Why does your turntable sound the way it does.


Ok, we all seem to agree that turntables sound different, and there are any number of upgrades to a basic turntable that are offered, up to and over $100k. But what is it that causes a turntable to sound the way it does. After all, isnt the basic principal that the table causes the groove undulations to pass by the stylus at a certain speed, thereby creating the sound we hear. If that's true, then only something that affects that point of interaction should have an effect on sound. Forget of course, differences in cartridge, tonearm, wire or preamp. Just think of the turntable itself.
Now, we hear that idler drives are more impactful than belt drives, belt drives are quieter and release more inner detail, direct drives maintain speed and tempo better, aluminum platters sound different than acrylic or glass or MDF. Platter mats can change the sound considerably. different bearing materials and precision in manufacture can change the sound. but why?
Is there a basic sound to be acheived when everything is perfect, and what we are hearing is actually a distortion of that sound based on resonance or time or torque or vibration or whatever. Is there a means of measuring what a cartridge can do in a perfectly set up system where there is no influence on the stylus/vinyl interface and the cartridge is free to follow the groove undulations without exterior influence. Is this perfect environment found in the cutting head, or is it also subject to the same influences as the playback stylus. And if so, how can we ever account for that effect in our playback systems.

So, fellow Audiogoners, what do you think has the greatest effect on vinyl playback as far as only the turntable itself, and what do you think can be done to ammeliorate those effects.
manitunc
If the sole result of my original post is to raise more questions, or direct areas of inquiry, then it has performed its purpose. I dont think there is one answer to the question, but thinking through many options to their logical conclusions is a useful exercise, if only to prove the futlity of doing so. My belief is that the most likely benefit is to be gained from making the platter bearing as silent as possible, so that less emphasis needs to be put on plinth material. From there, just follow the progression to the point where the stylus pick up the squiggle on the vinyl. the more you do upstream from that point, the better you are, IMHO.
The plinth is pretty important! One thing is for sure- the coupling between the platter and the cartridge mounting must not have any slop, nor can there be any difference in motion (for example, vibration in the plinth) that otherwise will allow for coloration. For this reason the plinth must have the most supreme rigidity and coupling without resonance between the platter bearing and the base of the arm.

If not there will be a coloration, on account of the arm is moving in a different plane than the platter, which is interpreted by the cartridge as a signal: coloration.
That's interesting. I've always wondered how much potential exists for independent effects to creep in between the base of the tone arm and the base of the spindle bearing. I've never been wholly convinced that independent tonearm pods are a better solution than a plinth design that fixes the tonearm base-to-main bearing distance as rigidly as possible.

But then there are some designs where the whole tonearm is suspended on string, so what do I know?
After two glasses of wine, I find that my turntable and in fact my whole system to sound noticeably better ;)
I guess I'm lucky I guess,I chose my Oracle Delphi because of how it looked (an oil rig jutting out of the North Sea) not how it sounded. I say lucky because to me The Oracle displays the music the way I want,A huge soundstage with inner detail. Now the low end is not as solid as a Linn but I've chosen a cartridge and phono cable combo that boosted it in that dept.