Thiele TT01 Zero Tracking Error Turntable with Thiele DB and DW01
Adding the DW01 Damping Weight
I mentioned my reservations regarding damping in the main listening section. Even though those fears proved entirely unfounded, I still had some mild trepidation when putting on the DW01 Damping Weight. You see, I used a few damping weights before, and without exception, they removed the bad along with the good. Basically, I’ve always felt that these dampers disrupted the pacing, impulsiveness, and overall dynamics. However, once again, Thiele proved me wrong, as the DW01 works particularly well in combination with the TT01.
The sound is now earthier, without changing the solidity or robustness. The presentation is most definitely calmer, but without affecting speed or dynamics. It’s definitely also a bit darker, not because there’s a lack of detail, but because previously unnoticed restlessness and unwanted interactions have been removed. Sounds now actually appear more sudden, coming from an even quieter background. Additionally, the DW01 enhances soundstaging, extending it further into the rear of the room, while also enriching the sense of emotional involvement with the music.
If that sounds impressive, now get this… With the DW01 removed, the sound suddenly feels barebones and cool in comparison! So, yes, it is a costly accessory, and the darker balance might not suit every system or taste, but there’s not a shred of a doubt that this Damping Weight does its job precisely as intended.
Out of curiosity, I also tried the RM01 Recordmat and DW01 Damping Weight with the Thorens and Technics turntables. Of course, the combo does not magically turn these turntables into Thieles. If only it were that simple! However, it does achieve similar results with all three turntables while retaining each model’s inherent qualities. In every case, the bass becomes fuller, the midrange breathes more freely, and the upper midrange and treble become quieter, calmer, and more organic. Thus, these accessories are worth considering not just for Thiele turntables, but for any turntable.
Removing the RM01 Recordmat
After removing the mat, the tonearm needed to be lowered 3mm to maintain the same VTA. After aligning the arm to the exact measured difference, I repeated the procedure Michael showed me, which involves listening for particular sonic cues while fine-tuning the VTA during playback. Once I found the ideal position, I played the same records I played before adding the mat.
There is no doubt: the Recordmat makes a large difference in the sound. Without it, the bass becomes more chiseled-from-granite-like, which, in itself, is a nice quality to have in the bass. However, this character extends through the midrange and treble, which are now drier, feel more staccato, and less free-flowing and natural. Remarkably, while the bass feels very solid and direct without the mat, it is actually nimbler and more precise with the Recordmat in place.
Overall, the mat delivers a subtly lusher, more spacious, and more organic sound that’s also more accurate and realistic. Piano, for instance, retains its percussive element, but the key strokes erupt more spontaneously from a more silent background and with more rhythmic freedom, while sustain is more clearly delineated.
To sum up, the Recordmat enhances both transients and decays and benefits bass precision, midrange purity, and treble delicacy and airiness, all without introducing any downsides.
Removing the DB Damping Base
With the Recordmat in place but the Damping Base removed and the turntable placed with its coned footers directly on the HRS EXR Audio Stand, the turntable remains technically amazing, and, importantly, the TA01 arm tracks just as superbly. However, you do really hear the effect of more noise coupling into the signal, as vocals are now less pure and clean and, counter-intuitively, the bass is also less precise. However, the presentation becomes more static. The music is less lit from within and feels less living and breathing, and rather than being instantly seductive, it now feels slightly less emotionally charged.
Nevertheless, after listening to a few tracks, I’m adjusted again, and my conclusion remains unchanged from the very first sentence in this review. Even on its own, the TT01/TA01 still performs better than all other turntables I have used.
Compared to my current turntables
Besides making his own turntable and tonearm, Helmut has also designed for Thorens since 2017, and I have two of the turntables he designed. I loved the Thorens TD 1601 from the first moment I heard it. It has all the Thorens DNA but was such a large improvement over any of the classic Thorens turntables I used that I purchased the review sample. That was the first model with the straight, single-piece TP 92 arm, where the cartridge sits under the arm tip. A few years later, Thorens released the TP 160 arm (also designed by Helmut Thiele) with its unique knife-edge + magnet bearing. This new arm offered clear advantages in certain areas, such as incredibly airy, refined treble and beautiful liquidity, but I felt the TP92 also had its strengths, such as robust bass and powerful dynamics. Each has something unique to offer, which is why I’ve kept both turntables.
