Direct drive/rim drive/idler drive vs. belt drive?

.
Axelwhal,

Just because many so called "high end" - a relative and useless term to me - turntable manufacturers use soft rubber belt does not make it right or enough to overwhelm alternatives. These days turntable manufacturing is a cottage industry, compromise has to be made for ease of production. By the way, what exactly is your question or point, as you seem to reinforce what I said in my last post? I personally do not subscribe to heavy heavy weight approach as it will reach a point of diminishing return. I rather have a better stronger motor to get the dynamic I want than to get it from a high mass platter. To me direct-drive is the most elegant approach or belt-drive with non-compliant material or idler-drive with a quieter motor. Basically, all three drive systems can sound good with different approaches to compensate their inherent problems. That's why is called engineering, isn't it?

The Monaco turntable is the most desirable turntable for me if I can afford it as it suits me from a technical and aesthetic standpoint. It's elegant. I haven't heard the sound but I have a feeling I will like it.

.

.
Mark,

Sorry, I should have quoted you completely instead of edited. Can you elaborate on the difference between belt slip and belt creep? I know you posted extensively on a different forum. Care to briefly illuminate the less technical one here? Thanks.
.

A belt creep is someone who has a size 54 waist, but still uses a size 34 belt, hung WAY low over the grossly protruding beer belly :-)

Belt slip is when he reaches for something over his head and his pants fall down :-))

Does efficient bearings like Clearaudio Magnetic Bearing bring belt drive/high mass platter design CLOSER to low mass/direct drive design??

Hiho,
y.s:
>> I rather have a better stronger motor to get the dynamic I want than to get it from a high mass platter <<

As you have noted I am with you actually. BUT without (and I said it much earlier) a VERY! good motor controller your wish is not going to be much of an improvement over a high mass platter - maybe quite the opposite!
The same applies to DD tables if not even more so.
Hard drive-line + so, so, controller = incoherent sound.
There are hardly any VERY good motor controllers commercially offered for all I know. So be careful what you wish for.
To my knowledge there is nowhere near close a solution, even with 'upper-class budget' , to replace soft belt and mass platter -- also supported by my mentioning these Audio magazines.
But if you are fine blowing ~ 25k plus, then you might even get a decent controller with a lighter = more dynamic! platter.

Therefore my point = simply - a Reality-Check!

Greetings,