ct, it may sound different to you but not to me. I think spending hours trying to limit the rumble from a TD 124 qualifies and yes, I had the table almost entirely apart. I have never taken either my SOTA or SME apart. No reason to. Neither table makes any noise that I can hear as far as sonic differences between the tables I can not say. The SME is set up for low compliance cartridges and the SOTA for medium. I would have to by an Identical Air Tight or Koetsu install it in the SOTA and add a lot of weight to the arm. That would be a little too rich for my blood.
Terry9, absolutely congratulations on making your own turntable. As far as bearing type is concerned from an aesthetic point of view no thrust plate makes sense and with opposing magnets easy to do. A shaft is a shaft and air rushing through tight spaces makes noise. Try whistling. Does this noise make a difference? Who knows. But if I can't hear any noise why would it matter. As far as sound better, that is a psycho-subjective analysis you can not trust any human to make accurately which is why there is so much mythology and BS in the Audiophile world.
I like elegance and fine machining in a mechanical device more than anything. In my mine the simplest solution that solves the problem is always best. I can appreciate the Walker Proscenium Black for what it is but I would never buy one. It is way too complicated and IMHO darn ugly.
Rubber bands and springs work just fine. Yes, my SME is also pretty ugly, even worse with a Kuzma 4 point 14 hanging off it but boy is it built.
