A prospective Teres owner with questions


The Cult Of The Teres has nearly convinced me to take a chance with a basic Teres -- the 150 TT. BUT, I figured you guys could, as the Cowardly Lion says after declaring his intent to rescue Dorothy, talk me OUT of it. Um, I mean, into it...Well, you know what I mean...

I've developed some nerve damage in my hands, so DIYs aren't the best route for me. However, TWL, who seems revered on this site, has the OL Silver tonearm (mine is on the way), and probably has the same model as I'm considering buying. Despite the fact that I have no clue as to whether or not TWL is secretly an axe murderer, his take on turntables is quite knowledgeable, so who am I to buck the masses?
Onward to the questions...

1)Saying a setup is simple is easy to say, but quivering hands might make a mistake. Is there anything that could break during setup?
2) I will, of course, tell Chris, at the time of my order that I'm also getting a VTA adjustor with the tonearm. Will that make the "drilling" any more complicated?
3)The sonics. (And yes, I can ask Chris, but there's only one of him and a million of you ["...it takes a village...]about this.)How is the Teres at retrieving very, very low level details such as side/back walls (aha! The infamous "imaging/soundstaging freak rears his head!)ambience retrieval and soundstage HEIGHT.
Lastly, is it warm -- or even overly warm in the midbass region? I've owned a Versa Dynamics 2.3 for years, but it's back in California waiting to be shipped to John Bicht for repair(John expects a 4-6 month wait; it's not his main profession anymore, and he has to squeeeeeeeze it in), so I'm buying another turntable to live with given that I just bought a Microgroove Plus last week -- along with the Silver tonearm. I have a Rega 3 that I gave my sister right here in Connecticut. I'm accustomed to the Versa's depiction of music, but it's not a warm turntable at all. So, I want to be prepared in case the Teres is warm, or dark [dont' like a "dark" sound very much].
For all the rest of the turntables traits, I trust you guys' take on it. I've only been reading the entire Teres threads for the last 36 hours (it's VERY, VERY, VERY cold here in the Northeast today). NOBODY is going outside who doesn't want frostbite. That gives me time to become positively neurotically compulsive/obsessive about this turntable....and you're all invited to observe...
Okay, I'm waiting -- and wanting -- to be (completely)converted. Help me out here, gentlemen (and ladies).
gbmcleod
Hi. So far, I haven't "axe murdered" anyone, so I am totally innocent on that count. :^)

Anyway, the questions you have are quite understandable and reasonable.

I'll take a shot at answering them.

First, regarding the OL Silver tonearm, it is a very good choice for the money, especially if you are contemplating a Shelter or other low compliance cartridge. It is very good with them. Also, there is no doubt at all that the HiFi mod is a superb upgrade for practically nothing, and I'd also recommend putting Doug's VTF-on-the-fly kit too, for virtually nothing. The aftermarket drop counterweights like the Heavyweight are good improvements for the money also.

About setup, I don't think that quivering hands will cause any problems with the setup of the table, but could have some impact when installing the cartridge, and adjusting the tonearm. However, this would be the case with any cartridge and tonearm, so that's an issue you'll just have to deal with somehow, if you want to stay in analog.

Be advised that the 150 is only available as a KIT, and must be sanded, stained, finish sanded, and lacquered by the buyer. This must be taken into account considering your shakey hands, and non-DIY nature.

About the VTA adjusting collar, telling Chris about it when ordering is the right thing to do, but I have first hand experience that these OL VTA collars sometimes have different diameters, due to QC variances at OL. Even if Chris drills the armboard to fit the one he measured, it is still possible that there could be a discrepancy in fit. I'm sorry to say that, but it is possible. You may have to do some very slight fitting of the armboard hole with a file or sandpaper, if necessary.

Regarding sonic flavor and detail retrieval, the 150 model is in the wood/lead plinth category of Teres tables, and has very good detail retrieval and strong dynamic bass response. It is not "warm" in my opinion, but it is not overly analytical either. I think it strikes a very nice balance between the analytical and warm sounds, and is very musical. I would not use the term "dark" to describe the sound of the Teres turntables at all.

In fact, I would not be at all surprised to find that you prefer the sound of the Teres over the Versa Dynamics table.

Certain "audiophile" characteristics such as width and height of soundstage, image, and such will be subject to many factors, but on my system I can get a very realistic soundstage width and height and depth, with excellent imaging. I expect that you would also. While this table may not be the absolute all-out best in the world, it certainly does very very well for the money, and would be sufficient for many audiophiles to be their last turntable purchase.

In the final analysis, it will be a matter of taste as to whether you are totally satisfied with the Teres. But in my opinion, if you are not satisfied, you wouldn't be satisfied with anything else in the price range either. I think you'll be pleasantly shocked at how good it sounds for the money.
I can vouch for the fact that good 'ol TWL only uses the axe on digital components!
I've heard that he repairs and makes axes!

I don't know what is left to say about Teres tables that has not already been said. Lots of folks without nerve damage need a little help setting things up. Good luck!

Sincerely
I remain
Two items to consider.

One, given that Teres tables seem to have a pretty dedicated following, you might want to post a "wanted" ad for a Teres 150 table (or perhaps a slightly better model, since you would be buying it used, you might get a better model for the same price). You might find a current owner of a low end Teres table wanting to move up. That way you could buy a used, but finished table, without having to do any of the work.

Two, beware of TWL. I would certainly expect an axe murderer to deny being an axe murderer. Ergo, he must indeed be an axe murderer. Notice that he addressed that issue before he tackled the turntable issues. A clear sign.

Speak of the Devil, Tom (TWL) just happened to walk in just as I was writing about him. Hey, Tom, how is it going?
Hey, careful with that axe, Tom.
No. Wait. Tom, I didn't mean it.

Whack!

No, Tom!

Whack! Whack!

No, ..really,.. I didn't mean it!

Whack! Whack! Whack!

A
r
g
h
!