The latest turntable I added was the Technics SL1200G. Before scoffing at this “DJ” turntable, please note that this Grand Class model sounds nothing like the standard SL1200. The “G” costs 4,5 as much as the base model for a very valid reason. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t believe the hype when it was introduced, which is why I reviewed it and then purchased it. In a nutshell, the SL1200 G has none of the base model’s dryness, tonal grayness, or staccato nature; instead, it’s remarkably fluid and refined. Compared to the Thorens TD 1601, especially with the TP92 arm, the SL 1200G is leaner, tonally less saturated, and overall less weighty, but it achieves a level of neutrality, transparency, and unwavering stability that the Thorens turntables cannot match. That’s why, to this day, I have three turntables and use the one that fits my mood. For the fine details and in-depth comparisons, please read the Thorens TD1601/TP92, Thorens TD1601/TP160, and Technics Grand Class Turntables reviews.
As far as cartridges go, I settled on the Thorens TAS 1600 (Line Contact) for the SL1200 G as well as the Thorens TD1601 with the TP 160 arm. For the older Thorens TD1601 with the TP92 arm, I preferred the even more refined and precise TAS 1500 (MicroRidge) cartridge. This goes some way toward extracting more precision and refinement from the TP92 arm, although the TP160 remains considerably more fluid and refined than the TP92 arm, no matter the cartridge.
Since I only have one Analog Relax EX500 cartridge and want to avoid unnecessary swaps, especially because its lower-than-average compliance will likely not suit my turntable arms, I used the two TAS 1600 cartridges to facilitate direct comparisons between different turntables, before ultimately also mounting a second TAS 1600 in the Thiele’s TA01 arm.
Technics SL1200 G
When fitted with a TAS 1600 cartridge, the SL1200G delivers very good resolution and unexpected fluidity and refinement, without any of the dryness, chugging, or other effects historically attributed to its Direct-Drive motor. I honestly can’t say the Technics is any less fluid than the Thorens turntables, but it does have a relatively more analytical feel.
However… compared to the Thiele, the Technics is very clearly many tiers lower in performance. Seriously, while the Technics is great at its price point and holds up pretty well with certain music genres, this is no contest. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s a fully mature and utterly realistic performance versus good Hi-Fi.
The Technics is much less robust in the bass and feels lightweight, tonally pastel, slightly synthetic by comparison, and far less natural and realistic. As the Thiele turntable also illustrates quite painfully, the Technics is not just a little lean, but also a little too brightly lit on top, which subjectively elevates the sense of detail and resolution and adds excitement, but also unnaturally spotlights the treble. Furthermore, the Technics moves into sibilance far sooner with hi-hats and loud S’s, particularly in the high-tracking-error parts of the record, but also overall.
The Thiele also has a far more physical reach-out-and-touch presence between the speakers. It’s not that the Technics does not focus or image well. It’s a little more forward than the Thiele, but in a more aggressive way. Even though the Technics sounds quite precise and refined compared to other turntables I own and have tried, the Thiele TT01/TA01 reveals it as rather messy from the midrange up. It’s very easy to hear but hard to explain. The Technics does sound diffuse, but it’s as if all the individual sounds in a recording are interfering with one another as a sort of crosstalk, whereas they all inhabit their own space, completely unaffected by the rest of the mix with the Thiele. Combined with its remarkable solidity and natural tonality, the performance makes one feel this much closer to the master tape. Once I heard this, it was very hard to return to the Technics.
Next: Thorens TD1601 with TP160, Thorens TD1601 with TP92, Thiele TT01 with TAS1600, Van den Hul Cable Swap, Closing Thoughts, and Conclusion
