Time for a new turntable......


I need some suggestions or opinions from some of you analog lovers out there. I am ready to upgrade my analog front end. At the present time I have a Denon 47F, Grado Sonata cartridge, and Lehmann Black Cube. I can get a great deal on a Basis 1400 w/ Rega 300 tonearm and another Grado Sonata. I was giving the opportunity to have the Basis in my system already and did an A/B comparison with my Denon. The Basis was better but my Denon held up surprisingly well. The Basis had a blacker background and the noise level was lower. Now, with all that being said I have been doing some research and looked into the Teres Turntable. These are very sharp looking turntables and the owners seem to think very highly of them. A lot of owners also seem to be using this turntable with the Origin upgraded arm. My question for you all to ponder and consider is; will the entry level Teres with the upgraded Origin arm give me a bigger leap then the Basis 1400? Also, do you think the Origin and Sonata will be a good match. I really like this cartridge and would still like to use it. Other tables I am considering are Rega 25, VPI Scout or a used HP III or IV.

Any suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated. None of these tables are available locally so I am unable to audition them.

Thanks guys!

Tim
mitcheft
Look at the clearaudio leveltwo express Machine RB250. I replact A DP47 with it & Im in love. My wife thanks I love it more than her. HA HA HA.
In answer to your question Tagyerit, I use a Classe CP60 PreAmp and McIntosh MC300 Amp. Thiel 3.6 speakers with Cardas Golden cross interconnects and speaker cables. The guy who is getting rid of the Basis 1400 also had an EAR phono preamp which i did not like at all. I thought it was way too dark. He put it up here and it sold in a day. Anyway, I am not married to the Black Cube so anyone with recommendations for a phono pre I would be glad to hear. Thanks again guys. All the advice has been really interesting and has given me alot to think about.

Tim
when i had a rega p3 and was using a black cube, i tried a number of carts and preamps to improve the sonics. they were all different and some did offer improvement(s). then i moved up in the rega line and eventually out of it with a vpi aires . but at the point i tried different phono stages they all blew away the cube, and the difference in performance was great, not subtle. my black cube was a black hole into which vast amounts of analog wonder vanished forever. the improvement to my system when i left it behind was far greater then when i switched tables still using it. btw, i was using grado carts most of that time.
do you have a local dealer who has demo equipment; or a kind friend who would help you to audition other pre/phono's? the cube may be holding you back, and if it is, it will do so with any tt you switch to. you will benefit from the new table, but you will not be getting all there is to get from it (or from the arm and the cart).
also: what preamp are you using?
TWL- Good post, especially for those who are considering moving into this quality level. But don't fret- you don't at all sound like you are trying to defend the Teres.

Regards
Jim
TWL, you sound like me defending the modded Technics 1200 in the under $1,000 price range!

Mitcheft, my feedback to you is to go in the archives and search for IKEA Rack. It's a suggestion from Ken Lyon of Greater Ranges/Neuance. Make yourself a TT stand w/ the IKEA tables and take it from there. It will cost you less than $40. Listen for a couple of weeks.

If your Denon sounds fine I would rather get rid of the Black Cube and get something better--an EAR 834 or a Monolithic PS-1. Dan Wright (www.modwright.com) uses both in his reference system. He also mods the outboard dual mono power supply for the Monolithic. Don't be fooled by how little they cost. I believe phono stage is *more* important than your TT choice.

If you still want more music then you can go ahead and buy another TT. Don't believe LINN.
Natalie, the Well-Tempered Classic is a nice table. It competes well with others in it's price range. It has a very innovative bearing design. All the other tables mentioned above are also good, and I would not disparage any of them. What I am trying to point out with the Teres TT, is that there is an opportunity now to get an unusual combination of high performance and reasonable price. Most TT's at a given price point will offer similar performance for the price, though some may be a little better than others. These are the ones that are the good values and sell well in the category. When you get a TT that leaps several price categories higher in performance, and the price stays in the low price category, that is unusual. And that is why I am always talking about it. Not that other TT's are bad, but that the Teres is such a good value. I don't know of any TT user who wouldn't want to get the sound quality of something like a TNT Mk4, or Basis 2500, for the price of a Scout. Now we could debate about whether one is really better than the other, but my point is that it is up in that league. The price is not. So, I am trying to help people get more for their money, by telling them about it. If others had done that for me when I was getting started, I would have greatly appreciated it. I am trying to do for them, what I would have liked someone to have done for me.
I was going to tell you to wait for TWL's response... damn, am I slow! Maybe I'll wind up there someday - (TWL, I read 'cause I need ; ) MMF 2.1 here, good, but tons of room to grow!!! )

chuckles,
If your budget permits the Michell Gyrodeck SE II is a great turntable at $ 1795.00 less arm. The best value I have found is the new Sumiko Project RM-9 - $1495.00 with an excellent carbon fiber arm tube and an outboard motor.Go to www.sumikoaudio.com for pictures and detailed specs. I have developed some tweaks for these tables that elevate the performance to a very high level.

capaudio
Of course, you would expect TWL to chime in on this one. The Basis 1400 is a very good entry level TT. Many are happy with it and I would not knock it at all.

Having said that, the Teres TT is not an entry level TT. It may be priced like one, but that is where the similarities end. First, it is more complex, because it does not come with an arm, and with the kit you have to assemble it. But you can get it already assembled. It is not hard to do.

Secondly, the performance level cannot at all be compared to items like the 1400, Solution, Scout, Gyrodec, etc. The Teres, even the basic model, is worlds ahead of that. It is more in the league with the Basis 2500, TNT, ClearAudio Standard Reference , etc.

If you move up to the wood/lead shot type base on the Teres, you go even into higher territory.

I know that many think that I am just hyping this table 'cause I've got one. Wrong. I've got one 'cause it performs.

I just upgraded to the wood/lead base, and it really added tremendous weight and authority to the bottom end, which is a little lean with the acrylic base. Anyone considering this price for a TT, MUST consider the Teres.

Look, it makes no difference to me what TT you buy. I'm just telling you that the Teres is in the league with the top tables at an entry level price. What you do is your business.

With this table and an Origin Live modded RB250, or OL Silver Tonearm, and your choice of cart, this will give you more for your money than anything at twice the price, or more.

This is no joke or hype. Just good solid advice. You can take it or leave it.
Any rega, esp. P9 with a cardas wired arm should be a good step up, in my opinion. I used to have a Denon table years (about 16 years) ago and thought it was great, until I heard a demo with a Rega. I then went to a Rega Planar 3 and it was much better. I like low output Benz (Glider or better) cartridges with the Benz PP-1 moving coil phono section.