Teres still the way to go?

For those following this thread, Thom has posted more info on the Serac on the Galibier site. Can't wait until they ship and reviews start to surface.

Albert, I'm working on it. I accepted a position with Accenture and haven't been in the Metroplex on a Tuesday night in months.

Any insight on when the Serac will actually become available? Thom?

I didn't see the thread about tables in the $2000 - $3000 range...I could have piggy-backed on that thread.

I also didn't know about the upcoming Galibier Serac. I'll be interested to hear how that compares to the "low end" Teres.

I needed cash to pay for my last semester of grad school - that's the only reason I sold off my system.

Santa came today!!! Well, it was actually the FedEx delivery truck. He brought one large box with 3 smaller boxes inside - a box for the base, arm board and clamp, a box for the platter and a box for the Verus motor and controller. The ancillary parts / pieces were found in the packing between the boxes.

If you haven't seen any of Chris' work in person, I strongly suggest you find a local Teres owner for a viewing. The first box I opened contained the base, arm board, and the clamp - all in cocobolo. I was floored. I thought my previous monkeywood base was beautiful. IMHO, the current production cocobolo bases look 3x better. I really wasn't expecting to be as impressed as I was - the craftsmanship is amazing and the finish is stunning. Once I get the rest of my system in, I'll post pictures. However, I implore Chris to contact Albert Porter and have him shoot some pictures of the Teres line (I'm even willing to model my system). While the current photos on the Teres site are good, they don't convey the depth of beauty of the woodwork. Oh, the clamp now has a black "knob" rather than the silver finish of old. Very sexy.

The next box I opened contained the solid acrylic platter. This platter is crystal clear all the way through, and really allows you to see the wood grain underneath. I was (pleasantly) surprised to see that the platter did not have the white markings on the underside required for the Signature motor. I like this look much better than the lead-loaded acrylic platter. However, when the platter is spinning, from a distance it looks like it stands still. Sonically, this platter may be a step backwards, but visually, it looks much more elegant (IMHO) than the lead-loaded 255 platter.

The final box contained the Verus motor and controller. The motor itself is much more svelte than I expected (it is considerably smaller than the Signature belt-drive motor). The controller is about what I expected from the pictures on the Teres site. The form factor of the motor is excellent, and the controller is relatively unobtrusive (visually). I expected the controller to be much heavier (why I expected the controller to be a 20 lb lead weight, I do not know). I'm going to miss starting and stopping the platter by hand, but that's the price you pay for progress.

After setting up the table and waiting for the platter to settle, I had to fire up the motor (even though I'm still waiting for my arm to arrive). The motor itself is dead silent. However, within minutes, I have 2 minor suggestions for version 1.1 of the controller: 1) the controller housing needs to have more dampening, and 2) there should be an indicator light above each of the speeds to indicate current speed selection. Both "issues" are trivial and are inconsequential or easily remedied.

So, although I haven't been able to evaluate its sonics with my Beatles "Love" 2-LP set yet, visually my new Teres had exceeded my expectations. When I post pictures of my system, you'll see that the wood grain on the arm board makes a face and a body of the "man inside the table who makes the music". I'll post more once the rest of my system arrives and settles in.

Red, you sure know how to torment a guy. Have any more insights?

Can you give more info about the "upgraded arm" (is this the Vivid-two?). What type of design is it? What carts mate well with it? Given the "turntable package" what carts would be appropriate (Denon 103-R, XYZ Bloom, etc?)

My previous analog setup was a Teres 255 / Origin Live Silver / Shelter 501 mk II. Given this baseline, (in theory) how would a Serac compare?

Thanks, Thom. I'm looking forward to seeing (and hearing) the Serac. I think that the Serac (w/ Anvil), tonearm, and recommended cartridge may be an interesting offering to me. We'll have to see if our timelines match up. I do have to say that I did love my Teres and would gladly own one again. IMHO, it was a beautiful thing to see and hear.

Thom,

You are welcome to post any information in this thread you see fit. I am looking for options to weigh against a Teres 255 and the Serac is something I will consider. I like the idea of buying an analog "system" (components with proven synergy) and the Serac (w/ Anvil, arm, and appropriate cartridge) may hit my sweet spot in terms of price / performance.

Like I've mentioned before, I've loved my Teres (and also loved the reaction of my guests who first gaze upon the wood base & lead-loaded acrylic platter). It will be a difficult decision when the time comes to pull the trigger.

Any updates, Thom? Just curious.

Thom,

What's going on with the Serac? I see the pricing has increased by about $1k. Any updates?

I went with another Teres!!!

I guess you could call it a "Teres 245 on steroids"

- Cocobolo base
- Cocobolo armboard
- Cocobolo clamp
- Solid acrylic platter
- Verus motor

I'll be mounting an Origin Live Silver mk III and a Denon 103R. I hope the cocobolo will match the cocobolo trim on my GMA Callistos. I'll post my thoughts after I receive it.

I'm going to give a response that may be a first in Audiogon history:

I'm going to admit that I don't think I'll be able to provide any useful comparative comments.

When I receive my table (which should be this Friday), I'll be using a different platter, different arm, and a different cartridge with the Verus motor. As a matter of fact, everything about my system will be different (including the room). Other than fit & finish, ease of use, and "quirkiness" comments, I don't think any sonic comparisons would be anywhere close to accurate / relevant. If someone in the Dallas area has a Signature motor and would like to bring it by to compare, I would be happy to arrange a shoot out.

Plus, it's been nearly a year since I last spun something on my monkeywood 255. I trust Swampwalker is still taking good care of my baby. :)

Well...

Teres is changing their product line. The bad news is they aren't making 255s or 265s any more - those models are being replaced by the Teres 260. I found this out when I called with the reluctant intent to go *way* outside my budget and order a 265.

The Teres 260 uses the same base as the 255 and 265, however it uses a new black composite platter that they prefer to the 255 acrylic platter (and comes really close to the 265 hardwood platter). Like the 255 and 265 platters, the new 260 platter is lead loaded. The Teres 260 is also furnished with the Verus Motor.

Since they are going through these model changes, Chris had an old solid acrylic platter still in stock and put together a package for me that I couldn't refuse (and kept me much closer to my budget).

Not to put words in his mouth, but I believe Chris feels that lead damping in a platter is not as valuable when using the Verus Drive compared to the value received from the lead-damping with a belt drive motor. In theory, the flywheel effect is not as critical with a motor like the Verus.

Plus, the new black composite platter gives me an easy upgrade path when I get the itch (and I'll probably keep the solid acrylic platter for comparison). Bottom line, I traded down on the platter for a potentially synergistic upgrade with the new motor. I believe this combo will outperform a 255, but even if it just comes close I'll be more than satisfied.

Thom,

I appreciate the update. There are worse things in life than success, but that doesn't mean it's an easy thing to handle. Contrats!

Just curious...Do your platters fit a Teres bearing? I'd be interested in performing a platter shoot out sometime in the distant future (later in '08). Anything that could fit a Teres bearing would be welcome.