Dual CS 505 vs Thorens TD 280

Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Dual CS 505 · Thorens TD 280.

Comparison of Dual CS 505 and Thorens TD 280
Specification Dual
CS 505
Thorens
TD 280
PriceHighlighted difference. £90 (used)£100 (used)
CategoryVintageVintage
Statusdiscontinueddiscontinued
Years1981–?1985–?
Drivebelt drivebelt drive
Speeds33/45 rpm33/45 rpm
Operationsemi-automaticsemi-automatic
Cartridge suppliedNoneNone
Phono stageNoNo
USB outputNoNo
BluetoothNoNo
Platteraluminium
TonearmDual ULM (ultra-low-mass) 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.

On price alone the Dual CS 505 costs less, coming in £10 (about 11%) below the Thorens TD 280.

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 505 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
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 280
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 →