Direct Drive

"Motor noise from DD??? Must be a cheap Fisher or BSR."

Not so, cogging was a major problem in older Technics. I do not know if they fixed it. Suffice to say, I would not buy a dd tt.

Yes, tangential arms sound a lot better. Or look at Thales.

@yoyoyaya 

I agree with everything that you say.  I prefer digital, and have many posts on the site detailing why, but I have deliberately refrained from recycling these comments here in the analog section asI have no wish to reignite that topic, although to some extent it is inevitable.

  I do think that it’s possible—perhaps not probable- that a DD may eliminate a few of the issues that I have had with other tables, notably speed stability and bloated, diffuse bass.

   I am looking at older DD tables, but some of the prices they command are getting close to the price of a new Technics.  I am concerned about motor noise and the reviews of the newer Technics seem to indicate that the newer tables have vanquished that issue.

  I also would like to get some use out of a couple of decent phono preamps that are sitting in my house.  I tried selling them a few years ago but there wasn’t much demand, and one buyer tried to Scam me.  The whole experience was so unpleasant that it put me off selling gear for the present (to be fair, when I sold the Clearaudio I made enough to buy my Melco and CA streamers, but the demand for pre amps doesn’t seem to be the same as the demand for turn tables).

  And finally, I just freaking want one.  I really wanted to buy a Technics back in the day, couldn’t do it, then when I reacquired an interest in vinyl they had disappeared.

When they were resurrected I wasn’t interested and wouldn’t have shelled out $18K anyway.  Now they are priced more realistically and I am getting the new gear bug.  Any move I make in digital at this price point will at best be a lateral, at worse be a downward move.

  It’s like owning a classic car that you might just take for a spin once a month.  Perhaps you have many other vehicles that can transport you more efficiently and more economically .  You just want the classic car for myriad other reasons that have nothing to do with getting from point A to point B.

Thorens are wonderful machines. I had a TD160 for about a decade (lost it in a burglary). A beautiful machine. I particularly liked the use of opposing magnets to handle anti-skate. Ingenious. But well-preserved ones are expensive now. I’d hoped to find an affordable one when I came across the Denon.

Many years back I bought a Technics SP-10 at a garage sale. I never thought it was anything special. To each their own I guess. VPI makes a DD turntable for a mere $22,000.00 retail. I have to wonder why this table would be as expensive as it is?

https://vpiindustries.com/products/hw-40-black-edition

There are so many really great TT out there, DB, DD....To each there own.