New Turntable: Teres, Nottingham, Origin?

Here in the UK we wonder why the Origin Live tables get consistently good reviews in the magazines. (I'm sure it's nothing to do with the amount of advertising they do in hifi mags!

On the discussion boards the consensus is that no-one knows anyone who has actually bought one!

I haven't heard a Teres yet, but I would be prepared to trust the weight of opinion in its favour.

Following Raul's consistent championing of the Final Tool, I emailed Acoustic Signature for details of UK dealers. Haven't had a reply 10 days later. :-(

Red

4yanx,
Thanks for clarifying. Excellent points all the way through, as usual. I'd forgotten that the Spacedeck came so close to the top two. Value for $ indeed.

One wonders how a Teres 160 would compare. CB himself says it outplays the 245, which makes perfect sense. Lead shot in the platter *should* sink resonances better than heavier hardwood in the plinth.

Teres 245 at 2500
SME 309 at 1000 from Hong Kong
Shelter 501 at 560 from HOng Kong

Last turntable you'll need.

Hi Flyingred. Actually, the Origin Live tables get very good reviews even from those who don't accept advertising (e.g., Bound for Sound). The Origin Live tonearms have very good reviews from users here on the 'Gon. Why aren't more sold? Beats me. I can only speculate.

Separately, I'm not convinced that mass alone is the driver behind good sound in a table. As with all things audio, the design and execution of all parts together is what makes things tick. Taking that a bit further, it's likely that a table that sounds great plugged into one system may not perform as well in another. So, I'd certainly "try before you buy" at home with any component, especially one as critical as a table.

4yanx brings up a good point with service. I've not needed any so can't speak to it. The dealer I use is very accessible and always willing to help.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Raul, I'm sure the Final Tool is an excellent TT. Judging sound reproduction has objective parameters, but within certain parameters there are a wide range of subjective factors, including taste, that influence our judgements. But appearance or looks is almost completely subjective; it's just a matter of taste. In this regard, I do not find the Final Tool TT to be visually appealing. It's not the ultimate issue, of course, but it does matter. The 3 tables I'm considering here I find very, very, very attractive--I simply like the looks of all 3 of them. And given what I consider to be the beauty and warm, inviting appearance of my other components, the Final Tool wouldn't fit in.

One of my concerns about the Teres is the ease of setup compared to the Nott' Spacedeck. I've read that the Teres is a TT for Tweakers. Although I love tweaking my system, (tube rolling is a "blast"), I don't enjoy fussing. Since there seem to be so many different things to "play around with--or tweak" with the Teres, I can see myself obsessing about whether everything is set up "correctly" or the best it can be. The whole point, for me, is to forget about listening to the equipment, and simply listen to the music.

Also, I've never read any specific comments on the two main wood choices for the Teres--Rosewood or Cocobolo. Is the latter really better for sound than the former?

Again, thanks for your comments, and please keep them coming.

Thanks, Bill