Direct Drive vs. Idler Drive vs. Belt drive

Hi @mijostyn ,

I had Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck and Lenco L78.
I used a heavy 20kg plywood plinth with Lenco and vintage SME 3009 mk2 tonearm.
With the same cartridge Lenco had:
Better bass, better separation better PRAT.
In term of dynamic and tone (on vocal, strings) both turntables sounded similar.
On piano and organ Lenco sounded much better.
The classical piano interpretations had logic and content on Lenco,
in contrast on Nottingham classical piano interpretations sound like unconnected set on notes.

My friends and I moved to DD EMT (950, 948) turntables and they don’t sound muddy at all.
The one important thing - don’t use EMT (950, 948) internal phonostage.

Regards,
Alex.

Mijostyn, have you had direct communication with techdas and clearaudio? I was wondering how you would know the basis for their marketing decisions. I don’t know about techdas but in my opinion clearaudio is a company that does not really make anything much. It seems they collaborate with other anonymous companies who make the products that are then marketed under the clearaudio name, in at least many cases.Before anyone attacks me, this is not to say that some of their products are not very good. I know that they have a large following. And in the current atmosphere, there are not too many companies outfitted to make direct drive turntables. Whereas as I have said before it is quite a simple matter to make a belt drive turntable and then market it under several different guises with increasingly elaborate bling  that can be priced at different levels from low to high.

Axelberger,
you need to have a look at real good belt designs, not a platter transported by just one small motor as the most are. You need to have two big motors to the left and right steered by a control unit where you may change the pitch slightly. If you have the chance listening to one or the other table comprising these features (also tape) you will open up your eyes ☺️
E.

Hi @thuchan ,

Yes, 3 motor belt drive solutions like Audio Note or Clear Audio have to be technically excellent in term of Wow and flutter.
I didn’t listen these turntables at my home. They are out of my budget.
I listened 3 motor Clear Audio in other system. It is really good. But I can’t compare it to my stuff, because the system was different (including the cartridge).

What is really matter for me,
I spent $500 for Lenco + SME 3009 + plinth.
Which belt drive turntable in this price range (including second hand) can compete to Lenco? Nothing came even close!!!
I bought EMT 948 with EMT 929 tonearm for 2500 Euro. Which belt drive turntable in this price range (including second hand) can compete to EMT 948?

Regards,
Alex.

Problems with two or three motors are: (1) They have to be perfectly in synch with one another, and (2) you now have two (or three) potential sources of noise that could be transmitted via the belt to the platter.  No free lunch.  I also think that we anal audiophiles worry perhaps too much about issues that are in reality way below background, if the product is well made and engineered.  So 2 or 3 or 4 motors (how about that?) might be fine.