Phono Preamplifiers

Although principally regarded as a maker of turntables and fitted tonearms, Thorens has a long history with electronics other than the rather predictable choice of producing phono stages. Prior to its best-known era, the post-war years as a premier turntable maker, Thorens produced early gramophones and radios. Some might be surprised to learn that it even manufactured valve amplifiers in the 1960s, and later on, CD players and both solid-state and hybrid amps.

From the early '60s, the rare AZ25 was an all-tube integrated amp with five inputs and front panel polarity inversion. Inside were 12 valves, including eight ECC83s, and power output was likely to be around 25W. As late as the 1990s, Thorens offered a series of other integrated amplifiers, including the half-width TTA 2000, rated at 2x35W and up to 20W in Class A.

Digital separates included the TCD 2000 CD player/transport and matching TDA 2000 DAC. Part of the Consequence range – we'd guess that in the mid '90s, Thorens wasn't about to depend on turntable sales – the top-loading TCD 2000 featured a Philips mech, smoked lid, gloss black finish and gold details. The TDA 2000 DAC was housed in the same half-width enclosure, handled up to 48kHz and had three digital inputs – two coaxial and one Toslink. But my dream from Thorens' past? The impressive TEM3200 200W hybrid monoblock of 2006.