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Thorens GmbH

Thorens New Reference

Thorens New Reference

$299,995.00 USD
$299,995.00 USD
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The best record player
we've ever made
The New Reference is the result of an in-depth co-operation between Thorens and Seismion.
Features
Hydrodynamic discbearing with precision belt drive
Active vibration isolation with piezoelectric sensors
Sky-hook damping principle
up to 100× more effective than air suspension
Quartz-controlled speed with double oscillator
Stability: max. 3 ppm over 20 years
3-phase synchronous motor for smooth running
Can be fitted with up to 3 tonearm bases
Supports tonearm lengths: 9", 10", 12"
Ultra-precise rotary encoder for constant 33.3333 rpm
THE BEST RECORD PLAYER
WE'VE EVER MADE
The Thorens New Reference is the result of our pursuit of perfect reproduction of music recordings.
SPACE LEVEL TECHNOLOGIES IN
YOUR LIVING ROOM
The Thorens New Reference was the first turntable to be designed and optimized from the ground up, together with a fully active vibration isolation system.
WE TAKE FULL CARE OF
EXTERNAL CONDITIONS
The Thorens New Reference is the result of in-depth cooperation between Thorens and Seismion. Seismion has built an international reputation for its high-quality active vibration isolators, which are used in the semiconductor industry, nanotechnology, and scientific research laboratories, and is now applying this expertise to design a unique turntable with active vibration isolation as an integral part of the system.
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Technology
The Thorens New Reference is the result of our pursuit of perfect reproduction of music recordings. The recording information is contained in the vinyl record. This information is picked up by the cartridge as the stylus traces the minute nuances of the grooves and converts these mechanical vibrations into electrical signals. These electrical signals are then further converted into audible sound.
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FULLY INTEGRATED ACTIVE
VIBRATION ISOLATION
THROUGH SEISMIC TECHNOLOGY
However, all other mechanical vibrations of the turntable are also processed into sound signals, resulting in distortion and other undesirable effects. These vibrations can be caused by building vibrations, footfall noise, sound waves from the music being played, and the turntable itself. It is impossible to distinguish between desired and undesired vibrations. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to avoid these parasitic influences as much as possible.
The Thorens design team, led by Helmut Thiele, who is responsible for the construction and design of the new Reference, has taken on this challenge.

The Thorens New Reference is the first turntable designed and optimized from the ground up in conjunction with a fully active vibration isolation system. It is the result of a deep collaboration between Thorens and Seismion. Seismion has established an international reputation for its high-quality active vibration isolators, which are used in the semiconductor industry, nanotechnology, and scientific research laboratories. Seismion is now applying this expertise to design a unique turntable with active vibration isolation as an integral part of the system.
Sky-Hook damper
Active vibration isolation is based on highly sensitive piezoelectric accelerometers and fully linear electronic control to generate unprecedentedly interference-free control forces without noise or distortion. This complex mechatronic system is based on the so-called sky-hook damping principle and isolates disturbances below 1 Hz. At 10 Hz, the disturbances are reduced to less than 1% (-40 dB). Such performance far surpasses all other isolation principles (see Figure 1).

This illustration compares the active isolation system – Sky-Hook Damper – with a high-performance air spring. Particularly at critical frequencies near resonance, the active isolation is 100 times better than the air spring, and still 17 times stronger at 10 Hz. Other damping systems, such as rubber elements, exhibit significantly lower performance and are therefore not included in this comparison.
Isolation performance of the Sky-Hook damper used in the Thorens New Reference compared to an air suspension.
Schematic representation of the sky-hook damping principle and location of the center of gravity
Sky-hook damping principle
The overall system is designed so that the center of gravity (COG) is located close to the isolation plane. This significantly reduces the coupling of horizontal vibrations and tilting movements (Figure 2). Furthermore, the chassis itself is resonance-free due to its layered structure of highly damping materials.

The result of vibration isolation is pure music, rarely experienced in the same way. The effect goes far beyond simply eliminating footfall vibrations. In fact, even the smallest vibrations, from the nanometer to the picometer range, are efficiently isolated thanks to the contactless actuators. The system also responds extremely quickly to music with high dynamics, transitioning between quiet and loud sequences, as the active control forces stabilize the system and cause the vibrations to decay instantly. An adaptive leveling system, which precisely balances the turntable within 20 micrometers, completes the active isolation system.
Drive unit with innovative absolute velocity feedback from seismic
Another fundamental component of any turntable is the drive unit. The ultimate goal is to achieve a perfect and constant rotational speed of the platter. This applies to both the absolute speed and the speed modulations around the mean value, also known as wow and flutter. The new Thorens Reference features a German-made 3-phase synchronous motor driven by three linear power amplifiers with 120° offset sine waves. The motor torque is transmitted to the platter via a belt (Figure 3). The hydrodynamic bearing has been optimized using fundamental equations from lubrication theory. In this context, the Sommerfeld number is used as a dimensionless parameter to describe the bearing's behavior. The Sommerfeld number is used in lubrication technology to describe the ratio between the lubricant film thickness and the bearing diameter. It is named after the German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld, who conducted fundamental work on the hydrodynamics of lubricant films. A low Sommerfeld number means that the bearing is centered even at very low rotational speeds, which reduces wear and ensures minimal eccentricity and turbulence. The hydrodynamic bearing is hand-assembled in Germany.
Schematic representation of the belt drive
Transmission behavior of the belt drive with conventional viscous damping and with the active velocity damping of Seismion in the Thorens New Reference
In combination with the innovative active damping technology, the belt drive offers several significant advantages:

