The Thorens MM002 and MM008 meet the Crosley C10 (Part 2 of 2)
It used to be that every single receiver or preamp had a built in phonostage. The way it used to work is that you would by a turntable, plug it in, and start spinning records. For the audio enthusiast, there was always low output moving coil cartridges, and the resultant step-up-transformer you could use to present a signal to the phono input, but the built in was always used. When the CD came to dominate, that the good 'ol built-in phono input went away. A minor proliferation of external phono stages began as analog declined, but it left the mass market's consciousness as the silver disc rose in domination. Given the people sticking to their vinyl through the near death of the medium were mostly performance oriented enthusiasts. The state of the art playback for analog rose considerably (both in performance and price) during this dark time. Now that vinyl is beginning to flirt with becoming mainstream again, brands are introducing their own tables and phono stages aimed squarely at the person just getting into the medium.
You may recall (link), that we reviewed the Crosley C10 turntable, custom built for them in the Czech Republic, and found it an excellent value at a street price around US$300. But what to use for the phono stage? When purchasing a turntable under $500, it is a pretty big ask for a phonostage above the price of the turntable. To this end we secured 2 phono amps to compare. The prices for the stages were $250/$300/$350 for MSRP -there are cheaper phonostages, and of course, more expensive, but these seemed to be the right balance of performance for extracting the most sound value from the tables in the $300-500 range.
The players:
Thorens MM-002 (MSRP US$250): It's a simple black box, whose gain and input impedance make it suitable for MM catridges. It's small enough to be able to be put wherever it is convenient.
Thorens MM-008 (MSRP US$350/$450): This one has inputs for a MM phono stage, but also has loadingplugs and provisions for a LOMC. For an extra US$100 it also includes a USB port so you can digitize your records directly to a computer.
Our reference is the Lounge Audio MM Phono stage (link) - it costs US$300, and is only sold direct from the manufacturer. We feel it is an excellent phonostage for the price, and has done well in showing off the capabilities of the Crosley and U-turn turntables. While it isn't being reviewed, know that we compared everything to it and our Plinius Koru (link) which is the phono stage of our main rig, and well outside the price class of this comparison, but is used as a counterpoint of what the turntables are capable of through a phonostage when price isn't much of a constraint.
What should one expect?
One of the things you can expect from this sort of combination, is a midrange and coherence that lets you know what the fuss is about when it comes to vinyl. The level of musical satisfaction should be high enough that one should not be wondering if there is more to be had, but whether more is even important. Of course, it can get better, but usually for more money.
It was our experience with the Crosley C10 and the Lounge Audio MM stage, that we also felt it wouldn't leave someone pining for their MP3's and CD rips (or CD's for that matter), and that a typical buyer would be both very pleased, but would also want to seek out the LP's and singles of their favorite music since it delivers a highly satisfying musical presenation.
Also what's cool, is that at this price level, you are nowhere near the "law of diminishing returns" and here, spending an extra $50-100 smartly will give you enormous gains in sound quality (for instance, moving from the Ortofon OM-5e to the 2M Red might be a decent upgrade, or for that matter any of the $100-150 moving magnet cartridges out there, should give solid benefits in frequency extension and musical weight and detail ... though the OM-5e isn't bad by any means).
How We Listened
This review was compiled over several weeks of listening - our steady diet of Jazz, Rock, Folk and Pop was our guide. We took notes, and did our best to use familiar recordings where we could at times.
MM-002: Decent Choice!
The MM-002 doesn't look that impressive when you see it. It's a simple black box, without much adornment, a neat set of connectors in and out, and a place to plug it in.
When we first got it, stone cold, the sound was a little constricted, but once it warmed up overnight, it opened right up. And over a period of a week with occasional spins, it clearly settled in some more. What we noticed is the midrange - which is the real strength of vinyl, and the part of the sound that tends to elicit the emotional reaction for music (as well as where vocals reside) comes through rich and full. Anyone using this phonostage will get a good measure of what vinyl is capable of, and won't be diving for their digital music.
This is closest to the included phono stages one might find in a really well designed receiver - it's faultless, and while there is better out there (for more), you might just be fine with this.
MM-008: Moving on up
The MM-008 is a step up from the MM-002, specifically in adding a Low Output moving coil input, some loading plugs in addition to the MM input. Given the price difference of "only" $100, you'd figure it was more or less identical to the MM-002, with the additional stuff to accommodate a foray into low output moving coils.
You might expect that, but it's clear the Thorens had other ideas. The phono stage really lit the setup up - there was more there there. More transparency, more treble and more bass resolution - and a measure of clarity and improvement over the MM002.
Conclusions
First off, any of these phono stages would be a decent, necessary part of a stereo adding vinyl to it, provided your receiver or amp doesn't have a built in phono stage. These perform like a well designed phono stage like you'd find in a really good receiver. If you are fortunate enough to have one built in, you would be best to start there, though in many mass market products, the MM-002 or MM-008 would be a very solid upgrade.
The C10 table is capable of sounding better with better phonostages (we even tried it with our reference Plinius Koru, which weighs in around US$4000), but once you start moving up the food chain you have to wonder about system balance, and costs. When I contemplate the supporting electronics for a $300-400 turntable, I start wondering when the price of the phonostage goes past about $500. It's nice to know one could go higher, and one can upgrade, you have wonder if you should.
