Turntable upgrade recommendations: SME vs AMG vs Technics vs other

The belt drive analog of that philosophy is also coupling a very weak motor to a very heavy platter, first done by both Walker Audio and Nottingham Analog.  There is a stock argument against that approach, but I don't pretend to know whether it holds water or whether the weak motor/heavy platter is wonderful. Enjoy it if you got it.

I agree with Raul. The argument about active devices and noise makes no sense to me.  Any phono stage must develop lots of gain in order to amplify the very low amplitude voltage signal from a cartridge.  This can ONLY be done with active devices, or did you plan to build a phono stage with passive components only?  The trick is to minimize the noise while realizing the gain.  Different designs do it differently and with more or less success.

@lewm 

"The trick is to minimize the noise while realizing the gain."

Completely agree. Obviously active devices are essential. My phono/pre uses three stages of them.

My point was this: "Why introduce a host of active devices to reduce pops and clicks, when we know that pops and clicks are partially caused by instability? There's a good chance that the money is better spent reducing instability in the phono/pre, not least because every active device produces noise."

Perhaps I'm not being clear today. Is so, sorry about that.

@lewm , I am pretty sure as I explained above air bearing tables are different. Air is very compressible. As the weight on the air cushion increases it stiffens increasing the resonance frequency faster than the added mass lowers it. As for the Motus, the low torque motor won't bother it at all. I can imagine a little shake on start up but that would be about it. The suspension is made up of three rather beefy looking leaf springs. Have a look at a picture. Will it effect speed stability at all? A wow and flutter spec is not mentioned. It is servo controlled but exactly how is not mentioned. The frequency of the suspension is 2-3 Hz. 

If you haven't noticed already I am a silly guy. But, if you like Lencos go out and get yourself one:)

@drbond , I think Raul may be right on that. The Verisimo is more compliant and tracks better. It is using the same diamond cantilever as the Anna Diamond and I am drawn to the naked cartridge body design.

@terry9 , the question is is an air bearing turntable worth the complexity over a spindle and opposing magnets. Is the bearing going to be noticeably quieter. If you factor in the compressor that answer is definitely not but, just thinking about the bearings proper the answer is also no. The amount of noise on the record far exceeds what even a mediocre belt drive makes. I admire you for making your own table. That is very cool. I am reduced to making just the plinth. I did think once about making a turntable around a Clearaudio magnetic bearing. That fell by the wayside when Sota announced it's magnetic bearing. If I had the money to by any turntable I would get a Dohmann Helix.

Agreed, the compressor must be in another room. Disagreed about intrinsic noise of the air bearing. Empirically speaking, the higher end Nottingham Analogue (improved to Dais specification and anti-resonance plinth) does not compete with the air bearing, so obviously the statement, "The amount of noise on the record far exceeds what even a mediocre belt drive makes," is false or irrelevant.

Sorry for my bad English. English is my fourth language.

I think a heavy platter weak motor combination can work only in super ideal conditions. Even rubber belt compliance uniformity can be an important factor. Any deviations of speed in such a system fixes very slowly that cause WOW and flutter. It leads to decline in PRAT accuracy. And in serious music PRAT is one of the most critical factors. For example the main difference between the great and average piano player is PRAT.
I have a friend who is musicant and audiophile two in one. He is a flute player, soloist and conservatorium flute and piano teacher.
He had Sona Cosmos and Thorense 124 turntables. But when his friend bought EMT 950 and he heard how EMT 950 musically superior to Sota, he ran to order EMT 950 on eBay.