 Recommended Tonearms
Many suitable tonearms are available for use with Teres turntables. At
this time we are unaware of any that do not perform well on a Teres.
Schroder, Morch, Graham, Origin Live, Basis and Triplanar tonearms are
available from Teres Audio. Please contact us for package pricing.
Tier 1 -
Tier one recommendations include a small selection of tonearms that in our
opinion are the best offering at each price point. We have considerable first
hand experience with each of these tonearms and they have been carefully
auditioned on Teres turntables. Tier one tonearms are ordered by price. Our
recommendations of course reflect personal preferences and are not intended to
be authoritative.
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Schroder
- Schroder tonearms occupy the three top slots on our recommended tonearms
list. These tonearms feature superb build quality and a remarkably simple,
elegant design utilizing magnetic damping. The result is sound quality that is
simply without peer. Availability for these tonearms is limited. Lead time for
a Schroder tonearm will generally be in excess of 4 months.
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Schroder Reference
- The $5550 Reference sits proudly at the top of the
Schroder line-up. The Reference has many sonic virtues but it is difficult to
fully describe the musical beauty that this tonearm produces. Relaxed, detailed,
transparent and natural are some of the best words to describe the Reference but
fall short of conveying the musical goodness of this tonearm. If you are looking
for the best, look no further.
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Schroder DPS
- The Schroder DPS features the same wood armwand as the Reference but with a
simplified more economical support post. The result is sound that approaches
that of the Reference at a more affordable price. The primary drawback of the
DPS is its lack of finely controlled VTA adjustment. However, when combined
with a Teres VTA adapter this is not an issue. Even with a price of $3900 we
believe that this tonearm offers excellent value.
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Schroder Model 2
The model 2 is the least expensive in the Schroder lineup and offers exceptional
value. Sounding much like the more expensive Schroder tonearms the number 2
outperforms many highly regarded and much more expensive tonearms. At $2250 we
believe that the model 2 is the top contender in the less than $3500 price
range. The Teres VTA adapter adds finely controlled VTA adjustment.
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Morch
- Morch tonearms are well thought out, innovative designs with excellent build
quality. In addition a wide variety of interchangeable armwands each with a
different effective mass are available for optimal matching with virtually any
cartridge. Morch also offers an optional 12" armwand. The standard finish is
chrome and gold is available for an extra charge. Both Morch tonearms work
well with the Teres VTA adapter. Prices include the standard Morch tonearm
cable.
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Morch DP-6
The DP-6 has a unique dual pivot design. It features great ergonomics and a
clever mechanism for repeatable, fine adjustment of azimuth. The DP-6 sells for
$1950 ($2150 with the 12" armwand)
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Morch UP-4
The UP-4 is damped uni-pivot tonearm featuring the same interchangeable
armwands found on the Morch DP-6. With a reasonable $1400 list price
($1750 with a 12" armwand) the UP-4 offers great sound. As is true with any
uni-pivot the lack of lateral stability affects ergonomics and may be
troublesome for some users.
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Expressimo RB-250
- There are a lot of modified Rega arms around and we have reason to believe
that this one is the best. If you want to spend less than $600 for a new
tonearm this is the only one we recommend. The Expressimo mods include a
stainless steel counterweight stub, stainless steel "Heavy Weight"
counterweight, VTA adjuster, Cardas Golden Cross tonearm wire and a very good
Wasatch PD-402 tonearm cable.
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Tier 2 -
Tier 2 includes tonearms that we either have too little experience with
to offer a full endorsement or quality tonearms that we feel offer good
value but for various reasons did not make it to the top of our list.
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Triplanar
- This tonearm is an engineering marvel. Every parameter is optimized
resulting in the best technical performance we have heard. This is probably the
best tracking arm money can buy. Musically the Triplanar is detailed with
superb clarity and resolution. Setup is more work but logical and repeatable.
At $3900 the Triplanar faces stiff competition with Schroder DPS. Both are
excellent tonearms but we have a slight preference for the richer sounding DPS.
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Basis Vector
- An innovative design with great build quality and a reasonable retail
price of $2795. In a recent side-by-side evaluation with the Graham 2.2 the
Vector performed very well. We found that the Vector sounded slightly more
refined but also a little more subdued. With the
Teres VTA adapter the Vector has the same on-the-fly
VTA adjusting capability as the Graham.
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Origin Live Silver
- The Silver is a modestly priced ($935) tonearm. The Silver has been one of
the most popular arms for Teres owners. The appearance is a little industrial
and the fit and finish is only so-so. However, this arm sounds quite good. A
simple, inexpensive tweak is available that makes this arm sound even better.
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