A Copernican View of the Turntable System

Well - as posted earlier - IMHO both BD as well as DD have way too many restrictions/problems to be the right choice for a turntable trying to approach the state of the art.
Which doesn't mean that idler drive (ID...) is the way to go.
There still are other options - way more suitable to ensure the absence of any wow/flutter and bring the dedicated platter to the purpose the principle asks for.
It is simply that most designers so far haven't looked to - or didn't want to use/consider for financial reasons - the most promising solutions.
The table I will present this later winter will show ( and proof with measurements ...;-) ... ) what is possible aside from the usual tracks.
As Steve Jobs ( requiescat in pace - we'll miss you ...) once claimed upon his return to the bitten fruit: "think different".
Cheers,
D.

Oh yes, who ever has experienced a well adjusted idler drive like in the EMT 927 or R 80 knows which kind of dynamics & musicality you may reach by ID. Nevertheless I also enjoy my BDs and the DD - so in principle you will reach good results with all drives but it depends how it is implemented. So far I have not seen combinations of two drives. Is it possible?

best @ fun only

well well, I received so many writings asking me to give some information about my assessment of the SME 20/2 that I am no more reluctant giving a brief review always having in mind that many of our community will face some problems "with my philosophy", having not the chance listening to my TTs in my environment which I regard as crucial for comparisons and also for better understanding of my position. So far only Dertonearm and my English friend are able to compare and understand, not necessarily share my position.

I for myself don't regard the perfect reproduction machines as the ones I
do favour. A really Top Performer needs to have a personality, a character which makes it really outstanding or brings it into a benchmark position. That doesn't mean coloured or distorted ( i hear the guns firing...). One of the last modern turntables I listened to and would put into this class is The Beat.

The SME 20/2 is in my honest opinion a fine reproduction machine but to my taste flat and not very vibrant. In terms of cars (pls. forgive me I am livng in this world) it is a Ford Mondeo. You like the brochure and when you sit in the car you are just sitting in a car...

Dear Thuchan, sure - combinations of two drive principles are possible (yet not necessary...and hardly ever useful).
But we can go for as well for other drive principles which - IMHO and soon to be put under the spell of quod erat demonstrandum - can offer a level of performance hardly obtainable by the 3 standard drive principles in tt design.
Cheers,
D.

the 3 standard drive principles in tt design

Cheap? Cheaper? Cheapest?