that, there is a detachable headshell with an SME connector. It comes with an Audio Technica AT95E cartridge. And for skating compensation, Erikson Home THORENS TD 204 integrates a spring.
The connection terminal on the back has RCA sockets. You can use those for amplifier connectivity. There is also an integrated MM phono pre-amp, which you can switch on and off according to your preference.
Basically, you can connect the Erikson Home THORENS TD 204 with virtually any audio playback source.
Moreover, the platter of the TD 204 is set in rotation by a precision drive belt. It is of die-cast aluminum. And the plinth of the turntable rests on four vibration-dampening feet.
For those, you can expect the turntable TD 204 to offer excellent performance with a minimal level of vibration.
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