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.
| Specification | Dual CS 429 |
Thorens TD 102 A |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Highlighted difference. $699 | $899 |
| Category | Hi-fi | Hi-fi |
| Status | current | current |
| Years | 2021–present | 2021–present |
| Drive | belt drive | belt drive |
| Speeds | 33/45 rpm | 33/45 rpm |
| Operation | fully-automatic | fully-automatic |
| Cartridge supplied | Ortofon OM 10 | Audio-Technica AT-VM95E |
| Phono stage | Yes | Yes |
| USB output | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Platter | aluminium | aluminium |
| Tonearm | straight aluminium | straight 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: $200 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 $200 gap.
Live retailer offers
Checking current in-stock offers for Dual CS 429…
Retailer searches
4 US retailers stock Dual — linked directly to the product page where we have one, otherwise to a site search for the deck.
| Retailer | Type | Shipping | Product link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turntable Lab | hifi independent | Free shipping to the continental US on most orders (bulk/oversized items excluded). | View at Turntable Lab ↗ |
| Amazon | marketplace | Free shipping on $35+ orders (free on most items with Prime, often same/next day). | Search at Amazon ↗ |
| eBay | marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at eBay ↗ |
| Reverb | used marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at Reverb ↗ |
Live retailer offers
Checking current in-stock offers for Thorens TD 102 A…
Retailer searches
2 US retailers stock Thorens — 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 ↗ |
| Reverb | used marketplace | Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. | Search at Reverb ↗ |