Compare: Basis Debut, VPI TNT, top Teres tables


Having modded my vintage Empire in as thoughtful and creative a manner as I could generate (and probably not done), I am now absolutely sold on vinyl and want to begin learning more about some of "the best" tables, though I'm not strongly interested in the very, very highly priced (you know, $25K and up) front ends. Had I 5-10K in pocket and one day to decide, well, I really like the Basis Debut. However, seeing this as the one forum where folks appear to converse honorably, seeking best considerations of what's true and recognizing mere argumentativeness for what it is, I thought I'd pose this question here as a way to start learning more. The tables I've named may even be inappropriate, but if so that's okay w/ me. I - yes, I - don't want BS, so I EXPECT others to gently inform me if I'm using any. That said, can those among the informed compare/contrast the tables I've named, or others in the same league? Many thanks!

Scott
shirasagi
I re-read the post that Thomas refers to. I think perhaps there is a misunderstanding about what the poster meant when he said that "Thomas is a bad guy". IMHO, that remark was meant to be a sarcastic response because the poster felt that Thomas was putting down the Teres table abit even though he, Thomas, had not heard it.

I don't think the poster really meant that Thomas is a bad person.

Just my observation.
Dan_ed,
I wrote the response that Thomas just mentioned. Your interpretation is correct, but I should not have used sarcasm. My apologies to Thomas and to the forum in general if anyone was offended.

Thomas,
You emailed me asking what I meant. I did my best to explain and offered an apology. I also extended an invitation if you were ever in my neighborhood. You never replied so I assumed the matter was dead. Apparently not. What else can I say to put this behind us?

Scott,
Sorry your thread got hijacked. I have not heard a Basis, only a Teres, so I can't offer any valid comparisons. Like many of us I had to buy without being able to audition.

FWIW, I chose a Teres 265 and feel it was money very well spent. I still believe it provides the best value for any TT within 150-200% of its price, and could recite a long list of reasons if anybody cared. As Thomas said, it's "simple, reliable and honest." Dynamic as hell too. :)

OTOH, if I had $10K a Basis Debut would certainly be near the top of my short list. I think that's about the least you can spend to get a suspended TT that outplays a simple, mass-loaded Teres/Redpoint/Galibier. AJ Conti would be the first to say that engineering a suspended TT requires good science, sound engineering and topnotch manufacturing. Basis apparently does all that, but it costs a lot to do it.
Been away for a few days and returned to see the replies above. Sorry to see any hurt feelings cropping up from the past. Maybe all parties need recognize the power of their own enthusiasms that quickly lead to bias and stridency, but we're all only human after all (excepting me, naturally) (!). The irony here, fundamentally, seems to be that we can't all hear these sorts of tables side by side, in fine tune, together. Wouldn't that be fun? I do appreciate heartfelt opinions and the mere fact that a few others on the planet share this interest with me. Other inputs welcome, too.

Scott
Can't say as I've heard these tables, but I have a buddy who has gone through many, many tables in the past. He's had the TNT and said it is very detailed with slam but lacks a certain "musical" quiality. I can understand this; it seems to be a trend in the industry these days. Pull out as much detail as possible but lose the musicality. It's got to be hard to keep both alive.

There's lots of good things said about SOTA turntables, and the reviewers of them say they keep the music alive. Same thing for the Well Tempered. I believe Teres owners say the same thing, but there are so many variations on their implementation that it's hard to know what to believe (there's also the DIY issue, where "if I made it it must be good" attitude usually prevails).

So are you a detail freak or do you like to get up and dance?

Enjoy the hunt,
Bob