Thorens TAS 1500 Moving Coil Cartridge at Vinyl Sound Buffalo, NY USA

The Thorens TAS 1500 is a high-performance moving coil phono cartridge from Thorens (Lahr, Germany), manufactured in Japan and available at Vinyl Sound in Buffalo, NY, USA. Developed as the ideal cartridge partner for the EISA-award-winning TD 1500 turntable and TD 403 DD, the TAS 1500 is matched precisely to the TP 150 precision tonearm for optimal resonance performance. Its 0.28 mm nude boron cantilever and Microlinear nude stylus combine exceptional tracking accuracy with a wide frequency response of 20 Hz to 47,000 Hz. An output voltage of 0.4 mV at 1 kHz and a coil wound with PCOCC copper ensure a clean, detailed signal with minimal noise, harmonizing with all standard phono preamplifiers rated for moving coil input from a minimum of 100 ohms load impedance.

Boron Cantilever and Microlinear Stylus

The performance of a phono cartridge is largely determined by two components: the cantilever and the stylus. The TAS 1500 uses a 0.28 mm diameter nude boron cantilever, boron being one of the stiffest and lightest materials available for this application. A stiffer cantilever transmits groove modulations to the generating coils with less self-flexing and energy storage, meaning the coil responds more instantaneously to fine high-frequency groove detail. The 2.2 x 0.12 mil nude Microlinear stylus is a line-contact type with an elliptical rear shank, allowing it to trace fine groove detail that a standard elliptical stylus tip misses, particularly in the high-frequency groove modulations of the inner grooves. The nude construction, with the diamond shaped directly rather than bonded to a metal shank, minimizes tip mass for the fastest, most accurate transient response.

PCOCC Coil, Specifications, and System Matching

The TAS 1500's generating coils are wound with PCOCC wire, an ultra-pure copper produced by the Ohno Continuous Casting process, which creates a continuous single-crystal copper structure with significantly fewer grain boundaries than conventional copper. Fewer grain boundaries mean reduced micro-distortion and a cleaner signal at the very low output voltages of an MC cartridge. With a DC resistance of 12 ohms and a recommended load impedance of at least 100 ohms, the TAS 1500 is compatible with a broad range of MC phono stages from budget-oriented step-up transformer designs to high-gain active MC preamplifiers. The recommended tracking force of 2.0 g, within a range of 1.8 to 2.2 g, is well-matched to the 14g effective mass of the TP 150 tonearm.

Key Features

• Moving Coil Design: Low-mass generating system for excellent high-frequency detail and transient accuracy compared to moving magnet designs.
• Nude Boron Cantilever (0.28 mm): Exceptional stiffness-to-mass ratio for instantaneous response to fine groove modulations; no bonding agent or metal shank between stylus and coil.
• Microlinear Nude Stylus (2.2 x 0.12 mil): Line-contact stylus type for superior inner groove tracking and extended high-frequency response to 47 kHz.
• PCOCC Coil Winding: Ultra-pure single-crystal copper from the Ohno Continuous Casting process for minimal signal coloration and micro-distortion.
• 0.4 mV Output at 1 kHz: Suitable for standard MC phono stages and step-up transformers with gain rated for low-output MC input.
• 27 dB Channel Separation at 1 kHz: High stereo channel isolation for precise imaging and minimal inter-channel crosstalk.
• Aluminum Body: Lightweight, low-resonance body construction for minimal mass contribution to the tonearm resonance system.
• Optimized for TP 150 Tonearm: Compliance and mass specifically matched to the 14g effective mass of the TP 150 for ideal tonearm resonance frequency.
• 1/2-Inch Mount with Threaded Inserts: Standard universal mounting for compatibility with any headshell using standard 1/2-inch cartridge mounting.

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Thorens TAS 1500?

