Townshend Avalon in pristine condition with Origin Live upgraded RB300 arm & new Nagaoka MP110 cartridge

Up for sale is a like-new example of Townshend's Avalon record player. This was the baby sister deck of the Rock 2 and came out at the same time as the Rock reference, with which it shares the idea of a metal frame around the plinth incorporating the start / stop button.

The Avalon as is sleek looking piece of equipment that uses the same silicon-filled trough design as Townshend's legendary Rock decks, to produce top level, reel-to-reel-like sound from vinyl with deep, well-defined bass, rich mids and sweet, glare-free, edge-free highs. It differs from the Rock in the sense that the platter and plinth are thinner and not filled with plaster, which means bass isn't as well-extended or tightly defined or deep as a Rock - but it sounds better than anything I've heard in its price range, construction quality is at least as good as a Rock and the design is much more elegant (although I do love the Rock and have several of them). In fact the metal frame around the plinth makes it look like a Baby Reference :). The original hinged dust cover keeps the sleek, shiny surface of the plinth, as well as the platter, dust-free. Upon purchase a few years ago I fitted it with a new belt and cleaned up / re-oil the bearing shaft with Townshend oil. It's been running fuss-free since. The plinth, clamp, cover and trough are just as impeccable as the deck itself.

It is fitted with the stock Thorens-rebranded Rega RB300 arm which the deck used to sell with in Germany and Switzerland at the time of its manufacture, in the late 80's / early 90's. I've fitted it with Origin Live's structural upgrade and counterweight, has markedly improved overall clarity and high mids / treble definition as well as treble extension. The arm is mint condition, like the deck itself. It is also fitted with a Nagaoka MP110 cartridge which I bought brand new. The stylus isn't even broken in - less than 50 hours of play. Power cable is Euro 2 pin.

To my ears, the package as a whole clearly outperforms anything Rega, Pro-Ject or Music Hall costing up to twice the price I'm asking for it, with more body and a more natural flow to the music than any of those. Having compared it side by side with a considerably upgraded Planar 2, the bass is deeper, the mids richer and more open, the soundstage bigger with significantly better focus and separation, but also more of the unique sense of top-to-bottom color-free coherence that the trough design also provides on the more expensive Rock. And this is despite the stock Sorbothane feet : bypass those in favor of things like Mapleshade megafeet (I also have some for sale), and the difference is even less subtle.

Selling because it's part of a bedroom system I don't use as often as I would have thought, so I'd rather see it go to someone who will appreciate its great combination of elegance, robustness, naturally musical sound and collector's value (it's extremely rare to find those decks in this condition).

New on AudioMarkt but check my feedback on eBay under Rolandjuno60 for confidence (or on Discogs under mjsoundadvice). I have been buying and selling audiophile equipment for over 20 years - you can trust your item will be delivered as and when it should, and it will sound and look exactly as promised.

I will pack with professional grade material and care. Any questions please ask - thanks for looking !