Direct Drive vs. Idler Drive vs. Belt drive

Nottingham Hyperspace has or had a very thick mat that appears to be graphite in photos, about one inch thick.

@lewm 

That's right. So did their other top tables. It actually looks like a composite of some description, but performs very much like the graphite slab on my DIY.

I bought a very early version of the Hyperspace, from one of their dealers in Florida with whom I never met.  When it arrived, I was chagrined to note the absence of that nice graphite-like mat.  I complained to the dealer, and his response was that I got an early model built before they went into production of that mat.  Instead there was a flimsy foam rubber mat on mine.  The problem was never put right, maybe because I am too lazy to make demands upon the dealer, or because the table sounded so good as it was.  That whole incident preceded my fascination with DD turntables and the Lenco.  I think I got tired of the Hyperspace because I hated having to give the platter a shove to get it started.

One thing I will say about direct drive turntables... In specific, the Technics SP series and 1200G/GR is they have to be the most neutral turntables I’ve ever heard, especially the newer models from technics. You will truly hear what is there on the source, good or bad. If you want a bit of coloration, which is not a bad idea for some systems, the Idlers and Belt drives will provide that. The older Technics SP tables have a slight warmth coloration but for some, thats perfect.

@ mijostyn

Well the table that gets the most hours currently is the Brinkmann with Audiomods Series Six arm, which I use for more casual listening. This is primarily based on the Ortofon A90, which is the cartridge I have that I am most willing to use up the hours on, and is probably the easiest to retip. My cartridge collection is small, I have a ZYX 4D and a Denon DL-S1 that I can also use on the table. 

When I sit down and want to do critical listening, then its time to use the SOTA Cosmos Eclipse/SME V/Transfiguration Proteus combo. 

For a change of pace I will listen to the Well Tempered Reference and Ikeda 9 Kawami . Its a great sounding deck, but I meter its use because that will be the most difficult cartridge to retip. So I save it for those evenings of critical listening, and chose between it and the SOTA. 

My analog systems are decent systems, but nothing that is on the leading edge of analog playback. Simple gear for a simple guy.