1. Unlike direct drive systems, the platter is isolated from the drive motor by the elastic belt. The platter's high inertia is therefore efficiently utilized, passively helping to maintain a constant platter speed. Furthermore, any motor fluctuations are significantly suppressed by the second-order low-pass filtering of the platter/belt.

2. A common disadvantage of belt-drive systems, however, is the potential resonance of the platter, which manifests as the so-called "wow" and flutter. The rotational inertia of the platter, combined with the elasticity of the belt, creates a system prone to oscillation. The resonant frequency is typically around 4 Hz, but depends on the actual system parameters. The orange curve in Figure 4 shows a peak at approximately 4 Hz. Here, all disturbances are amplified. This means that the rotational speed of the platter is no longer constant, but is modulated by a 4 Hz oscillation. This effect is known as "wow" and is highly undesirable, especially since the human ear is most sensitive in this frequency range. Figure 5 shows the weighting function according to DIN 45507 or IEC 386. Unfortunately, the maximum of this weighting falls within the typical frequency range of platter-belt resonances. The vibrations of the turntable are primarily caused by friction in the platter bearing, a platter that is not perfectly circular, irregularities in the belt, and the slippage between the belt and platter necessary to transmit the torque from the motor. The orange curve drops sharply at higher frequencies. This is the desired effect of the platter's inertia.
The Thorens New Reference features an innovative and highly effective active damping system from Seismion. The extensive knowledge and experience gained with Sky-Hook damping systems, which are used in the "Reactio" active vibration isolator, are applied to the turntable's completely new active damping approach.

The calculation of the turntable's rotational speed is based on two ultra-high-precision quartz oscillators with a long-term stability of max. 3 ppm over 20 years, enabling safety monitoring and reliable speed control throughout the New Reference's lifespan. In concrete terms, this means that the absolute speed remains within a range of 33.3332 to 33.3334 revolutions per minute over 20 years.
Weighting function for Wow according to DIN 45507 or IEC 386
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The signal from the high-precision rotary encoder, mounted on the spindle, is fed into the control electronics, which implements absolute speed feedback of the platter. This effect can be compared to high-viscosity platter bearings commonly used in belt-driven turntables. However, the active damping system developed for the Thorens New Reference offers several advantages over passive damping techniques using viscous platter bearings:

  • Active damping reduces resonance amplification at 4 Hz and maintains the steep roll-off at higher frequencies, whereas a high-viscosity platter bearing has a negative effect on higher frequencies because the curve does not roll off as steeply and the inertial effect is not ideally utilized.
  • The active damping effect can be increased significantly more (lower blue line in Fig. 4) than passively, which is shown as a dashed orange line in Fig. 4.
  • The turntable bearing can be designed to be as mechanically friction-free as possible, since the damping is actively generated. As a result, unlike a viscous damping bearing, it produces only a minimal, constant braking torque.
  • The low frictional torque significantly reduces the stress on the motor and belt. This minimizes any interference from the motor and friction contacts, and also improves service life. The active damping does not generate a constant braking torque, but only a dynamic torque to eliminate modulation frequencies.
As a result, the active damping system in the Thorens New Reference efficiently absorbs any frequency modulations at the highest level.
Finally, the active isolation system explained in the previous section also contributes to better wow and flutter performance, as it stabilizes the entire subchassis on which the turntable is placed.
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Versions / Combinations
The Thorens New Reference can be fitted with up to three tonearm bases and accommodates 9", 10", and 12" tonearms. In addition to the newly developed TP160 cutting-bearing tonearm in 12" length with continuous silver wiring, the Thiele TA01 tonearm is also used.
The complex kinematics of the Thiele TA01 combine the precise and rigid guidance of a pivoted tonearm with the advantages of a tangential tonearm. This design guides the cartridge across the record with a maximum tracking error of 0.036 degrees. The tonearm tube is double-walled and filled with a two-component gel for optimal damping. The result of this design is unparalleled spatial resolution, exceptional detail, and perfect tonality.
THORENS REFERENCE HISTORY
1979 Thorens Reference
1979
Thorens Reference
being first in the class
being first in the class
2024 Thorens New Reference
2024
Thorens New Reference
Throughout its history, Thorens has developed a number of devices that have become milestones in the history of consumer electronics. In 1980, the ultimate turntable, the Thorens Reference, was developed.
CUSTOMIZABLE TO
ANY TASTE
The Thorens New Reference can be fitted with up to three tonearm bases and accommodates 9", 10", and 12" tonearms.

You can also choose between three finishes.