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.

I would only add that there are a LOT of "suspended" turntable designs out on the market now. This does not make them all "equal" in terms of design or immunity to external vibration.

To quote John Atkinson of Stereophile in regards to the Sota design, "it is the turntable that Sir Isaac Newton would have designed". In a direct comparison under identical test conditions, the Sota offered 50 dB's more isolation than a Linn. This is not a "guesstimate" or some made up number, but actual results of bench testing in a review. In fact, in that same review, they reviewer stated that the Sota surpassed any table that they had ever measured at that time by at least 40 - 50 dB's in terms of isolation. Believe me, that is no small feat !!!

In electrical terms, that means that the Sota can withstand over 10,000 times ( equivalent to 40 db's ) the amount of external vibration as a "good" table and still be just as quiet. The reviewer in question considered it to be the "ultimate" in terms of resistance to excitation by external means. With the type of isolation that they were able to measure in direct comparison to other tables, they made that statement for good reason.

The bottom line is this: There is no other table made anywhere near the price that offers the isolation that a properly functioning Sota Sapphire or Sota Star Sapphire offers. NONE. This fact is not debatable. Whether or not you care for the table itself on a cosmetic or functional level is another matter... Sean
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Dennis, the sound of a TT is affected by the type of stand it is placed on. A mass-loaded TT like the Teres or Verdier would sound good on a very heavy rigid stand like yours. A Linn would sound bad on a heavy stand like that. Linn likes a lightweight stand.

So Frank, tell me. How is the Shelter doing on the WB arm? I had another guy ask me about that, and I was wondering what your impressions are.

Tom -- Thanks as always for your comprehensive replies. You are a wealth of knowledge, and I know that you are highly respected on this board for sharing that knowledge.
One more question; How do you keep dust of the Teres?

Nrchy -- thanks for the Sota tip. They look like a very good value and I will certainly look into them.

Frank -- are you happy with the support offered on the Michell's? What is the difference (besides price) between the Gyro and the Orbe? How is the Gyro upgraded? Is it mainly a platter and bearing upgrade? What preamp(s) are you using? What is the output on the 501 -- .25? I'll also second Tom's question on the synergy between the WB and 501.

Sean -- Was this a full review in Stereophile you are referring to? If so, what issue was this in?

Thanks again to all who replied.

GO RAIDERS!!!