TERES - trially Good


After experementing with VTA, VTF, overhang, loading (currently using a pair of K&K Audio Lundahl L9206 set to 20 dB feeding through a Wright WPP100C phono pre) my 255 table sounds perfect! I used to have two tables the Teres and a Michell Gyro SE MKII. I sold the Michell a while ago and frankly, I don't miss it a bit. My 255 is clearly better in my ears. The Teres is all I need! Using Benz ACE for now but saving for a Shelter to mate with my OL Silver arm.

I have the TERES 255 with the battery option and upgraded motor. I can't believe that I will be able to afford a table that sound this great. Within the current price range (or even double the price IMO) for this table, it will be very hard to beat it or find a unit that is equal in it's performance stand point. The Teres is amazing! I cannot put it any plainer than that.

Thanks to TWL, Chris Brady, Jay K. (Audio Revelation)and Khaki8 in helping me during the set-up process.

Life is good!!!!
amandarae
Finding a way to enjoy more music is what this hobby is all about. Congratulations on your purchase.
Hi Abe. Getting a great turntable is a very enjoyable experience. Glad you are happy with it. It took a "leap of faith" to get a turntable that you haven't heard before, so you reaped the benefits of your adventurous spirit. I also did that, as have others, because Teres has no dealer network. The result was more sound for your money.

Congratulations.
Hi Abe,
Congradulations on your turntable. My Teres 265 arrived yesterday and today I will assemble it and put the tone arm on and tomorrow the cartridge.
What are you using for the belt, the peice of vhs tape that Chris suggests?
VHS tape? I have not tried that yet!

I am using a beaded chord named "Jewelry Designer" which I bought from a local Arts and Crafts store.
I haven't heard about Chris suggesting VHS tape for the belt. Is this something new?

I've been using Spectra 15# fishing line, which is totally non-stretch, and is hard to tension correctly, but sounds real good. I've read some others on the Teres forum are using rubber belts from Transcriptors.

Tell us about the VHS tape.
Amandarae,

Congratulations you lucky dog! I have an OL Silver, a Shelter and S&B transformers just waiting for my Teres to show up. As you say, it's wonderful to find such performance at this price point. Are you going to try TWL's HiFi mod on your OL arm?

Regarding saving up for a Shelter, all I can say is roll those pennies as fast as you can. While waiting for the Teres I set mine up on the old rig. It's absolutely amazing. The Shelter 901 may be a micron or two on the cool side of neutral (I'm hoping the Teres will address this) but its detail retrieval, dynamics, control and unlimited response at both frequency extremes are just jaw-dropping. It will knock you off your chair during the wildest orchestral/choral crescendos without breaking a sweat, yet in the next bar you'll hear the 3rd echo off a side wall or someone in the back row take a breath. It's just shocking. Depending on the type of music you like, the 501 may be as good or even better at half the cost. Great stuff.

Agaffer, if you just got your 265, mine should be coming any day! (Do you know what number yours was out of the twelve Chris Brady received in late July? I'm expecting #10.)

BTW, I believe Chris's current belt recommendation is a silk thread. Wasn't the tape idea supplanted by this?
I recently got some new pulleys that will accomodate a
1/2" wide belt. I have been experimenting with a bunch
of different drive materials, but it's still a work in
progress. In the sort term I started shipping the 265's
with the new pulley and both 1/2" VHS tape and also the
traditional silk string.

So far what I like best is 1/2" wide decorative mylar
tape. But I still have a number of evaluations to do. I also
would like to recruit some customers to do some evaluations
for a wider consensus. Once the evalautions are done there
will be an announcement on the Teres web page.

The wider tapes (mylar & mag tape) do sound better than
the silk but they are more of a hassle to use. I will
probably go to a wide tape for the higher end tables but
may still use a thread for the 100 series tables. I am
also evaluating some different thread types.

Before I get flamed... yes, it is very odd that you can
hear differences in belt materials. Easy to hear, hard to
explain.

Chris
Chris,

Fascinating update. You shouldn't expect any flames, in a sufficiently resolving system, everything matters. Of course my system will only be 'sufficiently resolving' when our 265 gets here! Nudge, nudge :)
Chris:

The Model 265 is up and running beautifully. It's really left me speechless.

(The complete table setup consists of the 265 with a Morch DP-6, Allaerts MC-1boron, and a balanced custom Zu Xaus arm cable)

Ken Golden
OK, I'm curious. How do you make a belt of silk string or fishing line and not have a knot? Or does the knot not matter when it hits the pulley or platter? If you're using a knot, any particular knot to use?

