Direct-Drive Turntables

[MylesBAstor]

Who wudda thunk we'd see a resurgence of interest in this category of turntables? After Linn and belt drive tables, direct-drive tables were pronounced all but dead. But then audiophiles took a second look at idler/rim drive and shortly thereafter direct-drive turntables. The first of the "new" generation of direct-drives that I heard was Steve Dobbins' The Beat and that eventually led to my purchasing the VPI Classic Direct. Of course, these new direct-drives bear little resemblance to the direct-drives of the '70s whether we are talking about platters and weights, motors, speed controls, speed variability, isolation, etc. And now we have several direct-drives on the market including VPI, Grand Prix, Brinkmann and some other variation.

I'm sure everyone has had both belt and direct-drive in their systems so what's everyone's experience and feedback on the competing designs?

[1morerecord2clean]

To me they all sound different. Belt, idler drive, DD all have their own sonic signature.

[Rob]

I'm probably in the minority on this but I preferred the DD Brinkman (Bardo) over the BD (Balance). The attacks on leading edges were more incisive with the DD, the BD was warmer but, for lack of a better word, "lazy" sounding. Others would say it lacked PRaT in direct comparison but you know how I feel about that descriptor.

[1morerecord2clean]

I think Rob is circling the target. DDs have the most incisive leading edge perhaps giving up a bit of the midrange life, Idlers have the most midrange detail and belts fall in between. But there are so many variables with this stuff. Platforms, stands, cartridges, set up, etc. certainly the Walker, a belt drive, has endless incisive leading edge coupled with tons of midrange and every other range.

[Rust]

No real opinion, I have both belt drive and direct drive but they are so dissimilar in regards to arms, cartidges, plinths, platters and tonearm wiring as to render any meaningful opinion impossible. I would like to hear a comparison between the VPI Direct Drive and Classic 3. The arm and cartridge could be transfered from one table to the other eliminating one variable, The plinths are similar. The platters are similar material. The wiring can be the same. Through the same electronics. There are aerospace grade vacuum sealed relays of very high quality that could be used to switch the turntable output to the electronics chain.

That would be as close a comparison as I can think of.

Of course I'd hope two pressings of the same performance would be as identical as possible as I don't hold with playing the same cut back to back on a single disc for comparison purposes.

[mep]

I think Myles just might have more experience with VPI tables and arms than anyone else on this forum and is the only one on this forum that owns their DD table.

[MylesBAstor]

I think Myles just might have more experience with VPI tables and arms than anyone else on this forum and is the only one on this forum that owns their DD table.

I think Tim owns the Grand Prix? You have a Technics. Know I'm certainly missing some people.

[JCOConnell]

I think its not critical as to what type of drive system it is ( belt, idler, direct, etc ). What is more critical is how well the design ( of whatever type ) is executed. It all depends on cost.

[mep]

I know there are others on the forum that own DD tables, but I think you are the only one that has the VPI.

[Guest]

For me it was, first, the operational silence then the speed stability and accuracy of the modern direct drive that led me to make that choice. It's been transformative - I haven't played a CD since September. My only regret is not going there sooner, though as Myles intimates allowing technology to catch up to the DD concept has been a good thing. Still it is not solely about architecture, implementation is key and there are some great belt drives on the market.

Now with a proper foundation in place - the 'table having simply disappeared - my sense of it finds the tonearm and cartridge (and their proper setup) as the place to assess sonic character.

[JackD201]

I think we're all curious about the 2015-2016 "SP10". My question is, why did the SP-15 seem to fall between the cracks and the 10 mk2's and mk3's didn't?

[Garth]

In the 1970s I had a technics 1350 direct drive I think it cost 350 dollars I now have a belt drive Clear audio I like the belt. Their you go another post that is of no use to anyone.

I will say it is amazing what is out there for tables today some great stuff.

[mep]

Their were all sorts of cheap DD tables available in the 1970s-1980s and many of them didn't sound as good as some belt drive tables. A friend of mine had a decent Sony DD table and he brought it over to my house when I lived in Maine to compare against my new AR table and the AR just crushed his table in all aspects including dynamic range. That would have been around 1980 or so. Ever since then until fairly recently, I have been a belt table kind of guy and my dogma that I was mired in told me that belt tables were superior sounding in comparison to DD tables. Needless to say, I don't feel that way anymore.

[allenh]

Their were all sorts of cheap DD tables available in the 1970s-1980s and many of them didn't sound as good as some belt drive tables. A friend of mine had a decent Sony DD table and he brought it over to my house when I lived in Maine to compare against my new AR table and the AR just crushed his table in all aspects including dynamic range. That would have been around 1980 or so. Ever since then until fairly recently, I have been a belt table kind of guy and my dogma that I was mired in told me that belt tables were superior sounding in comparison to DD tables. Needless to say, I don't feel that way anymore.

An AR table like this? A friend just took his out of the closet and start spinning vinyl for the first time in ages with this. He can't believe how good it sounds!

[mep]

That is it exactly. I bought mine with the Sumiko MMT arm. I had many happy years with the AR until I upgraded to a SOTA Star Sapphire table.