Dual CS 505-4 vs Thorens TD 166

Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Dual CS 505-4 · Thorens TD 166.

Comparison of Dual CS 505-4 and Thorens TD 166
Specification Dual
CS 505-4
Thorens
TD 166
Price£160 (used)Highlighted difference. £150 (used)
CategoryVintageVintage
Statusdiscontinueddiscontinued
Years1991–?1975–?
Drivebelt drivebelt drive
Speeds33/45 rpm33/45 rpm
Operationsemi-automaticmanual
Cartridge suppliedNoneNone
Phono stageNoNo
USB outputNoNo
BluetoothNoNo
Platteraluminiumzinc-alloy
TonearmDual ULM arm
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: £10 separates them, with the Dual CS 505-4 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.

Operation differs: the Dual CS 505-4 is semi-automatic, the Thorens TD 166 is manual.

Bottom line: the Thorens TD 166 has the lower reference price; the table shows which documented features change with the £10 gap.

Merchant searches

2 UK merchants handle used or discontinued decks like this — each outbound link searches the deck on that merchant’s site.

Merchants selling Dual CS 505-4
MerchantTypeDeliveryProduct search
eBay UK used marketplace Varies by seller Search at eBay UK ↗
Vinyl Revival music retail UK delivery Search at Vinyl Revival ↗

Merchant searches

2 UK merchants handle used or discontinued decks like this — each outbound link searches the deck on that merchant’s site.

Merchants selling Thorens TD 166
MerchantTypeDeliveryProduct search
eBay UK used marketplace Varies by seller Search at eBay UK ↗
Vinyl Revival music retail UK delivery Search at Vinyl Revival ↗

Compare two different decks →