Turntable speed accuracy

No variable ac line = no variation in motor control = better stability.
Problem for many dd turntables IMHO is the fact that the motor MUST control (by nature here ..) the platter very direct with minimum delay.
Thus the use of a heavy platter with high inertia is counterproductive to direct drive.
IMHO however, high mass platter made with some insight in energy transfer and damping have inevitable positive effect on analog reproduction.
A DD with high mass platter "looks" at a similar problem as a BD.
aBoth have a kind of "overhang" in their reaction between motor speed adjustment/correction and reaction by the platter.

To resolve this problem some BD makers use optical feedback - to measure the platter speed and adjust the motor speed "in time". I think the new "Micro Seiki" spaceship is equipped with such a speed management system.

Dear Thuchan: Please read this about " neutral ", this add more sense to what I posted and telling you that I'm not alone, btw your dear friend Syntax agree too:

++++ " Takeda San says, "I was always frustrated by modern cartridges -- including my own designs in the past -- because they always sounded clean and nice but failed to present a very important element of music. What was missing was the linearity of dynamics. Many cartridges can produce clean sound but the sound is only one element of music. They fail to present the flow of music. Listeners may not realize this if they are not familiar with music that requires a wide dynamic range and delicate gradations within it. Large orchestral works and certain piano recordings are typical examples. I also wanted my Standard to be tonally as neutral as possible. Many cartridges have some degree of coloration to make them sound appealing. I didn't want to do that with the Standard."

of course that you don't have to agree with the " neutral/accurate " subject as Takeda San said: ++ " have some degree of coloration to make them sound appealing. " ++, if you are on this side good for you because that's what you like it. Neutral/accurate is in the other side of " I like it ", neutral/accurate is the way " thigs " must be it does not matters if we like it or not.

IMHO, if you own a good audio system and you don't like neutral/accurate performances then that " good " system has one or several problems else where, or your ears or both.

Re-read Frogman's post and if you have time my post too and some Syntax ones on the subject on other threads.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear Raul,
I know about the theoretical discussions you are referring to and so many people in this business. Regarding practical issues when it comes to listening it is not about the turntable adding something or not! This is not my point. You may bring down a turntable to neutrality and it sounds shitty or let's say clinical cold.I have heard so many totally neutral turntables and the owners were proud of their sound. Fine. The real art in turntable building or let's say also in dealing with different concepts/drives and comparing those is based on the ability of the turntable to transport the signal in an uncoloured and undistorted way - which does not mean that all turntables doing this are equal or coming with the same sonic footprint (!).

When you ever had the chance listening to an EMT 927 or to a very good DD or to a brillant belt concept ( lets take the Continuum as an example ), and I am sure you can, you will agree that although they are playing music in a wonderful way, they offer some differences. From my point of view it is the biggest missjudgement to put these differences (dynamics, musicality, bass grounding etc.) only to artifical add ons which should not be there.

Some people don't like the sound of idler wheels.I believe it is good listening to a well adjusted idler wheel. I have experienced the differences also of various prominent brands and models, good sounding and not good sounding idler wheels. An idler wheel can be very dynamically. Is this generally coloration or distortion in your definition? Or are you referring to not well adjusted tables - which is different.

If for example a SME is an absolutely neutral turntable in your or other people' s experience and you regard the sound it makes as a benchmark "in your undistorted world" perfect! For me it is not benchmark! But this is up to the preferences one has. I am sure we both must and will live with our different way of approaching practical listening experiences. What I am saying is: Too much in this forum is only and more or less theroretical based. Maybe we can bring some colour into it :-)

best @ fun only

best @ fun only

Dear Syntax,

you are saying speed stability has nothing to do with sound quality. How do you mean this? If the speed is varying enormously during the playback process it leads not only to deviations in wow & flutter but you can also hear an impact on the sound, I mean I can hear it. And I believe you do too !?

best @ fun only