Thorens

 
Thorens is a Swiss company with a very long history, and are one of the few companies that have been involved with music boxes, cylinder phonographs, disc phonographs, development of electrical recording and playing, radio, Hi-fi, high end turntables and CD.

1883    Registration of the family-business of Hermann Thorens, in St.-Croix / Switzerland, manufacturing musical boxes and movements.
1900    Manufacture of Thorens' cylinder phonographs.
1906    Change-over to the manufacturing of horn-gramophones for flat records.
1913-1964    Manufacturing of cigarette lighters
1914-1952    Manufacturing of harmonicas (except for the time from 1921-1938)
1927   Conversion of the family business to a joint-stock company (AG)
1928    Development of the first electric motor (direct drive) for gramophones.
1929    Development of the first electric phono pick-up (employing a magnet principle).
1933    Manufacturing of wireless appliances, partly in cooperation with the Strassfurt-Imperial Co., Germany.
1940-1950    Production of professional disc-cutting lathes and phono pick-up cartridges.
1943    Production of the first record changer.
1957    Introduction of the classic TD124 Hi-Fi record player. The success of this player had an enormous effect at Thorens, shaping the future direction for the company into that of a worldwide manufacturer of high quality  stereo record players.
1958-1961    Introduction of the models TD184, TD134 with BL104 tonearm,
1962    Introduction of the unique TD224 HI-Fi record changer, the TD121 & the TD111.
1963    Thorens merges with Paillard SA, St.-Croix / Switzerland.  Denerges three years later. 
1965    Introduction of the TD150 with TP13 tonearm.  This new suspended layout presents a significant step forward in efforts to reduce rumble noise.
1966    Effective July 1st, 1966, the Swiss Thorens-Franz AG took over the entire business concerning Thorens record players and together with EMT Wilhelm Franz of Germany, they established a new business for research, development and manufacturing in Lahr / Germany, located in the foothills of the Black Forest.
1968    Introduction of the TD125 electronically-controlled (Wien Bridge Oscillator) turntable equipped with the TP25  tonearm.  This table replaces the TD124 II as the flagship of the product line. 
1969    Introduction of the TD150 Mk II with new tonearm TP13A.
1972    The introduction of the TD125 MkII. 
1974    Presentation of the TD126 "electronic" with tonearm TP16.
1976    Introduction of the "Isotrack"-tonearm with a  low effective mass. This led to models: TD126 Mk II , TD160 Mk II , TD166, TD145 Mk II. Thorens also commence with building the AT410 stereo receiver.
1978    New Products TD104, TD105, TD110, TD115. The Receiver AT403, Cassette Deck PC 650, Sound Wall l           
1979    Development of the state-of-the-art turntable "Reference"
1981-1983      Introduction of the TD226, featuring a vacuum pump platter and space for two tonearms. 
1982    Introduction of the upgraded TD166 Mk II 

1983    The Thorens Prestige is introduced.  
1984    Design, development and introduction of the new standard: TD320 
1985    Introduction of the TD520 professional, successor to the TD126. 
1989    Development and production of the TD2001
1990    TD3001, an improved variant of the TD2001
1990-1991    Relocation of Thorens production and Thorens sale/distribution to new premises.
1991
    Presentation of the new tonearm TP50 and the TD180 semi-automatic record player.
1992    Introduction of the TD290 "Budget High-End" turntable.
1993
    The production of the low-priced Thorens record players starts up in Lodz / Poland.
1994
   Development and introduction of new Thorens proprietary electronic audio components.  Considered absolutely High-End and provided with the family name "Thorens Consequence", the first devices to hit the market are a highly musical preamplifier and power amplifier.  Presentation of the Thorens "Classic" line, a pre and power amplifier employing tubes.
1995
    Foundation of the Thorens Laboratory in Berlin with the purpose of developing and manufacturing High End audio components.  Introduction of the CD player, D/A converter and RDS-tuner.
1996    The "Thorens Consequence" family welcomes a pair of powerful mono block amplifiers and a unique power line conditioner.
1999
    Thorens TD325 is shown at CES '99.
Dec/2000
 
  Thorens was refused Chapter 11 bankruptcy by the German government. 
May/2002
    Restructuring of ownership and shareholder organization.  New management appointed to re-launch the brand "Thorens". 
Present Day     Thorens still exist and continue to win acclaim and prizes for their High-End Audio

Thorens CLEOPATRA (for left & right handers)

Link to ROMFI
 

This machine has a similar basic layout to other Thorens 2 minute standard cylinder machines, however unique by the fact of being able to be wound from both the left and right hand sides. With the standard Thorens machines, the winding mechanism operated on the center of the spring barrel. With the Thorens Cleopatra, the additional left / right winding technology acts on the outside of the spring barrel. This is a double spring motored machine.

It is designed to play wax 2 minute records. It is housed in a reversible case

Thorens phonograph for 2 minute wax cylinders

Link to ROMFI
 

The interesting point with this machine is that there is an interesting construction of the start / stop leaver and the lever that lowers the reproducer and feedscrew. The lyre type endplate is the way to identify Thorens phonographs.

This machine played a normal 2 minute cylinder, and has a single spring motor.

 

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