Description
TEAC TN-4D-SE Direct Drive Turntable
CRYSTAL-CLEAR SOUND
The TN-4D-SE is a direct-drive, analog turntable with an elegant, low-profile design, made possible by the use of a newly-developed brushless DC servo motor.
Its brushless DC motor with a feedback control system achieves crystal-locked speed stability and smoother rotation while also eliminating cogging*. This low-profile motor allowed us to design a plinth that’s extraordinarily sleek and stylish compared to that of most other direct drive turntables. The new tonearm employs knife-edge, pivot-point bearings, developed in collaboration with SAEC Corporation, a world-famous, high-end tonearm manufacturer. The result is an insightful, high-resolution sound quality that tonearms with conventional bearings can’t match. Partnering it is a carefully designed PHONO EQ amplifier that allows you to directly connect the turntable to the line-level inputs of your existing hi-fi system. A high-quality NJM8080 op-amp, specially designed for hi-fi applications by New Japan Radio Corporation, is employed to convey the finest of musical detail.
The TN-4D-SE comes with a highly-regarded Oyster MM cartridge from SUMIKO – a legendary American cartridge manufacturer. The S-shaped tonearm allows for quick cartridge/headshell swaps, so you can alter the sound quality by experimenting with different cartridges if the desire takes them.
The TN-4D-SE is an analog turntable that achieves highly accurate rotational speeds and is very distinctive, for a direct-drive design, thanks to its sleek and stylish aesthetics.
What is Cogging?
Cogging is a phenomenon in which the periodic attraction of the armature and rotor inside the motor is dependent on the rotation angle, resulting in a fine pulsing. For example, if you turn the axle of a motor with your fingers, you’ll feel the rotation occurring in steps. This phenomenon is known as cogging.
In order to eliminate cogging on a direct-drive turntable, a motor needs to have large numbers of poles, along with complex circuits and a mechanism to achieve smooth rotation. As a result, most turntable direct-drive units are relatively large, which is why the resulting turntables are so bulky.
A sleek motor developed exclusively for direct-drive turntables
The TN-4D-SE uses a sleek, brushless DC motor, offering crystal-locked speed accuracy, regulated by a computer-controlled feedback circuit and achieving low wow-and-flutter levels for a direct drive turntable, especially one with such a stylish, low-profile design.
Knife-edge, pivot-point tone-arm bearings
The TN-4D-SE’s tonearm employs a knife-edge, pivot-point bearing. Unlike the case for tonearms with conventional bearings, any fine vertical movements encountered by this tonearm actually help in delivering a more dynamic sound with excellent resolution. The S-shaped tonearm also employs a universal headshell fitting, allowing users to quickly and easily swap cartridges/headshells, and supports a wide range of cartridge weights (from 14 – 23g / 0.5 – 0.8 oz.)
Precision anti-skating and stylus-pressure adjustment
As you might expect, the tonearm is equipped with a counterweight, for precise stylus-pressure adjustment, and an anti-skating mechanism.
Pre-installed Oyster cartridge by SUMIKO
The TN-4D-SE comes with a well-regarded Oyster MM cartridge from SUMIKO – a legendary American cartridge manufacturer. The Oyster cartridge delivers a powerful soundstage, regardless of what music you pick.
Built-in PHONO EQ amplifier supporting MM cartridges
The TN-4D-SE comes with a built-in PHONO EQ amplifier that allows you to directly connect the turntable to the line-level inputs of your existing hi-fi system. The NJM8080 IC from New Japan Radio Corporation is employed for op-amp duties, bringing up the level of the tiny signals received via the cartridge up to LINE level strength without any loss of quality.
Die-cast aluminum platter
In conjunction with the newly-developed motor, the high inertia, die-cast aluminium platter helps to achieve better speed stability.
Insulating feet with excellent shock absorption
The insulating feet comprise a machined aluminum shell topped with a rubber cushion that is fixed to the high-density MDF plinth. Thanks to their excellent shock absorption characteristics the TN-4D is very resistant to acoustic feedback.
2-speed turntable for 33-⅓ and 45 rpm
The TN-4D-SE supports 33-⅓ and 45 rpm for LP and EP records. Our insistence on quality engineering can even be seen in the construction of the rotary control for start-up/speed selection, formed of machined aluminum.
INCLUDED ACCESSORIES
- Felt Mat
- EP Adapter
- Counter Weight
- Head-shell (SUMIKO Oyster installed)
- Platter
- Dust Cover
- Hinges × 2
- RCA Audio cable with GND terminal
- AC Adapter (GPE036W-24015)
- Owner’s Manual (including Warranty Card)
SPECIFICATIONS
| Turntable section | |
| Type | Direct Drive |
| Motor | Brush-less DC Motor |
| Rotation Speeds | 33-⅓ rpm, 45 rpm |
| Wow-and-Flutters | 0.1% |
| S/N Ratio | 67dB or higher (A-weighted, 20kHz LPF) |
| Turntable (Platter) | |
| Material | Aluminium Die-cast |
| Diameter | 30cm |
| Tone-arm section | |
| Type | S-shaped, Static-balanced |
| Effective Length | 223mm |
| Needle Pressure Range | 0g to 5.0g |
| Compatible Cartridge Weight | 4.0g to 13.0g 14g to 23g (including Head-shell) |
| Head-shell and Cartridge sections | |
| Type | MM-type (SUMIKO Oyster factory installed) |
| Output Voltage | 4.0mV (1kHz) |
| Needle Pressure | 1.5 to 2.5g (appropriate value: 2.3g) |
| Weight | 5.3g |
| Head-shell weight | 10g (including nuts, screws, and wires) |
| Compatible Stylus | Styluses for SUMIKO Oyster |
| Analog Outputs | |
| Connector | RCA Pin jack × 1 pair (PHONO/LINE switchable) |
| Output Voltage | |
| PHONO | 4.0mV (1kHz) |
| LINE | 224mV (–13dBV) |
| Operating Power | AC 100 to 240V, 50/60Hz |
| Power Consumption | 2W |
| Standby Power | 0.5W or less |
| Overall Dimensions (W×H×D) | 420 × 117 × 356 mm / 16.5″ × 4.6″ × 14.0″ |
| Weight | Approx. 6.1kg / 13.5 lbs. |
