Bang & Olufsen Beogram TX2 vs Thorens TD 160
Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Bang & Olufsen Beogram TX2 · Thorens TD 160.
| Specification | Bang & Olufsen Beogram TX2 |
Thorens TD 160 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Highlighted difference. $500 (used) | $600 (used) |
| Category | Vintage | Vintage |
| Status | discontinued | discontinued |
| Years | 1987–? | 1972–? |
| Drive | belt drive | belt drive |
| Speeds | 33/45 rpm | 33/45 rpm |
| Operation | fully-automatic | manual |
| Cartridge supplied | None | None |
| Phono stage | No | No |
| USB output | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Platter | aluminium | zinc-alloy, two-piece |
| Tonearm | B&O tangential (linear-tracking) arm (MMC cartridges) | Thorens TP-16 |
| 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: $100 separates them, with the Thorens TD 160 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.
The Bang & Olufsen Beogram TX2 is fully automatic — press start and the arm cues itself and lifts at the end of the side — where the Thorens TD 160 needs you to cue the arm by hand.
Bottom line: $100 separates these reference prices. That difference is factual; this specification comparison does not assign an overall winner.
Retailer searches
4 US retailers handle used or discontinued decks like this — each outbound link searches the deck on that retailer’s site.
| Retailer | Type | Shipping | Product search |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at eBay ↗ |
| Guitar Center | music retail | Free standard shipping on most orders $25+. | Search at Guitar Center ↗ |
| Reverb | used marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at Reverb ↗ |
| Upscale Audio | hifi independent | Free USA shipping on orders over $99 (exclusions for oversized items). | Search at Upscale Audio ↗ |
Retailer searches
4 US retailers handle used or discontinued decks like this — each outbound link searches the deck on that retailer’s site.
| Retailer | Type | Shipping | Product search |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at eBay ↗ |
| Guitar Center | music retail | Free standard shipping on most orders $25+. | Search at Guitar Center ↗ |
| Reverb | used marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at Reverb ↗ |
| Upscale Audio | hifi independent | Free USA shipping on orders over $99 (exclusions for oversized items). | Search at Upscale Audio ↗ |

