Honest question about cartridge vs. turntable performance.

Having owned a Technics Direct Drive SP10 mk2 and now a Linn, I think both tables can deliver good to great sound. The Technics was a table that I thought could sound a bit like digital at times, IOW a little sterile and dry sounding. The Linn, if not set up 100% can also sound a little off, leading to the opinions that many naysayers have about it. The plus with the Technics was that one could mount almost any arm, the minus with the Linn is that the arm options are very limited. However, once set up correctly and with their Radikal power supply, the Linn is very hard to beat. Nonetheless, I think most drive types have their pluses and minuses...

@mijostyn 


I remember the DD tables back in the 70’s and 80’s and when I got my Linn lp12  in 1985 I thought it was so much better. I think the problem was I only saw the low end Japanese DD. Also when I got my Linn it was the first time I purchased a decent cartridge. DD turntables for me back then meant low end. In the 80’s,  Made in Japan had a bad reputation  in audio. They never sent us much of their good stuff to North America. I’ve learn now that I had never heard their  top tables back then that are cheap to obtain now. Like SP 10, Denon DP80, @chakster has a Luxman pd444 and others of consideration. If you would have asked me, I would have recommended similar to chakster. But since you already own the Rega, it’s probably still a decent table that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Along with my Garrard 301 and  2 DD I also own a Kuzma reference belt drive. But for the dollar a DD (especially vintage) can’t be beat in my opinion.

cakyol
Wow, thanks for verify that that I always suspected. And is my view of it too.
 
That if we ONLY look att the whole TT (=100%) and disregard all other following components downstream.

It is hard to put numbers on things but for illustration and easier understanding.

That cartridge make up for ≈70-80% of the sound quality and ≈20-30% of the sound quality that is left is shared between platter (drive type, plinth, bearing and so on) and tone arm (length, cable, bearing type and so on).

Then we can discuss this and that and adjust 10% up or down. But it is important to make this rather simple to understand.

When all this discussion back and forth and details on drive system or tone arms will just confuse many when we do not know and understand that those types of "rabbit holes discussions" is only, lively discussions on a few % of the sound quality.

Good to have that perspective back of your head when reading this type of threads.