Thorens writes: “The worldwide success of our TD 124 DD did not prevent us from continuing to research, listen, and experiment with this already highly perfected player. In the process, we have discovered some truly effective upgrades that are now incorporated into our anniversary player, the TD 124 DD 140th Anniversary. One visible upgrade at first glance is the new two-layer platter, which connects the already heavy aluminum platter of the 124 DD with a five-millimeter-thick layer of solid copper.”
“The sonic success of this measure is not solely due to the increased mass but also the interaction of two different materials whose resonances cancel each other out. Concerns about the platter bearing are unfounded as we had already generously over-dimensioned it for the TD 124 DD, as well as the drive, which could handle even larger loads in motion.
Less obvious than the sandwich platter but equally rewarding is the new wiring of the TP 124 tonearm. In the Anniversary version, high-purity silver wire connects the cartridge to the outputs. We believe that the new wiring particularly makes a positive impact with low-output moving coil (MC) cartridges. This system family also includes the third exclusive upgrade of the Anniversary: a special version of our SPU 124, produced by the Danish manufacturer Ortofon with coils made of pure silver. We even convinced Ortofon to manufacture the classic cartridge housing from the old material, Bakelite, instead of the newer fiber-resin composite. Those who are eager to add one to their SPU collection must be disappointed: This limited-edition world-class MC cartridge is only available as a package with the TD 124 DD 140th Anniversary.”