Almost every vinyl enthusiast of a certain age has either owned, or known someone who owned, a Thorens turntable. The belt-driven TD-158, Thoren’s entry-level model, is billed as a plug-and-play model that’s easy to set up and use, thanks to its pre-mounted tonearm and moving-magnet cartridge, electronic speed selector, and fully automatic operation. This model comes with all necessary cables, plus an acrylic dust cover. For a step up in performance, consider the Thorens TD-170 ($499), which includes a better tonearm and an Ortofon OMB10 phono cartridge.
