Pauly,
I think it's unfortunate to critique business issues that are premature and distract from consideration of the Verus motor as an engineered product that arrives at a timely moment in TT design.
Recent evolution in TT design seems to have mostly divided between belt-driven models with heroically massive platters & high-torque motors vs. lightweight born-again idlers & direct-drive models both new and remanufactured vintage. I've heard enough people whose ears I trust get excited about those damned Lencos to pique my curiousity. But intuition tells me that direct-coupled motors, together with the more sophisticated bearings, platters, and plinths of a modern TT (maybe almost ANY good modern TT), may be the next big thing. The Verus is the only solution I'm aware of that lets one test this proposition by performing a user-friendly heart transplate on his own TT in the privacy of his living room. It's an appealing idea. It might just upset the received wisdom that any given manufacturer's TT design is to be viewed as painstakingly cut from one piece of cloth that can't be improved upon outside of arm, cartridge, and platform substitutions. Of course if enough people find that this motor can make any belt-drive TT sound better, then how long will it be before the direct-coupled paradigm replaces belt drive altogether? And if heavy platters and their robust bearing assemblies are unnecessary with a direct-coupled motor, then how long before lighter assemblies take over & drive down costs of top models?
I think it's unfortunate to critique business issues that are premature and distract from consideration of the Verus motor as an engineered product that arrives at a timely moment in TT design.
Recent evolution in TT design seems to have mostly divided between belt-driven models with heroically massive platters & high-torque motors vs. lightweight born-again idlers & direct-drive models both new and remanufactured vintage. I've heard enough people whose ears I trust get excited about those damned Lencos to pique my curiousity. But intuition tells me that direct-coupled motors, together with the more sophisticated bearings, platters, and plinths of a modern TT (maybe almost ANY good modern TT), may be the next big thing. The Verus is the only solution I'm aware of that lets one test this proposition by performing a user-friendly heart transplate on his own TT in the privacy of his living room. It's an appealing idea. It might just upset the received wisdom that any given manufacturer's TT design is to be viewed as painstakingly cut from one piece of cloth that can't be improved upon outside of arm, cartridge, and platform substitutions. Of course if enough people find that this motor can make any belt-drive TT sound better, then how long will it be before the direct-coupled paradigm replaces belt drive altogether? And if heavy platters and their robust bearing assemblies are unnecessary with a direct-coupled motor, then how long before lighter assemblies take over & drive down costs of top models?