Idler drive compared to my Well Tempered Amadeus GTA?

I don’t know if this will help as it is a bit different that what you are asking. I had a Thorens TD124 MKii with Ortofon arm, which is a kind of idler/belt combo - neither fish, nor fowl, and currently have a Russo Cue-Master idler with Micro Seiki arm. I also have an Sota Sapphire with Well Tempered arm, and two LP12s and a Micro Seiki MR-711 direct-drive.

I think that choice of arm and cartridge will have more value than the nature of the drive system. There are good idlers and bad idlers, just like evertything else. Surprisingly, the Linn’s have the best speed stability on solo piano. Go figure, and have the most life. The SOTA is very controlled and precise. The 124 fell somewhere in the middle, and the Russco is a bit noisy and imprecise, but I need to replinth it. I mostly use it to play my collection of 78s. 

IMHO, I would make a purchase decision on many other factors before I got to the drive system. 

Hi, I appreciate your response, I try and take audio advice with a grain of salt because everyone has opinions, but from all I’ve read the idler drive system itself is supposed to be something you can tell right way from a belt type turntable.

i have a modded emt tsd15 cartridge on the well tempered arm which sounds quite good, but as this hobby goes trying different gear is part of it.

ill just stick with my Well tempered for now

Thanks

I can’t tell right away, but that doesn’t mean that you, or everyone else, can’t.

I think that you put it well when you said that the hobby is about trying gear. If I can make a suggestion get yourself a nice Garrard 401 with a sympathetic arm. Try it for yourself. The depreciation curve is done; if you don’t like it and sell it you will get your money back, or if you hold onto it for a time, you will sell it for more than you paid for it. Hard to beat that proposition!

I have two refurbed 401s. I replaced the idler with an Audiosilente wheel. Definitely more piano-stable than my (old) LP12