Is Direct Drive Really Better?

I had the pleasure of hearing the new Teres 380 direct drive table (still prototype) last weekend in Dever. I won't say that it answers this question in absolute terms. I will say that Chris Brady has implemented a clearly superior Teres that will probably send many designers back to the drawing board. The 380 completely humiliated a 320 in tempo and gave a very life-like, snappy presentation. Don't pass up a chance to hear one!

Dan. The 320 that was just a very short time ago the table to which all others should compare themselves was humiliated? Humiliated?

I was there too. Although I left before Dan arrived, I was able to spend a couple of hours with Chris and his son Ryan comparing the 380 direct drive with his 320 and the new more affordable 280. All three tables were quite distinct in sound. I was initially impressed by the appearance of the 380 in that it very nicely finished and to my eye was more attractive than even the drop dead gorgeous 320. The word "prototype" always causes me to imagine some Rube Goldberg contrivance with wires and switches dangling. This piece looked ready for the Smithsonian.
"Humiliated" has a very a malicious overtone to it so I guess I would question it's usage as well, but to say that the 380 completely eclipsed the 320 would certainly be true and it wouldn't sound quite so deliberate. The 380 has a brash and very striking appearance compared to the softer all wood appearance of the other two. But it's sound is more natural, easier and more commanding. There is more nothing about it. While it's appearance is more striking, it's sound is decidedly less conspicuous. Easier and less as if there is any mechanical assistance to the retrieval of signal.
For the minutiae fans, there is room to question the results as there were different arms and cartridges involved, but all cartridges were ZYX and both of the arms I heard came from the top drawer. The 380 had a Schroeder and a Universe and the other two used the Moerch DP-6 and an Airy3.
The only specs I can recall was the weight of the 380 at 135 lbs. and the price as projected should drop in very near that of the Grand Prix Monaco.
Beautiful house and the Brady Bunch were extremely cordial.
They live in Broomfield, halfway between Boulder and Denver and Chris knows his stuff and hosts a really warm party. Get in touch with Teres and see if you can wrangle an invite to the next open house. It was a hoot.

Ok, how about "humbled"? Anyone is welcomed to go hear these tables and apply whatever adjectives they wish. The point is that once we had gone through the progession of 280-320-380 no one needed, or wanted, to go back and confirm what they thought they were hearing between the 320 and 380. The difference was profound. Macrojack is correct that the difference in tonearms and cartridges does account for a good jump in dynamics. However, this difference does not accout for the superior tempo and attack to just about every note that is reproduced by the 380. It is definitely a Teres, but it is also a Teres with a great deal of snap and live-ness. Chris demonstrated the effect of applying more torque (there is a pot on the controller for this) so there was no doubt in my mind where this increase in performance was coming from. Cb does have some more refinements planned but I doubt these will change the basic presentation. Sorry to use a cliche, but this new Teres does strip away another layer that I doubt any of the other models can touch being as they all use the same motor, controller and belt drive.

Dan, don't take personal offense, please. My only point is that, especially as one "climbs the ladder" in this hobby, differences (good or bad) generally become a matter of smaller and smaller degree (unless someone totally blows a design or comes up with something truly revolutionary). For there to be THAT much difference between the 320 (the accounts of many claiming it the best table they EVER heard - look up the comments) and the 380 leads me to believe (yes, IMHO) that either the 380 is the best thing since the invention of music (which I doubt) or that the 320 was not all that good to begin with (which I also doubt).