Genetic differences in turntable design.

I have not noticed the particular things that you have mentioned. However I think there are some things that may be thought of as "genetic". But, there is a great possibility that these "genetic" differences could be obscured by a variety of common tweaks that are used with turntables, thereby making the two types sound very similar.

In my opinion, a well made unsuspended high mass turntable will have better dynamics and impact than a suspended turntable. If the rest of the parts of the TT are equivalent to a suspended TT, generally that is the result. However, if somebody takes that high mass unsuspended TT, and puts in on rubber feet, or an airbag, or any other type of soft flabby isolation base, then you don't have an unsuspended TT anymore. You have a big heavy suspended TT. Then all the good dynamics and impact go away, and you are left with a suspended TT anyway.

Also, in my opinion, the unsuspended high mass TT will have more accurate control of the speed of the platter. This is because of the elimination of the interaction of the suspension and the motor system and the platter. There is an entire IAR article that addresses this issue.

Vibration control is important in a turntable application. There are different ways of doing it. High mass unsuspended turntables do it with mass. They are big and heavy. Suspended turntables do it with springs, or rubber, or air. They are usually lighter and easier to move. Not always. In my opinion, attempting to solve a vibration problem with a system that compromises the basic performance of the TT, is not the best way to do things. But it is easier and cheaper to ship, and for the customer to carry home or move. It's amazing how often this compromise comes up in audio. Performance or convenience? It seems to be related in some way to every audio choice made today.

PS - I know of at least 2 people who converted high dollar suspended TTs to unsuspended by defeating the suspension and using solid high mass stands. They felt it was an improvement.

IMHO. YMMV.

Twl, interesting points raised.
I took the alternative route of having a suspended table, but supported by granite and non-resonant feet and I also have great dynamics. The plinth of the Kuzma has a resonant freq of 3.5hz and the springs are damped with oil.

I do agree that what you place your table on will affect the bass extension and dynamics of the playback. With rigid supports, the cart is able to pick up the smallest details from the grooves without the feedback from these vibrations.

IMO speed stability is more a function of power supply voltage quality. The fluctuations in the ps may cause the motor to driff.

The question I want to ask, is with all that high mass and no suspension, how do you deal with the vibrations that come from the floor? With everything so rigid, won't these low bass feedback to the cartridge?

Cmk, all I can really say about that, is that I have actually had more trouble with vibrations of all types with my previous suspended turntables, than I have with my current unsuspended turntable. I can say without reservation, that my current Teres 245 shows no problems with vibrations of any sort, either airborne or floorborne. I have absolutely no type of isolation anywhere in the system, and it is rigidly coupled directly to the floor, via a rigid stand, with NO rubber, foam, springs, felt, air, or any other soft absorbing type of material. In fact, when I tried to use some felt under the cones of the TT, it absolutely truncated the attacks off of the notes, in a fairly severe way, and dynamics were compromised. And this, from a single layer of thin felt under each cone. This TT, and most unsuspended TTs want rigid coupling to the floor, with alot of mass in the stand. They do not want any kind of soft material between them and the floor, including springs or air bags.

My LP12 was a nightmare for vibrations, both airborne and floorborne, and I had to tiptoe around when changing records. And it was set up right, because I worked at a Linn dealer, and was the TT setup guy. Factory trained by Linn. My table was perfect.

I really think that the suspensions introduce more problems than they solve.

Twl: Judging all suspended tables on your experience with the Linn's is like saying that all Chevy 'Vette's suck because you used to own a Chevette. Both are "Vette's" and are even made by the same company, but there is a BIG difference in both design and performance. Compared to a VPI, Sota, Oracle, etc..., the Linn is a piece of under-designed junk. I would much rather have one of those "junky" ( according to most audiophiles ) mass-produced direct drive Technics turntables with some modifications and a good arm on it than a Linn. Sean
>

PS... Most "Vette's" really are pieces of junk and i'm not talking about "Chevette's" either. I know first hand as i both own one and know a lot of other people that have them. Like the Linn, it is more a matter of image and prestige than it is actual performance and reliability. Save your money and don't buy either a Linn or a Corvette. That is, unless you just like to look at them and / or are a collector. If you actually try to use them on a regular basis, both of them will be a big disappointment.