TT suggestions -- please

Hi Mike,

Actually, I own the InnerSound Eros Mk-II and I have also owned a few good turntables, such as the Townshend Mk-III Rock, Well Tempered Classic, VPI Mk-III, Mk IV and Aries/JMW combo.

I currently own two Michell turntables, a Gyro SE with an OL Rega RB250 & Benz Ruby 2, and an Orbe SE with a Wilson Benesch Act 0.5 arm & Shelter 501 Mk-II cartridge.

My room is in a finished basement with a concrete floor, so suspension is not really an issue for me. On my Orbe SE, I have effectively defeated the spring suspension by using bdr cones and removing one acrylic spring support spider. That whole setup sits on a bdr Source Shelf and the motor is further isolated by sitting on bdr pucks. This works really well and I'm getting super results with the Eros.

Truth be told, the Gyro SE, for a lot less money is not all that far off the mark. If you get a Gyro, I recommend damping the spring covers, and setting the suspension so it rides low on the springs. I also found that the bass weight improved somewhat from using a Basis record clamp, which weighs more than the Michell clamp and probably interacts favorably with the suspension. I believe the Gyro is an excellent buy for the money and it's a wonderful piece of eye candy as well. Down the road it is upgradable to Orbe status if you want to go that route.

My guess is that if you totally defeated the spring suspension the Gyro would compare favorably to the Teres models. Although I haven't compared my Gyro or Orbe directly to a Teres, I have compared their performance to that of my Teac open reel tape recorder and the Orbe is one of the only turntables I've heard that is on par with R2R tape. I doubt that the Teres or any other TT is going to do much better, because to me, that's the acid test. The stock Gyro, on the other hand, was close, but pitch stability was a hair off, and dynamic transients were mildly diluted as was the tautness of the bass. I attribute much of the difference to the suspension issue.

Summing up, the Michells offer suspension with great performance and looks. I know first hand that they are wonderful in concert with the Eros. On the other hand, if you go for an unsuspended TT, the Teres is a top contender and costs less than an Orbe.

Tom,

To answer your question about how the Shelter 501 mates with the WB Act arm, I have to think that there is an apparent synergy going on there to get the kind of excellent performance that I've been witnessing. It seems very stable when playing a record and the frequency balance and dynamic shadings are outstanding. On the Eros system, the acoustic guitar seems particularly well-served and is rendered better than I've ever heard it in the vinyl format. Nothing sticks out as being exaggerated or out of place, and I have no complaints so far, which is unusual for me. So in my view, the combination of the WB 0.5 and the Shelter 501 II, is highly recommended.

Mike, the output on the Shelter 501 is 0.4mV, just marginally higher than my Benz Ruby (0.33mV).

I honestly can't tell you too much about Michell's customer service except to say that I did not enjoy my dealings with their US distributor and when I had an issue with the Orbe's motor, I sent it directly to England. Michell replaced it under warranty with no charge except for my shipping (to them) and about $15 in Customs' fees. Honestly, there's not much to go wrong with the Michells and replacement parts are readily available if needed.

To upgrade to the Orbe from the Gyro, the platter and bearing are changed as the basic step. To go to a "full Orbe" the motor and controller are also changed and there is a double acrylic spider assembly. I think that gets pricey because of the motor and power supply/controller unit.

If I were to upgrade my Gyro I think I might stop at the platter and bearing upgrade, then maybe fix the suspension with bdr cones. I think those two things would yield the most cost effective performance gains. But, you know, the Gyro platter is really decent and such a work of art (with the gold-plated brass weights) that it would almost be a shame to change it...

Best regards,
Frank