The Thorens TAS 1500 is a moving coil phono cartridge manufactured in Japan for Thorens, designed as the optimal pairing for the TD 1500 and TD 403 DD turntables with the TP 150 tonearm. It features a 0.28 mm nude boron cantilever, Microlinear nude diamond stylus, PCOCC coil winding, 0.4 mV output voltage, 27 dB channel separation, and a frequency response of 20 Hz to 47 kHz. It is available at Vinyl Sound in Buffalo, NY, USA.

How does the Thorens TAS 1500 compare to the Ortofon 2M Bronze or Hana EL?

The Ortofon 2M Bronze is a premium moving magnet cartridge with a Fine Line nude diamond stylus and a higher output voltage of around 5 mV, requiring only a standard MM phono stage. The Hana EL is a low-output moving coil cartridge from Japan with an elliptical stylus and output of 0.5 mV. The TAS 1500 uses a Microlinear line-contact stylus, which offers finer groove contact and better inner-groove tracking than the Hana EL's elliptical tip, and its nude boron cantilever provides faster, more precise mechanical response than the aluminum cantilevers found in most MC cartridges at the Hana EL's level. Like the Hana EL, the TAS 1500 requires a dedicated MC phono stage, but delivers a measurably extended frequency response to 47 kHz compared to the 20 kHz typical of MM cartridges.

What is a Microlinear stylus and how does it differ from an elliptical stylus?

A Microlinear stylus is a line-contact stylus type with a contact profile shaped as a narrow ellipse with a very small contact radius in the direction of groove travel (0.12 mil) and a wider contact radius across the groove wall (2.2 mil). This narrow contact tip traces the fine high-frequency groove modulations cut by the original recording lathe more accurately than a standard elliptical stylus, which has a contact radius of 0.5 to 0.7 mil in the groove direction. The result is lower tracing distortion, especially in the inner grooves of an LP where modulation frequency increases and stylus tracking demands are highest, as well as extended high-frequency response that reaches well beyond the 20 kHz audible limit.

Is the Thorens TAS 1500 compatible with the Thorens TD 1500 and TD 403 DD?

Yes. The TAS 1500 was developed specifically for use with the TD 1500 and TD 403 DD turntables in combination with the TP 150 precision tonearm. The cartridge's dynamic compliance of 16 x 10-6 cm/dyne at 100 Hz and weight of 8.2 g produce a tonearm resonance frequency in the ideal 8 to 12 Hz range when combined with the TP 150's 14g effective mass, ensuring optimal isolation from external vibrations and correct stylus tracking force distribution.

What phono preamplifier do I need for the Thorens TAS 1500?

The TAS 1500 requires a moving coil phono preamplifier or a step-up transformer followed by a moving magnet phono stage. The cartridge's 12 ohm output impedance and 0.4 mV output voltage are compatible with any MC phono stage or step-up transformer with a recommended load impedance of at least 100 ohms. For maximum noise performance, Thorens recommends using the TAS 1500 with the TD 1500's or TD 403 DD's balanced XLR outputs connected to a balanced MC phono stage, fully utilizing the differential signal path for the lowest possible noise floor.

Where can I buy the Thorens TAS 1500 in Buffalo or the USA?

The Thorens TAS 1500 is available at Vinyl Sound in Buffalo, NY, USA. Vinyl Sound is an authorized Thorens dealer providing expert cartridge mounting, alignment, and setup services for the full Thorens product range across Western New York and the United States.

What is PCOCC copper and why is it used in the TAS 1500's coils?

PCOCC stands for Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting, a manufacturing process developed by Professor Atsumi Ohno at Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan. The process grows copper into continuous single-crystal structures by controlling the casting mold temperature, minimizing the grain boundaries that form in conventionally cast copper. Grain boundaries are transition zones between differently oriented crystal structures that act as micro-barriers to electron flow, introducing micro-distortion and electrical resistance. In an MC cartridge's tiny generating coils, where the signal voltage is measured in fractions of a millivolt, even minor grain-boundary distortions are audible. PCOCC copper reduces this effect, contributing to the TAS 1500's low coloration and clean signal transfer.