Dual CS 429 vs Thorens TD 102 A

Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Dual CS 429 · Thorens TD 102 A.

Comparison of Dual CS 429 and Thorens TD 102 A
Specification Dual
CS 429
Thorens
TD 102 A
PriceHighlighted difference. £699£749
CategoryHi-fiHi-fi
Statuscurrentcurrent
Years2021–present2021–present
Drivebelt drivebelt drive
Speeds33/45 rpm33/45 rpm
Operationfully-automaticfully-automatic
Cartridge suppliedOrtofon OM 10Audio-Technica AT-VM95E
Phono stageYesYes
USB outputNoNo
BluetoothNoNo
Platteraluminiumaluminium
Tonearmstraight aluminiumstraight aluminium
Wow & flutter

Practical differences

Highlighted cells show a lower reference price, support for more listed speeds, or the presence of a convenience feature. They are not an overall score.

There's a real gap here: £50 separates them, with the Thorens TD 102 A the pricier of the two.

Both are belt-drive, so that part of the experience should feel similar on either deck: a motor that's mechanically isolated from the platter by an elastic belt, which is the usual route to a quieter noise floor — the default choice across most of hi-fi.

Bottom line: the Dual CS 429 has the lower reference price; the table shows which documented features change with the £50 gap.

Live merchant offers

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1 UK merchant stock Dual — each outbound link searches the deck on that merchant’s site.

Merchants selling Dual CS 429
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Live merchant offers

Checking current in-stock offers for Thorens TD 102 A…

Merchant searches

1 UK merchant stock Thorens — each outbound link searches the deck on that merchant’s site.

Merchants selling Thorens TD 102 A
MerchantTypeDeliveryProduct search
eBay UK used marketplace Varies by seller Search at eBay UK ↗

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