I recently installed the new 3 motor pod and thought I would add to what other owners have said.
Going from the single motor to the 3 motor pod has been a very significant upgrade in my system, far more than a mere tweak. I admit that I do not understand exactly why 3 motors is better. More torque possibly, better belt tension? Why would this matter once the platter is up to speed???
What I can say is the improvement was immediately obvious on the first track of the first record I queued up. On large scale classical (the most challenging material for my system), I was struck by the higher level of articulation and realism of strings. The orchestra as a whole had an increased sense of scale and weight. Bass quality and definition were both notably better. The separation between instruments was another major improvement. Certain busy passages that were a bit congealed before were now more intelligible. Going through my favorites from classical, jazz and rock I am still amazed at what such a deceptively simple upgrade has done for the music in audiophile terms.
Leaving all the hyperbole aside, the biggest change is in the drive and swings of the music. The 3 motor pod adds a big dose of drama to the sound. With the single motor setup I often found myself increasing the volume in an attempt to add a bit more fire to the music but louder was simply louder.
If you currently have an AC1 I believe the 3 motor pod is a must have. I know that is a bit presumptuous but let's be honest - you already went far beyond "budget". In my system, the sonic improvement was greater than I heard from upgrading my cartridge to the Ortofon Windfeld from the Cadenza Black and the 3 motor pod adds things that I believe a cartridge alone will not do. This is a fantastic upgrade.
