Turntable speed measurements for speed accuracy?

Mark,

Thanks for the clarity. It is possible to achieve speed stability, as you most certainly know. Still, it is a game of fine tuning that I suppose will always continue to progress. The best we can hope for is a result that doesn't hamper music, and that, like Doug says, is easier said than done.

Regards,
Win

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Just FYI the new Adjust+ software/LP system measures platter speed, wow/flutter, etc. I am about to order one, but there are some options, that are not explained on the the site and I have emailed Chris.

Please report your findings on this software. Sounds interesting...

You must not have heard . . . it has been conclusively proven through many exhaustive hours of turntable-watching . . . oops, I mean turntable-listening tests, that there is absolutely NO correlation between the speed at which the platter turns and the accuracy of the music reproduction.

Oh wait, no that was something else that didn't matter . . . crap. Where's my issue of Stereophile?

I lived with a SOTA Cosmos mk3 for 2 years, then upgraded it to the mk4 status. I could hear the speed UN-stability it was playing with my records. Which is what drew the turntable out into critical listening for me. I could hear the speed change over various songs pretty easily. This turntable retails for over $6500 and it cannot even play a record consistently.

I wonder if it is the belt drive design. Regardless, the SOTA implementation of a belt drive is pretty poor. Compared to a vintage $300 Luxman PD-264 - a direct drive design sourced from Panasonic, this turntable plays at a far more consistent speed than the SOTA.

Have you heard a record played on a direct drive turntable vs a belt drive? I think the reason why you do not see direct drive turntables in the 'high end' world, is because Technics/Panasonic holds the patent for Quartz locked direct drive:

http://www.kabusa.com/ttdrive.htm

There is a link to explain in more detail the evolution of turntable drive design.

Where are the 'high end' direct drive tables? The Grand Prix Audio Monoco table is a new one. Brinkman has a direct drive table now called the Oasis. Hopefully we will see more.