Direct drive vs belt vs rim vs idler arm


Is one TT type inherently better than another? I see the rim drive VPI praised in the forum as well as the old idler arm. I've only experienced a direct drive Denon and a belt driven VPI Classic.
rockyboy
What a great thread! I tune out for a couple of weeks and almost miss the best thread in ages.
Halcro: Here are the results from my DIY dd turntable. I used the motor and electronics from a Revox B790 which is based on the dual eds but with more sophisticated electronics with a platter from a feickert tt. https://picasaweb.google.com/114629926159017275364/MyPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqX-P6Iw6SUdA#
Hope the link works.
Your results for the tt101 are interesting but more telling (as you have multiple arms) would be to place the smaller feickert test disc on top of a (heavily modulated?) 12" lp and play the lp with one arm and the test disc with another. This will give us a picture of what's going on in real time under dynamic conditions.
I proposed this a while ago on the tt speed accuracy thread.
Hi Lespier,
Very impressive results. Congratulations on your tt design. I am also amazed at the unfiltered results. Your test record is centered nearly perfect based on the extremely low Wow&Flutter results. Did you do anything special to your test record to center it? I think we all want to know how to do that.
Dear Ct, The copper mat cannot really "damage" the servo permanently. It's just that the servo is operating suboptimally. Excessive platter mass can only damage the bearing in the long run.
Henry, If you tell me how to do it, since the photos are on my desktop, not on the internet, I will post a photo of my "new" 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce.

As you may know, I have owned (in the past) just about every model of 356, up to a Carrera GT Speedster, and finally a 550RS Spyder. But I have been bereft of old cars for more than 10 years, until now.
Lespier,
Your results for the tt101 are interesting but more telling (as you have multiple arms) would be to place the smaller feickert test disc on top of a (heavily modulated?) 12" lp and play the lp with one arm and the test disc with another. This will give us a picture of what's going on in real time under dynamic conditions.
That's exactly what I have done on my latest Posting which shows 4 photos for each turntable.
The last two photos of each....show the effect of another arm dropped midway onto 'heavily modulated' disc whilst the test tone is being played by another arm
Please read the descriptions beneath each photo?

Agree with Tony......very impressive results from your turntable. Congratulations.
Can you describe the motor and modifications you have made?