Direct Drive vs. Belt Drive

[MuZak]

The only thing touching the platter is the magnetic field generated by the field coil

Magnetic field in a platter?
OH YEAH!! thats JUST what you want!!!

 

[Kiwi]

With a decently high resolution system, the low level grunge
is so distracting, you forget about the music altogether.

What is low level grunge?? I have been listening for hours on a DD and have not heard any.
I got some high level grunge but then Neil Young sounds like that on any system

 

[Kiwi]

Magnetic field in a platter?
OH YEAH!! thats JUST what you want!!!

Actualy the magnetic field aligns the electrons in the plater and causes an atomic phase shift in the molectilar structure of the table. Much the same way as the effects of burning in electric cables improves the sound of a system overall.
If you place special quartz crystals at the 4 corners of the table then they will balance the quartz lock in the motor and ensure that the grunge is kept to levels that can only be detected by a rare spiecies of bat only found in the outback of Australia

 

[merrylander]

Of the several tables I have the two best are my Rega Planar 2 with an RB300 arm (yeah, I modified it) and my Yamaha PX-3 linear tracker, so one belt, one direct. As has been stated it is the quality that makes the difference. The other three tables are all front loaders - Pioneer PL-88FS (DD), Pioneer PL-05 (BD) and Sony FL-77II (DD) linear tracker but it cannot even come close to the PX-3. I realize that front loaders are not considered highly but the two Pioneers have high output MC cartridges and actually sound very good. I may be picking up the PL-44FS just to round out the family. The PL-88FS fills a need in the bedroom system where a top loader simply will not fit. I was surprised to find that the programmed track selection works just fine as it is reputed to be flakey. When the original stylus goes for $99 it can't be that bad.

In the shop I have (for testing purposes) two Yamahas, a YP-B4 and a P450 so that I don't have to haul around one of the better ones.

 

[Yamaha B-2]

I found the following narrative from KAB to be very helpful in debunking some of the myths associated with expensive turntables: http://www.kabusa.com/1200com1.htm

Weeellllll...........these guys are trying to sell you something. Like their TT or mod's. Marketing hype does not necessarily equal truth.

DD or BD. Take your pick. Me? I pick the prettiest. Actually, I prefer DD as I like the powerful motor that allows one to use some force with the brush on that last wipe prior to play. Always hated it when I would do that on my Rega 25 or Yamaha PF-1000/800 and the platter would stop. No such problem with the DDs.

 

[vinyl1]

I found the following narrative from KAB to be very helpful in debunking some of the myths associated with expensive turntables:

http://www.kabusa.com/1200com1.htm

How is this a debunking? In the article, he doesn't even listen to the $10K turntable, so has no idea what it can do.

I have listened to many such turntables in high-end systems, I own such a turntable, and all my audio buddies own one. They do perform much better than a $500 direct-drive.

Whether the difference is worth the money to you, and whether you wish to fill your living room with tens of thousands of dollars worth of bulky electronics and cables as thick as an elephant's trunk - that's up to you.

 

[merrylander]

Earlier someone commented that the bearings in a belt drive were better than direct drive. All I can say about that is that it is equally difficult to pull out the shafts on eitehr my Rega or my Yamaha PX-3. And both take about two or three minutes to sink back into place. Seems like a decent fit IMHO.

To suggest that with a 4 pound platter there is a 'cogging' effect defies all the laws of motion else even with a 24 pole belt drive motor you would get the same effect.

 

[targeteye]

My total non-scientific input.

I've never owned what I guess would be considered high end tables but I have a few Medium grade tables.

Rim Drive - Dual 1219, Dual 1019
Belt Drive - Dual 1249, Dual CS5000, Marantz 6100,
Direct Drive - Luxman PD264, Denon DP-62L

I owned all these table within a span of a year or so I had an oportunity to compare most them directly against each other.

I didn't really expect much out of the rim drives (ignorance on my part). I was surprised at how quiet they were. With everyone on the internet claiming (at least at that time) that the belt drives were the way to go I was less than impressed with the belt drives. They didn't really seem any more quiet than the rim drives i had.

Then I managed to get a decent Denon direct drive and it seemed that the "sound of the turntable" was gone.

Just my personal experience. YMMV.

Steve