Calling all analog experts

Well, this discussion beats the crap out of everything!

Jsonic,
I'm in Middletown, a bit of a hike from the TZB. Still it's always fun to meet other audio-phools so the invitation stands. Sundays are generally my only free day, though not all of them. Let me know if it makes sense for you to travel this far. We'll have Jyprez stand by to moderate!

Bob,
It's certainly difficult to compare components in different systems. We have lots of brands in common (Shelter, OL, c-j, B&W) but not a single model except our tonearms, almost. If you heard better bass I'd suspect multiple causes:
N803 vs. M804
240wpc SS vs. 60wpc tube (I bet yours sounds sweeter)
Shelter 901 vs. 501
HIFI Modded OL Silver MkI vs. unmodded OL Silver MkII
two cats vs. no cats
and maybe this brick of a TT

Since your visit I improved my cartridge mounting and alignment based on your observations (thank you). I also lowered VTA a touch. Mids and HF's have more 3-D palpability and clarity than before. We didn't listen to any female vocals, but now they're to die for.

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Let's try a theoretical TT shootout. Yesterday on AA there was a post about a new VPI, the Scoutmaster. Picture a Scout with a double thick plinth, taller platter and upgraded AC motor. Without arm it would cost around $1500-1600, similar to a Teres 135. Let's compare feature-for-feature:

Bearing
Teres is more massive, tighter toleranced (12+ hour seat time vs. 2) and viscous-damped

Platter
Teres is 57% taller/more massive

Plinth
Teres is taller/more massive but VPI has a steel layer, call it a draw

Belt
Teres mylar is more speed stable than VPI rubber

Motor
Teres DC is quieter and more speed stable than VPI's AC

Controller
Teres monitors platter speed and self-adjusts; VPI, umm, you fiddle the belt up or down on the pulley!

Armboard
Teres will accommodate virtually any arm, the armboard is easily replaced or swapped; VPI must re-drill and/or replace the plinth to change arms, forget swapping.

Plinth & platter upgrades
Teres offers upgrades with trade-ins for your old parts. VPI?

Power supply
Teres offers a fully isolated, self-recharging battery power option for $110. VPI offers just an AC power conditioner that costs many hundreds more.

Conclusion
At this price point the Teres 135 clearly "beats the crap" out of one major competitor. Other $1,500 tables might come closer of course, but I don't know any that would match it. Twl's statement was a bit enthusiastic, but not totally unrealistic.

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I like everything Sayas said except his implication that the oft-noted limits of the Aries are due to its lack of an active suspension. That's actually its best feature! I'd guess its problems are due to:
- too much acrylic (excessive warmth/rolled off HF's)
- a lousy motor (very well known now)
- an unstable tonearm (cartridge can't do its job)
Unless you can afford a Walker or Rockport, I believe a properly implemented non-suspended TT will retrieve low level information best. IMHO of course! :)

There is no question that the Teres is a fine table deserving of consideration in any hgh end system but of course it all comes down to price for performance. I paid $1000 for my 6 month old Michell Gyro. Gyro's can be readily had for $1200 or so here on A'gon. I believe the Teres model 365 lists for $3750 (almost never available discounted since there are so few) not to mention several hundred more for the 901 vs 501 cartridge. So the question comes down to not whether it performs better (as certainly it should) but just how much better performance one should get for about 2500 more and whether that performance is there or not.
Perhaps I could bring my Gyro over to your house and we can A/B them with some other impartial judges and let others on the forum know what they think? (Doug and I actually live within a few miles of each other in Central CT)

Sorry if I offended. Simply my opinion. YMMV.

"Other $1,500 tables might come closer of course, but I don't know any that would match it."

I understand, very few people have a KAB modded Technics SL-1200MKII. The day before I took my 1200 to Kevin for installing the outboard power supply I was at an antique steam & gas engine show in Blue Mountain, PA. There were all these single piston engines with massive flywheels and I started thinking about TTs. Hmmm, to get the belt drive TT spinning right one needs one--preferrably two flywheeels, just like VPI does. That's a good, albeit primitive solution. Just like modern, lighter and powerful gasoline engines which have inboard sensing/correction computers, the linear quartz lock drive can do an effective job w/out relying on massive amounts of lead and/or a flywheel. It just uses a flared platter to lower the center of gravity and add rotational velocity. There are two issues at stake here:

1) How do you take care of speed control issues as the stylus tracks transients (stylus drag).

2) How is speed kept constant while modulating a groove?

One lesson I've learned since having the outboard power supply is that in my TT I can get OUTSTANDING performance with the modded Stanton Groovemaster II. It is a moving magnet design and sounds better than my Ortofon X5 moving coil! Aren't moving coils supposed to be faster, more natural, etc? The answer is simple: the platter can drive the magnets & cantilever assembly rather effortlessly.

The more I look at the Teres the more I see it as a direct drive wannabe!

Errata: #2 refers to stylus drag.