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

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

Dear @alexberger :  """  Why studios and radio stations that have enough money bought EMT that where 2 times more expansive?  """

in reality that's unimportant because at the end the EMT design still is a broadcasting design to fulfill the broadcasting needs but certainly not for the expert audiophiles/music lovers.

Now, I'm not in love with the Technics SP10MK2 that was designed to a price point for broadcasting job not for audiophiles where it needs a lot of tweaks to perfoms decent.

But exist other broadcasting TT design coming from Denon the DP-100 and its studio version is way more expensive than the Technics and maybe  that the EMT and several radio stations bougth it.
But the DP 100 home version is better unit that any of the Technics including the MK3 and does not needs any tweak.

As I told you I had the opportunity to listen to two different EMT models and I already posted that specs can't tell us the whole history. I'm not judging by specs, not this time.

DD/idler drive have not the exclusive for a rigth quality level performance.
Rockport made DD and belt drive and Goldmund was belt drive but the today NVS is DD but the MS statement SZ-1 is belt drive and I know and agoner that own it and is the Lyra cartridge designer @jcarr and he can put true " ligth " on this outstanding MS unit.

In the other side DD designs are used/using in the cutting michenes because it needs very high torque and speed stability but this kind of work is way different of what we audiophiles need at home. You or me or any one do not need that very high torque.

You are entilted with your EMT but that does not means it's a top audiophile TT because it's not, it's what you like and that's all.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R

What matters is to listen to a wide variety of turntables of all types, carefully and for extended periods of time in one's own home on one's own carefully selected system, and thereby to decide what sounds best to one's own ears.  That process in reality never ends. If you have honestly taken on that task, then there are no explanations necessary. And this thread is a waste of time, although it is a credit to Vinnie, who definitely knows how to start an argument and now must be laughing his ass off.

For every pro and con in favor of one drive method, there is a complementary pro and con for either of the others.  The matter cannot and should not be expected to reach absolute conclusions and certainly not through verbal debate.  If you think you own the one and only absolute truth, you've missed the point.