I have owned this TD-145 for the last five years. It has the same frame, motor, arm and bearing as the TD160, but adds an auto-stop feature. Unfortunately, the auto-stop feature is not working on this table, which is why the table is offered at this price.Included is a Stanton 681E I have owned since new. I don't know how many hours are on this cartridge, but I don't recall having it installed for extended periods. As an alternative I can provide an Ortofon VMS with low hours Swiss made after market sytlus. Both the Ortofon and Stanton sound good and track great. The headshell was modified to accommodate top mounting cartridges. Some plastic bits and the headshell plate with Thorens logo were removed. The headshell still works the old way, but with removal of the sliding mounting sled (now possible because of the removed parts), top mounting cartridges (examples: Ortofon 2M and Grado Sonata) can be used. I can't find the plate with the logo - I put it someplace safe. I put a small dimple in it when prying it off. Also missing is the extra rear tonearm weight, which might only needed for heavy cartridges - the Stanton balances and plays with no issues. The table is in good cosmetic condition. The wood frame and top plate are very presentable. There is no sign of rust anywhere. The dust cover has some scratches, but no cracks. The main bearing, tonearm, motor spindle are in great shape. The cuing works smoothly. A new belt and gold plated RCA's have been installed. Other tweaks include plywood bottom plate, and moderate under chassis damping of the motor, tonearm mounting plate, and main bearing.
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