Thorens TD 145 vs Trio/Kenwood KD-500

Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Thorens TD 145 · Trio/Kenwood KD-500.

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 Trio/Kenwood KD-500 undercuts the Thorens TD 145 by $25 — $375 against $400.

The Thorens TD 145 spins its platter via belt drive; the Trio/Kenwood KD-500 uses direct drive instead. Neither is objectively better — 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 versus 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 Thorens TD 145 is semi-automatic, the Trio/Kenwood KD-500 is manual.

Bottom line: the Trio/Kenwood KD-500 has the lower reference price; the table shows which documented features change with the $25 gap.

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