We think either Thorens Phono would get someone into vinyl, and give the natural organic sound everyone raves about. While better performance can be had, with a setup like we're describing, you would have to spend more money to get more, and this is a very nice setup that could be a final destination for some.
You may recall (link), that we reviewed the Crosley C10 turntable, custom built for them in the Czech Republic, and found it an excellent value at a street price around US$300. But what to use for the phono stage? When purchasing a turntable under $500, it is a pretty big ask for a phonostage above the price of the turntable. To this end we secured 2 phono amps to compare. The prices for the stages were $250/$300/$350 for MSRP -there are cheaper phonostages, and of course, more expensive, but these seemed to be the right balance of performance for extracting the most sound value from the tables in the $300-500 range.
The players:
Thorens MM-002 (MSRP US$250): It's a simple black box, whose gain and input impedance make it suitable for MM catridges. It's small enough to be able to be put wherever it is convenient.
Thorens MM-008 (MSRP US$350/$450): This one has inputs for a MM phono stage, but also has loadingplugs and provisions for a LOMC. For an extra US$100 it also includes a USB port so you can digitize your records directly to a computer.
Our reference is the Lounge Audio MM Phono stage (link) - it costs US$300, and is only sold direct from the manufacturer. We feel it is an excellent phonostage for the price, and has done well in showing off the capabilities of the Crosley and U-turn turntables. While it isn't being reviewed, know that we compared everything to it and our Plinius Koru (link) which is the phono stage of our main rig, and well outside the price class of this comparison, but is used as a counterpoint of what the turntables are capable of through a phonostage when price isn't much of a constraint.
What should one expect?
One of the things you can expect from this sort of combination, is a midrange and coherence that lets you know what the fuss is about when it comes to vinyl. The level of musical satisfaction should be high enough that one should not be wondering if there is more to be had, but whether more is even important. Of course, it can get better, but usually for more money.
It was our experience with the Crosley C10 and the Lounge Audio MM stage, that we also felt it wouldn't leave someone pining for their MP3's and CD rips (or CD's for that matter), and that a typical buyer would be both very pleased, but would also want to seek out the LP's and singles of their favorite music since it delivers a highly satisfying musical presenation.
Also what's cool, is that at this price level, you are nowhere near the "law of diminishing returns" and here, spending an extra $50-100 smartly will give you enormous gains in sound quality (for instance, moving from the Ortofon OM-5e to the 2M Red might be a decent upgrade, or for that matter any of the $100-150 moving magnet cartridges out there, should give solid benefits in frequency extension and musical weight and detail ... though the OM-5e isn't bad by any means).
How We Listened
This review was compiled over several weeks of listening - our steady diet of Jazz, Rock, Folk and Pop was our guide. We took notes, and did our best to use familiar recordings where we could at times.
 |
| The MM-002 phono stage: basic looks, decent performance |
MM-002: Decent Choice!
The MM-002 doesn't look that impressive when you see it. It's a simple black box, without much adornment, a neat set of connectors in and out, and a place to plug it in.
When we first got it, stone cold, the sound was a little constricted, but once it warmed up overnight, it opened right up. And over a period of a week with occasional spins, it clearly settled in some more. What we noticed is the midrange - which is the real strength of vinyl, and the part of the sound that tends to elicit the emotional reaction for music (as well as where vocals reside) comes through rich and full. Anyone using this phonostage will get a good measure of what vinyl is capable of, and won't be diving for their digital music.
This is closest to the included phono stages one might find in a really well designed receiver - it's faultless, and while there is better out there (for more), you might just be fine with this.
 |
| Thorens M-008: Adds Moving Coil capability, but also kicks up the overall performance |
The MM-008 is a step up from the MM-002, specifically in adding a Low Output moving coil input, some loading plugs in addition to the MM input. Given the price difference of "only" $100, you'd figure it was more or less identical to the MM-002, with the additional stuff to accommodate a foray into low output moving coils.
You might expect that, but it's clear the Thorens had other ideas. The phono stage really lit the setup up - there was more there there. More transparency, more treble and more bass resolution - and a measure of clarity and improvement over the MM002.
Conclusions
First off, any of these phono stages would be a decent, necessary part of a stereo adding vinyl to it, provided your receiver or amp doesn't have a built in phono stage. These perform like a well designed phono stage like you'd find in a really good receiver. If you are fortunate enough to have one built in, you would be best to start there, though in many mass market products, the MM-002 or MM-008 would be a very solid upgrade.
The C10 table is capable of sounding better with better phonostages (we even tried it with our reference Plinius Koru, which weighs in around US$4000), but once you start moving up the food chain you have to wonder about system balance, and costs. When I contemplate the supporting electronics for a $300-400 turntable, I start wondering when the price of the phonostage goes past about $500. It's nice to know one could go higher, and one can upgrade, you have wonder if you should.
We think either Thorens Phono would get someone into vinyl, and give the natural organic sound everyone raves about. While better performance can be had, with a setup like we're describing, you would have to spend more money to get more, and this is a very nice setup that could be a final destination for some.
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