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

Oh come on raul. That is a piece of garbage:)

Hi @rauliruegas ,
Yes, I know that EMT tonearms are not a "state of art" as well their phonostages both tube and transistors.
But their TT (except models: 928 and 938) and cartridges are really very good.
EMT950 and EMT948 where on the same market at the same time with Technics SP10mk2.
Why studios and radio stations that have enough money bought EMT that where 2 times more expansive?
Similar, why studios who have enough money bought Studer tape recorders and not Tascam and Otari?
You can’t judge these turntables by datasheet measurement. These measurements can be done different. Measurements in audio is a very complicated topic.
I know many people (who had many different and expansive Hi-End turntables) use and like idler drive and DD EMT turntables.

Bottom line, we all have a different tests.

Despite I listen mostly jazz and classical music, for my test, even best belt drive TTs sound too soft and too polite. If I had extra money I would go for nice idler drive like modified Garrard 301 or EMT 930 and I would leave my EMT948 as the second TT.

Every year I go to Montreal Audio Fest. I also heard "main stream" Hi-End systems in dealer show rooms and at people home. I also had Dynaudio speakers and Plinius integrated amplifier and I haply rid of from this stuff.
I can differently say, "main stream" Hi-End like: Dynaudio, Focal, B&W, Wilson Audio, Krell, Mark Levinson, Plinius ... - is not my cup of tee.
I like good hi-sensitive speakers and I like speakers with a good tone, like: Harbeth, Spendor Clasics, Qued ESL57.

Regards,
Alex.

Alex. They bought the EMT 950 because it ran backwards. It is still a crappy TT for audiophile use. I think you meant tastes. It is not a matter of taste. A good turntable should do nothing but spin records. No rumble, no wow or flutter and no sound of its own. Every time I hear about a turntable sounding like this or that my eyes cross. A turntable should sound like nothing. The only thing you should be listening to is the cartridge. 
There is a reason that the best turntables made use belt drive. It is the straightest path to the right result. It allows you to isolate the bearing as a separate entity and design it for the lowest rumble. As soon as you put a motor around it things get much more complicated. Having a bunch of electromagnetic stuff going on under your cartridge is never a good idea.
The Japanese are artists at making a simple proposal as complicated as possible. How many buttons on that remote do you actually use? They are wonderful at making small intricate things like cameras but when it comes to mundane tasks like spinning a record simplest is usually best.
To those guys who like old turntables like TD 124s or the Garrards, anything with an idler wheel, you need to improve the bass response of your systems. I am all for nostalgia but those turntables rumble like express trains. They are the reason belt drive came into being. They had no way of changing speed without a stepped pulley. Now we can do it electronically so there is absolutely no reason to add another bearing and a rubber wheel that will never stay round. They are Tim Burton's idea of what a turntable should be. They are museum pieces. 
Alex, just because you like Qued ESL57s I'll have to admit you have good taste in speakers.

Hi @mijostyn ,

You never have listened EMT950 or EMT948 in you live.
How can you judge it?
I know that most of EMT collectors who have in their collection EMT927 (the best idler drive turntable ever built) prefer sound of EMT950. Because 950 is more accurate.

ALL vinyl record lacquers disc (from 70x up today) are cut by DD turntable machines. Older lacquer where cut by worm-gear turntable machines. So, in any case you listen hated by you DD when you listen you records :-)

I know there are a very few EMT turntable in North America. As result, US and Canadian audiophile don’t have any idea about these turntables sound. All their experience base on guesses and fairy tails.
But, on other hand, EMT turntable are very popular in Europe, Japan and Russia. And they are very appreciated in these countries.

Regards,
Alex.

The EMT 950 is a fantastic Turntable - I own one - among dozens of other tables,  in use are only DD tables.  As far as speed accuracy nothing really comes close to the EMT 950 - the Denon DP80 and the DN 308 perhaps.    Heres a small video of the speed accuracy of the EMT950 - I used a RoadRunner Tachometer for this one.

https://www.facebook.com/peter.noerbaek/videos/vb.682594511/10156654485509512/?type=3

and this one I have posted before - a GrooveMaster Vintage Direct DP80 Professional - donor to this is the Denon DP80.  Shows the astonishing speed accuracy of the DP80 over an entire album side - the wall the dot from the timeline is projected on is 26 feet away from the turntable center.

Beginning of LP
https://www.facebook.com/170947997876/videos/10154978712417877/

End of LP
https://www.facebook.com/170947997876/videos/10154978713202877/


Good Listening

Peter