To knot or not to knot, that is the question. (Or, from West Side Story, "To-knot, To-knot".)

Say, while I'm thinking about it, any opinions out there on introducing the OL DC motor to my Well Tempered Classic? Is it worth $500 to $800 or should I sell the table and do something completely different?

Regards
Jim
Jimbo, it's easy to make the knot. You just take the two ends of the string together, and pass them both through a simple single loop, like you are tying off a balloon. The knot rides around the outside of the pulley, and doesn't make a "bump" as it goes around, like a normal knot would do. Trim the ends off close. That's all there is to it. Works like a charm.
Dougdeacon,

Thank you! I will contact Tom (TWL) regarding the mods once all the dust settles around here. I am in the "gettting to know you" period with my Teres right now and want to savor the whole experience before I modified anything. Having said that, I know it's just a matter of time before I become restless again thinking about that mod.

Yes, saving as fast as I could to get a Shelter. TWL recommends this to me a while back and I never forget such things.

Teres 265 huh! Once you set everything up, please do not write a review very soon or else I will be in deep financial trouble!

Thanks again
I am jealous, I have had my Teres sitting here for three days now and can't listen to it. Still waiting for the arm to arrive. Evidently Bill Graham is on vacation and nothing is being shipped from him. Oh well, maybe by the end of this coming week.
If you are waiting to do the HI FI mod to your Silver Tonearm you are missing out on a lot of music.
I waited so I would be better able to hear the differences.
The difference is not subtle.

You may or may not know that the new Silver arm cannot be moded. Looks like OL saw TWL's mod and made a little mod of their own, negating the ability to apply TWL's HI FI mod.
Tom anything to add here?
Roni, yes, I have compared my mod with the Encounter. It is very close to the Encounter, and probably the main difference is the newer upgraded wiring in the Encounter. I'd say that the HiFi mod brings the Silver about $500 higher in value, in comparison with the OL higher models.

Unfortunately, the new change to the OL Silver makes my mod impossible to install on the new version. It has some small weights to make a stab at doing what my mod does, and it will be somewhat effective at doing that. Now my mod is strictly for the older Silver Mk 1, and the Rega tonearms. It is a very good bang for the buck on both those arms.
Amandarae,

We had no choice on the 265 ;) My partner didn't like the looks of the lead-loaded acrylic platter (I love it), so I "had to" show him the wood one. Oops. Deep financial trouble? Yeah, we know all about it!

Just to totally bury ourselves, we're also scarfing up LP's by the dozens. To watch us, you'd think they were going out of style :)
Jimbo3 and TWL,

Chris Brady recommends something called a "blood knot" when using the silk thread drive string. Instructions for tying it are on the Teres website, in the owner's manuals for both the TT's and the motor.
Alright! Welcome to the Teres family and to the 255 model. I too have the Teres 255 Lacquered Rosewood table withe ET2 Linear Tracking Air bearing tonearm and Shelter 901. I have been very vey happy with this purchase, now I just hear music. I will be doing the upgrade for the 1/2 tape drive that's suppose to very nice also.

Steve.
Coouugar,

Welcome to Teres from an 'old-timer' (ten days and counting)! Nice setup you've got. I miss my HK/Rabco linear arm, even if it was a joke compared to an ET2.

Definitely do the 1/2" tape. It beats the thread easily. It's a mite fussy to set up, as CB said, but if you can handle an ET2... Let me know if you change your mind, otherwise I may put my two threads up for sale here. :)
Dougdeacon,
I will let you know about the 1/2 drive tape I'm going to contact Chris tonight or tomorrow about it. Enjoy the music!

Steve
Coouugar,

User510 at Audio Asylum posted some pics and link to his website review pages that shows the 1/2 red mylar tape as the belt for the Teres motor with the upgraded pulley. Check it out if you haven't done so already. I read you review of the 255 at the Teres site when I am on the deciding stages of the purchase. I can claim that your review is one of the reason why I am enjoying the 255 right now. Although late and indirectly, I like to extend my thanks.

abe
Abe
Thanks for the update on User510 Teres, I seen it the first day it went up. I have been thinking of purchasing the pulley for my 255. Thank You, I'm glad I could be helpful in your purchase of the Teres 255.

Steve
Steve,

Don't think, just do it! The tape made a significant difference on my 265. I predict it will be even more effective at stabilizing platters with lower rotational inertia. You will be quite pleased.

To put it in a comparative context, TWL's $20 HiFi Mod for the OL Silver arm brings it within sneezing distance of the next model up, which costs $500 more. The $20 tape/pulley upgrade does almost that much, not quite, for a Teres.

Enjoy,
Doug
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