Anyone still using a Teres table?


I'd be interested in hearing how you've maximized performance. I still love mine, but I haven't really tweaked anything since receiving it (as it shipped w/ a Verus motor).
128x128nrenter
Nrenter,

Since you have the Verus rim drive motor (some people prefer the original motor that Chris provided) the only upgrades I’m familiar with would be a different tonearm and/or cartridge of your liking.

There are others here on Audiogon that are much more knowledgeable about Teres turntables than myself so maybe they will offer other suggestions.

FYI: I have a Teres 340 with Verus rim drive, a Tri-Planar Arm and ZYX UNIverse Cartridge.

BTW: If you don't receive any additional suggestions you might want to contact Audiogon members dougdeacon and lewn (through Audiogon) and directly ask them for suggestions.

lak,

I've had 2 Teres tables over the years. My first was a monkeywood 255 (belt driven). I sold it back in 2006-ish during the "dark days" of grad school. I bought my current table (technically, it would be a cocobolo 245 - solid acrylic platter - w/ Verus motor) in 2008-ish. I consider it one of my prize possessions.

Other than applying copious amounts of damping to the inside of the Verus motor controller, mine's pretty much "stock". I did have the "square" o-ring installed, and have footers underneath the controller. I'd love to find a lead-loaded or solid derlin platter - tough to come by these days.

I miss the chatter about these tables.
I recently upgraded my 255 to the new square Verus motor pod. It added significantly to attack and bass solidity. Also have an Extreme Phono carbon fiber mat, helping things sound more musically coherent. TT sits on BDR cones on a Neuance shelf.

Tonearms are Jelco 12" w/TTW base and Yamamoto headshells on an external tonearm pod and rotating between a Schroder model 2 and RS Labs w/Audio Advancement rewire on the attached armboard.
Nrenter- Your monkey wood 255 w the lead-damped platter is still going strong chez moi!  Schroeder Model 2 arm, ZYX Airy2 cart.  I was wondering about a mat myself lately.  
I love it, Swampwalker! I still have fond memories of that table.

I want to try a mat, but I also want to continue using my clamp. I've thought about a custom cut Herbie's Grungebuster (and maybe having a custom cut piece to fit underneath the clamp as well). As I mentioned above, I'd really like to collect another platter to evaluate the differences. Not really interested in dumping my solid acrylic platter, though. I've got a OL Silver mk3 (I believe) and a Sound Smith Aida (love this cart).
I'm using the Teres hardwood clamp with the Extreme Phono carbon fibre donut. I took it off a few months ago and it sounded uptight, put it back on and everything came together again.
Hi:
I have a Teres 255 (Acrylic Lead Shots Platter) with custom made plinth. One of the best upgrades that I made to my system was to install a high performance arm (Teres Illius). Besides that I installed a crystal (Glass) mat. You can buy one for about $60 in Ebay. I feel an overall improvement. Subtle but noticeable improvements in highs and bass definition as well as  better instrument separation. When deciding about the glass mat I reasoned that if Brinkmann used this approach it will be worth.  Another plus is that looking at the platter from the top you can see the lead shots cups (which I liked a lot). The mat look like an integral part of the clear acrylic platter.

The only negative side is that the mat is about 6mm thick and I can no longer use the Teres clamp as a "clamp" because the threaded spindle did not reach the female thread in the clamp. I use it as a weight.


I built my first Teres, #13, back when it was a DIY project. That Teres now resides in Sweden with the daughter of the good friend it was sold to some years ago.

My second and current Teres I built right at the close of the Teres DIY era as the project was being taken private by Chris Brady, and Thom Mackris spun off and formed Galibier. It has a 3" clear plinth to complement the 3" thick clear lead-loaded platter as well as a clear cantilevered arm platform. Visually it is very striking and it sounded great from first play.

Over the years I’ve added parts courtesy of Harry Weisfeld so that today my Teres sports a VPI two-motor flywheel rim drive controlled by an SDS, VPI periphery and center clamps, and a VPI JMW 12.5 arm with a Dynavector XV-1S. I also added industrial air-bladder suspension and an intermediary layer of sorbothane pucks as additional vibration damping. Each of these additions improved the already excellent performance of the original Teres, and I think it is still competitive with current turntables. But I might be prejudiced as one of the original Teres DIY design team.

Thanks for an evocative thread. Some very good memories and an awful lot of great music has been played by that ’table over the years.

Steve Z
Hi Steve!

It's been a while!  Feel free to give me a call sometime (# on the website).  I'd love to catch up.

Much of the back story has been lost over the years, but Steve was a key contributor as one of the original "Teres-5".

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier Design
My Teres 255 emits a clic each revolution. I guess is apparent in quiet music or music where a black background is obvious. It's frustrating.   The motor has been fixed and upgraded, it's the  tape belt tape type Signature 3 I believe. The bearing was polished in other words Teres took care of it but I hear this noise. What can it be?

Alanpiga,
You may want take a look underneath the platter to see if anything is hitting the strobe sensor. Same thing was happening to me and it was just a little debris stuck to the strobe disc. Good luck.

Are you sure it's not the belt itself? When I had the signature motor I'd sometimes get a click when the belt seam passed the motor pulley. It was because of slight seperation of the belt from the adhesive tape holding the belt together. For a test, make a belt from a thread or waxed dental floss. You may just need to make a new belt. 
Teres 320 Cocobolo, work of art, can't imagine ever selling, perfect combination of craftsmanship and engineering. Few tt manufacturers understand damping and resonance. It's unfortunate Chris is no longer manufacturing tables.  
I have a good mylar belt to work with now, but, for the future, is there something that I can buy that will cut a mylar belt for my Signature 3 motor?
alanpiga- Search dougdeacon's posts on this forum and you will find lots of information on mylar belt construction. 
THANKS. I have yet to try my new belt but I still don't know which glue tape to use to tape it so I haven't tried a new belt. The other one is definately old and in bad shape but I cannot say it is not the belt yet

As @swampwalker mentioned, Doug Deacon is the king of all things Teres belts, but you can always fall back on VHS leader and splicing tape. A VHS splicing block will ensure perfect alignment. In the meantime, cotton thread or dental floss will make a good test belt (tied with a simple square knot - make sure the string is aligned so the knot doesn't make a "thump" when passing the pulley) .

Although I'm pleased with my Verus motor, I really miss the ability to start the Signature belt motor with a simple push of the platter (and also stopping the motor by stopping the platter). 
I have a Teres from the beginning diy era. It has a thick acrylic platter with the great clamp and I run a well tempered 12" arm. 
When mine is running the motor speed fluctuates very easily, it almost feels like if I breath on the platter it will drop. 
Upon research I ran across some mentions that there was a simple mod to the motor/controller to rectify this but I couldn't find any more detail. Can anyone enlighten me further?
i love the table and feel it has a ton of potential if I could get this sorted. 
@analogluvr,
In my post on this forum dated 1/1/17 (first post) my last paragraph that starts with BTW, I make mention of two Audiogon members that own Teres turntables and are extreamly knowledgable. If you have not done so yet, message them through Audiogon. My guess is they can either help you or make some suggestions.

The Teres Verus motor is very expensive. I wonder if anyone has seen a second hand motor for sale...