Yes, yes, yes ! I've had several Akai TTs and R2Rs recently. Sold an AP-D33C recently to make way for an AP-Q41. The 41 is quite an interesting deck and can be had for silly money - it's quartz lock, direct drive with fully automatic functions. The arm is a straight, low mass, motorised graphite job and I've got it running an Ortofon OM10. I had a Technics SL-QL1 linear tracker but it was plagued by sibilance that I just couldn't cure - however all Akai TTs I've tried have sounded great.
Personally I don't like their belt drive stuff but anything DD is up there easily with Technics etc in terms of specs and performance.
I run a Garrand Zero 100S idler drive fitted with a Goldring Elan too. That thing just loves blasting through 70s rock even if its specs are nowhere near the Akai's.