Pioneer PL-518 vs Thorens TD 166
Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Pioneer PL-518 · Thorens TD 166.
| Specification | Pioneer PL-518 |
Thorens TD 166 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Highlighted difference. £140 (used) | £150 (used) |
| Category | Vintage | Vintage |
| Status | discontinued | discontinued |
| Years | 1978–? | 1975–? |
| Drive | direct drive | belt drive |
| Speeds | 33/45 rpm | 33/45 rpm |
| Operation | semi-automatic | manual |
| Cartridge supplied | None | None |
| Phono stage | No | No |
| USB output | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Platter | aluminium | zinc-alloy |
| Tonearm | Pioneer S-shaped 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.
The Pioneer PL-518 undercuts the Thorens TD 166 by £10 — £140 against £150.
The mechanics differ too: the Pioneer PL-518 is direct-drive, the Thorens TD 166 is belt-drive. The Pioneer PL-518 gets instant start-up, rock-steady speed under load, and enough torque to nudge or backspin the record — the reason DJs and scratch decks are built this way.
Operation differs: the Pioneer PL-518 is semi-automatic, the Thorens TD 166 is manual.
Bottom line: £10 separates these reference prices. That difference is factual; this specification comparison does not assign an overall winner.
Merchant searches
2 UK merchants handle used or discontinued decks like this — each outbound link searches the deck on that merchant’s site.
| Merchant | Type | Delivery | Product 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.
| Merchant | Type | Delivery | Product search |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay UK | used marketplace | Varies by seller | Search at eBay UK ↗ |
| Vinyl Revival | music retail | UK delivery | Search at Vinyl Revival ↗ |