Why According to some Turntable extremists Pitch Control and Direct Drive is Sacrilege?

That’s weird! The exact same thing just about happens for CD players - the incessant hunt and peck action of the laser servo system trying to keep the nanoscale laser beam on track produces audible distortion. The continual servo action is due to the wow and flutter of the vibrating CD. Coincidence?

There are 4 types of vintage DD turntables:
1. DJ DD turntables ( like - Technics 1200). Most have pitch control.
2. Broadcast and studio DD TTs (like - Technics SP10mk2,mk3 or EMT950, EMT948). Don't have pitch control by default. It was available like the extra feature. In general these TT have much better SQ compared to DJ TT.  SQ is very good by any standard.
3. Audiophile DD TTs (Kenwood KD07, Micro Seiki DD TTs, Yamaha gt 2000, Thorense 701). This group mostly don't have pitch control. SQ is very good by any standard, similar to  Broadcast and studio TTs.
4. Cheap consumers DD TTs.

Alex, SP 10 mk3 definitely does have a pitch control; it’s built into the outboard power supply.

Fremer’s “hunting” hypothesis is the favorite criticism of DD by those who prefer belt drive, but it is very unfair to apply what is or may be a problem with the SL1200, a low end example of the breed, to all DDs. Otherwise we could bring up the inherent speed irregularities of BD due to belt creep and stylus drag.

Different servo control designs had different correction rates. Apparently the one built into the SL1200 makes very frequent corrections that might be audible to some. Moreover it had a cheap iron core motor.

It’s just my opinion but I would not necessarily agree with your sorting of DDs into 4 categories. And you left out many superb products, but I’m sure you know that. No biggie.

Hi @lewm ,

I didn’t list all good DD turntables.
But you can’t compare, for example, SL1200 to EMT950. They have a very different “hunting” design.
All this Hi-End reviewers-sellers like Fremer try to sell belt drive "golden toilets" with cheap toy car motors that ruin rhythm and pace of music interpretation. Belt drive transforms Classical piano music or other music with very fine sense of rhythm like Modern Jazz Quartet to unconnected set of sounds.
I got rid off Nottingham Analog Specedeck for Lenco 78 and then for EMT948.
My friend, classical musician, sold all his belt-drive TTs (including Sota) and bought EMT950.
Other friend rid off Linn LP12 for EMT948.

In my system ORACLE DELPHI MKII produces more music than LUXMAN PD444. I sold that gorgeous vintage DD because it simply sounds digital, with or without the original mat, with or without the original elastomer feet or replacing them with maglev feet (the best option). Learnt a lesson, and quite a costly one.
Have lived happily since nevertheless : )
And LP12 is a toy btw.