The Thiele Zero Tracking Error Turntable turntable is divided into 3 levels which, according to the principle of‚ Constrained Layer Damping‘, ensure that the unavoidable interference from the drive motor is kept as far away as possible from the tonearm and cartridge.
The turntable is divided into 3 levels which, according to the principle of ‚Constrained Layer Damping‘, ensure that the unavoidable interference from the drive motor is kept as far away as possible from the tonearm and cartridge. In the lower level are the 3 adjustable feet that connect the entire turntable to the stand. The drive motor is also installed there, as well as the motor control and the XLR terminal.
The center level, connected to the lower and upper levels by a special adhesive layer, carries only the armboard and the tonearm. The platter bearing and the control panel are mounted on the top level. By choosing different wood materials, each level is optimised in terms of vibration. Disturbances are greatly reduced in stages from the drive level to the tonearm level. The result of this mix of materials and the construction is the impressive quietness of the turntable.
The turntable is driven by a flat belt. The platter bearing is a 10mm plain bearing with a 7mm ceramic ball. The bearing bottom is designed with a center hole so that the ceramic ball runs on a defined circular ring. This creates an even, controlled braking torque that keeps the drive motor constantly running against a small load. This bra- king torque calms the mechanical running of the motor. This effect is also further supported by the use of grease for the bearing axle instead of oil. The platter is made of three parts: sub-platter, acrylic disc and outer ring. This combination of materials contributes to the damping and smoothing of the platter.
Phono preamplifiers can be connected via balanced XLR outputs.
The tonearm is fixed to the arm board by a central steel ball and four screws arranged in a parallelogram. The contact via these 5 point connections has an isolating effect for resonances between chassis and tonearm.
The circular arm board mounted on the middle level of the chassis also has only 4 point-shaped contact points to the chassis.
The basic principle of this drive is the gradual isolation of the individual components while realising the greatest possible mechanical strength.
Technical specifications
- Chassis: Three-layer design according to the constrai- ned layer principle made of different woods.
- Arrangement of the components motor, tonearm and platter each on a separate layer
- Speed change via keyboard: 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm
- Fine speed control: +- 5%
- Speed stability ( rated ): < +- 0.07%
- Drive with synchronous motor and flat belt on sub- platter
- Synchronous motors selected for the highest possible mechanical quietness
- External power supply for 115V-230V
- Power consumption in operation: 12 W
- Power consumption when switched off: 6 W
- Platter bearing with hardened steel axle in bronze bushing
- Axial bearing with ceramic ball on ring-shaped Delrin bearing
- Lubrication with special grease Dimensions WxHxD: 510x200x400 Weight: 17 kg
Parts list
- Flightcase
- Chassis
- Tonearm
- Platter
- Platter mat
- Belt
- Power supply
- Mains cable Connection cable
- Accessories
- User manual Thiele TT01
- User manual Thiele TA01
Helmut Thiele, Industrial Designer
Helmut Thiele is a designer with a strong technical background. He completed his studies in industrial design in 1978 with a diploma thesis on a record player with a unipivot tonearm. During his professional career, he worked as a designer and developer for many industries. Products in the field of consumer goods, capital goods, furniture, tools, electronic measuring instruments and many others were created.
He worked as a designer and also as a constructor with profound knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes. For many years, he has intensively used 3D CAD technology for his design drafts and constructions.
However, hi-fi products have always been a particular focus, with experience from all other industries flowing in over decades.
He worked for brands such as:
Acapella, Michaelson&Austin, Tannoy, Mordaunt Short, Pioneer, Marantz, Acoustic Research, Jensen, Parasound, ALR, Phonosophie, Vincent, Phase Linear, Mac Audio, Oehlbach as a designer, for many projects also as a constructor.
For more than 25 years he has been the main designer and developer for all products of the Magnat and HECO brands, during which time loudspeakers, headphones, amplifiers, CD players and turntables were created.
For more than 10 years Helmut Thiele has been the main designer and developer for the Thorens brand, in this cooperation he developed the Thorens TD 309, followed by TD203, TD206, TD209. Further complete developments were the TD900 series, TD1600 and the latest product TD1500. He also developed the TP124 and TP150 tonearms in addition to the TP92 and TP88 tonearms.
In cooperation with the development department of Audio Technica, the pickup-cartridges TAS 1600 and TAS 1500 were developed.
For the TAD brand, he developed the Excalibur pickup-cartridge series with a Japanese manufacturer.
For the Genuin Audio brand, he developed the DRIVE turntable and the POINT tonearm. These turntables and tonearms are also produced by Helmut Thiele.
Other works for Genuin are the NEO and AVA active loudspeakers.
The latest products are Hifi racks for THIXAR.
In 2009, he began designing a tangential tonearm that he wanted to produce as his own product. After the first prototypes in 2009, this concept was gradually developed and optimised and after the last prototypes in 2020, the production of the first series of Thiele TA01 tonearms began. The development of the Thiele TT01 turntable as the basis for the tonearm began in 2019 and the first series was created together with the tonearms in 2021.
After successful presentations to the ATR team, Helmut Thiele was able to win ATR as a global distributor.
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ATR – Audio Trade
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Schenkendorfstraße 29 D-45472 Mülheim an der Ruhr
Telefon: 0208 – 882 660 Email: info@audiotra.de