Tables That Feature Bearing Friction


I recently had the opportunity to audition the DPS turntable which, unlike most tables, has a certain amount of friction designed into the bearing. This, when paired with a high quality/high torque motor, is said to allow for greater speed stability--sort of like shifting to a lower gear when driving down a steep hill and allowing the engine to provide some breaking effect and thus greater vehicular stability. I am intrigued by this idea and was wondering what other people thought about this design approach. Are there other tables which use this bearing principal? One concern I have is that by introducing friction you may also be introducing noise. Comments?
128x128dodgealum
Dear friends: IMHO the subject on speed accuracy/stability in TTs are almost addressed and solve by almost all the TT designers and manufacturers. We can take examples like Technics, Denon, Rockport, Walker, Kenwood, Basis, Pionner, SME, Monaco, Sota, Raven, etc, etc, where we find very good numbers on the subject that goes as low as 0.001% ( speed subject ) and figures on SN of 92db or WF of 0.015%.

So one way or the other ( different TT design approaches ) the spedd accuracy and speed stability are already achieved by commercial TTs.

Where I think there are a non-definitive solutions are ( like other people point out ) in self TT isolation and neutral build materials on each commercial TT design out there.

As Dertonarm poin out, the TT must does not have any " sound "/signature by it self that can add some kind of distortions/colorations that affect the cartridge quality sound reproduction, the TT must be " dead neutral ".

If we read any TT subject thread in this forum or in any other one we are reading things like this: the bass in this TT has a better bass that the other TT, it is warmer that the other ones, it is more alive that the others, the high frequencies sounds better, everything sounds lower in record noise, etc, etc, etc.
There is always a TT sound, so these TT are faraway to be neutral ( that is our target like customers. We are full of distortions/colorations to continue to accepting more. )

IMHO two main factors that contribute to those each commercial design TT " sounds/signature " are due to a poor isolation and what were the choose on build materials ( including the arm board ).
I think that is here where the commercial TT designers/builders have the greatest " room " to improve and achieve " neutrality ": for to have a TT running with speed accuracy and stability with out adding/removing almost nothing.

I think that the challenge is a big one but with a lot of rewards when solve for everyone.
The build material issue is critical, you can take how important is when you try different TT mats in your own TT: you have different sound quality level as different are each one mat and its build material.

This build material challenge is enormous if we take in count that exist hundred/thousands of build materials that can be use in the TT manufacture and million of blend/combination materials that could be use it, so not an easy task to have the " answer " but IMHO if we want to have better TTs ( any kind of TT. ) then we have to ask for to the commercial TT builders. I think that the " ball " is in their hands and I hope we can see in the near future ( and can buy ) that " neutral " TTs in favor of the analog music-sound home reproduction.

I know it can do it because I already experienced and " solve " something similar with our tonearm design.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Other subject that I would like that the commercial TT designers/builders could address and solve is to have a record " perfect center " mechanism.
This out-off center record hole is a " cancer " in the analog quality performance ( due to an extremely poor build quality of the record industry. ), we need a solution. I think on the TT builders because I don't think that the records industry can " hear " our needs.

There are other " desirable " characteristics that will be welcome in a TT design but for now I think these ones are enough.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
out-off center record hole is a " cancer " in the analog quality performance ( due to an extremely poor build quality of the record industry. ), we need a solution. I think on the TT builders because I don't think that the records industry can " hear " our needs.

This was made 25 years ago from a Nakamichi Turntable. It centered the record automatically.
Too expensive for our days I guess.:)
Yes, I know: the Dragon and TX1000. A friend of mine in San Diego and other one here own these units.

Raul.
The build material subject could grow-up in complexity if we add that we must take in count that maybe we need different build materials for different TT parts and that each one of those build materials have to have a constant " behavior " under any " normal " TT operation condition forming a " synergy TT system ".

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.