Is Direct Drive Really Better?

Drubin, there has been a lot of buzz, in my opinion at least, for a couple of reasons. One, people love to argue what they like and/or know best. OK, true, but not the main reason. There are valid reasons for promoting idlers and DD's and for questioning why belt drives currently dominate the scene. Inquiring minds want to know if it is because they are superior or just good enough that one can't really tell much difference or because of some nefarious or market-driven reason. IMHO, when in doubt, bet on the market. That is why I am HIGHLY skeptical of the "high-end designers" sudden interest in idlers. Clearly there have been idler advocates for quite some time - the restored Garrard projects go back quite a ways. Only a matter of time before folks started using similar tables to similar ends. Kudos to Jean for trying it with the Lencos but, by his own admission, it isn't a novel idea. But, with all the current buzz, Garrards, Lencos, Rek-O-Kuts, Russcos, etc., etc. this is beginning to look like something that audiophile will BUY! Thus, perhaps, the apparent "suit" interest.

To answer your second question directly, yes I loved my Spacedeck. It is still in service, however, with one of my sons. I still have a Hyperspace and it is a great table. However, we (another son and I) have built now six Lencos. All sound terrific, frankly. The best of our efforts will compete with turntables costing many times more, and we have friends that can attest to this fact. I some ways, they sound better, especially in the lower end and in that indefinable “pleasure” factor. I am neither an engineer nor a psychologist so I will not try to explain the “boogie factor” these tables seem to have. They are good but, on the other hand, not everyone has the time, patience, skill, or whatever to rebuild one. Also, if not done RIGHT, they can be loud, rumbling messes (whether anyone who has built one wants to admit that or not). In other words, proper implementation is crucial. I have had MANY folks write to me wanting me to build them one because they like our plinth designs and because they want to do the comparison but don’t have one or more of the necessities listed above. Again, this will pique the interest of those wanting to cash in. We, ourselves, have deferred except to make a couple for friends. Given recent improvements in my back, this may change quickly, though, especially if we can help a few folks before these old ones are all gone and you can only find one from a high-end designer at a high-end price. Ha! :-)

Johnnantais,
I appreciate your contribution here. It's more like what I was seeking when I asked about this topic. I'm aware of your Despot thread but it's so huge now I can't even find the end of it.
What do you think about the Thorens 124? I took an interest in that until I found out it has an iron platter that attracts cartridge magnets. Is that a valid concern?

4yanx,
Your observations registered on this end as both wonderfully incisive and appropriately cynical.
I think that the Chinese idler wheel turntable might appear if Schifter or Nudell or someone of that ilk finds the demographics are there to support such an endeavor. Perhaps we'll be seeing the Johnnantais Signature Model with the new Lega arm.

"I would surmise that the boulder would be slowed somewhat by your body since it was coasting whereas the car which is actively powered could be completely unaffected by your presence in its path."

I think you'll find both are slowed. Cars are slowed by headwinds, even though they are powered. A car is slowed when it hits a tree, even when it's powered. A large rock rolling down a hill can smash to splinters a tree that would stop a car dead in its tracks. Even if the incline is very slight, such that the gravitational force acting to roll the rock is very small the rock carries a lot of energy in its inertia.

All I'm saying is that I cannot see any way in which high torque/low inertia is inherently superior to high inertia/low torque, for purposes of speed stsbility.

Sean, you forget that the high inertia set-up, as you put it, also has high torque. Torque being force X distance from center, the torque being exerted at the distance where the stylus is from the center. Having inerta as an added 'store' of force, is a good thing. The fact that the motor is low torque is irrelevant since the torque is multiplied by the 'pulley' ratios.
Put another way, depending on the polar moment of inertia of either system, the one with the largest moment of inertia will be less disturbed by quick changes of drag. The 'high torque' direct motor only delivers the amount of torque necessary to turn the platter at the constant speed under X drag conditions. Unless it can react immediately to the sudden increase in drag, it will be disturbed in speed. The high inertia platter however has torque stored, so-to-speak, as inertia and therefore is less affected by the sudden increase in drag.
I guess that that is your arguement?

Bob P.