Mark: I am no expert but my experience is that the heavier the platter on the belt drive T/T the more likely we are to have less variations in speed. I owned a Michell Gyrodek for some years and always knew that its speed stability was marginal. It wasn't until I purcahsed my present Acoustic Signature Analogue One Mk 111 that I realized how bad the Gyro had been. I know that things are relative. I have to assume that both decks are well engineered within the requirements of each design. I am inclined to believe that the real reason that the AS is better is because the platter has higher mass. I am not aware of how heavy the platters are on idler T/T's but would make an educated guess that they are much less than the AS which I will use as my reference.
In the case of the idler T/T at no point is the platter allowed to rotate in a 'free' state. The idler drive is always in contact and driving, even if we admit that there IS some compliance in the rubber driving material.
I stand by my firtst statement that the two systems are completely different and both can work or fail. It's really only about engineering.
Clarkie
In the case of the idler T/T at no point is the platter allowed to rotate in a 'free' state. The idler drive is always in contact and driving, even if we admit that there IS some compliance in the rubber driving material.
I stand by my firtst statement that the two systems are completely different and both can work or fail. It's really only about engineering.
Clarkie