Man oh man do I love my Teres!

JoshK · « **on:** 10 Oct 2003, 02:57 pm »

Can I just say how much I love the Teres table I built?! Just have to love the unwavering pitch control and black backgrounds. Of course the incredible 3D soundstage and natural tonal qualities make it a step above any CD playback system I have heard regardless of price.

My wife and I were spinning a bunch of vinyl last night. My wife, lets just say, isn't too enthusiastic about my hobby and thinks I am a bit neurotic. However, she admitted for the first time ever, being a huge skeptic, that she definitely heard the improvement over CDs this table makes. She said I should play some vinyl for my audiophile buddies because she could hear imaging (my words not hers) all over the place and, "it is really cool sounding."

I have tried countless times to explain to her what imaging was and show her in my system with the Sony, to no avail. She said it was easy to hear with vinyl. I am also just impressed how nearly every record we spun last night without exception sounding like a fantastic recording where as only 1 in 5 CDs do. I am not sure that it is just the playback medium, medium itself or the analog mastering that does it but overall it is just more 'you are there'.

I think I can easily say this is probably the best investment in my system I have made since buying the RM40s.

BikeWNC · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Oct 2003, 03:18 pm »

Josh,

Could you remind me what model Teres you have? What arm and cartridge have you put on it? What phonostage are you using?

Congrats, I'm very envious.

Andy

JoshK · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Oct 2003, 03:38 pm »

Well, actually I built the base myself so it doesn't follow a particular prebuilt Teres model, except that I used a lot of the concepts from the 340 design, except for the cocobolo wood as I have no access to such wood, in my design. Look at my gallery album and I have some pictures of intermediate steps in the building of my table. I have not uploaded the pictures of my somewhat complete (playable, but not aesthetically finished) table.

Basically my table is like this:

Standard acrylic platter (not lead filled YET)
std. teres bearing & motor & clamp
base is constructed in a 340-like fashion with a 3" maple block on top of 6 3" diameter (2" tall) pillars filled with lead shot on top of a 1 1/2" maple block with adjustable brass cone feet. The arm board is carved from a 3" square block of oak (laminated from 1" pieces) and resting on a 2 3/4" tall 3" dia pillar filled with lead shot.
My arm is a Rega 300 (actually Michell OEM) with heavyweight, VTA, incognito (headshell lead to phono continous) cables.
Dynavector DV-20X(h)
Phono stage is Monolithic PS1 + HC1b.
I have the Revelation Audio Labs upgraded power cord for the monolithic combo that I am selling because it is a bit too long for current setup.

Future plans:
1) Finish the cabinet idea for aesthetics for the table.
2) Build a Hagerman Tech Cornet phono stage (got approval from the wife last night, will be ordering soon).
3) Upgrade arm to Moerch DP-1 (most likely the 12")
4) save $$$ for a Allaert low output MC cart.

before I get to #3 & #4 I am going to do the TRT & FST upgrade to my speaks. #1 & #2 are eminent. I will likely just add the extra arm & cart as opposed to replacing the standard one so I will have the extra arm & cart for questionable vinyl or for others (family&wife) to use.

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Oct 2003, 12:23 pm »

Josh,
what was the thinking behind putting the Rega arm on the Teres?? I ask because someone on AA asked what arm he should buy for his current table, but with an eye towards possibly buying a Teres down the road.
I suggested he look into the Rega arm that is recommended on the Teres site (the Expressimo-modded 250 or 300??).

JoshK · « **Reply #4 on:** 13 Oct 2003, 01:10 pm »

The thinking was this: it was cheap and good. That simple. To out-do the Rega in its current form you have to make quite a big step, otherwise you are simply trading for one aspect but not a full upgrade. I think the next step up for me would be the Moerch DP1, which I am saving for.

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #5 on:** 13 Oct 2003, 01:47 pm »

Josh,
thanks for the response. I didn't know if you were following Teres' recommendation, deciding on your own or what. Looking at the section of recommended arms, the Rega is certainly amongst distinguished company that's considerably more expensive. The guy on AA had been considering Regas already (either a Moth version or a 600), so he was pretty receptive to considering the Expressimo 250. (He's going to use the arm on an Oracle TT while saving up for a Teres or Scheu).

JoshK · « **Reply #6 on:** 13 Oct 2003, 01:50 pm »

The expressimo 250 (which isn't too unlike my rega) is a damn good starting place and near impossible to beat for the money IMO. I think the rega was so much better than the MMF's arm it wasn't funny.

EZ_Angus · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 Nov 2003, 04:51 pm »

hi josh. it looks like your old table was a music hall mmf-5? is that right? thats what i'm using with a denon dl103 cart and black cube phono stage. can you compare the differences between your old and new analog rigs? thanks, Kevin

Rocket · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Nov 2003, 01:47 am »

Hi Josh,

I would like to import a Teres Turntable into oz but my $$$ just can't stretch that far.

Btw why did you build your own base? did it work out cheaper?

regards

rocket

JoshK · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Nov 2003, 03:28 pm »

Quote from: EZ_Angus

hi josh. it looks like your old table was a music hall mmf-5? is that right? thats what i'm using with a denon dl103 cart and black cube phono stage. can you compare the differences between your old and new analog rigs? thanks, Kevin

Kevin, in short, no comparison! the MMF-5 did a couple things ok, better than CD, but did a number of things ghastly wrong. I saw potential there but wasn't getting it so I moved on. I never had the two up and running at the same time so it is impossible to truely compare.

I can say that the Teres provides extention beyond what I have heard in vinyl before and imaging like nothing I haven't had before, in any format. The blackness of the background is exceptional as well in my setup.

To answer the other question about why I built my own base, it was a number of things. One, I wanted to do it in stages, for $$ reasons. Two, I had my own ideas about how I wanted it done. Three, I had a lot of materials to use already for the design I had invisioned. And last but not least I wanted to fun experience it was. Since doing this I have really learned how to fine tune the setup to get the best sound. That is a great side benefit to doing it myself.

EZ_Angus · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Nov 2003, 03:41 pm »

Thanks for your reply, I was afraid of that. I really want to upgrade, been thinking vpi scout but teres is looking real good to me.

Kevin

amandarae · « **Reply #11 on:** 14 Jan 2004, 07:20 am »

Boss, go with the Teres! It will make you very happy!

cheers