Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

@ct0517 

I have heard it said many times in the past, that it was the DJ’s in clubs that saved "turntables" when CD took over. They used sl1200’s and the like. Very durable built like tanks. Came in a bomb proof silver case. 
There is no way an SL10 linear tracker would have lasted one night in a club.

Rap-“DJ”s have led to the mass destruction of more SL-1200 series turntables and destruction more crappy copies of the SL-1200mk2 than any other consumer electronics product in history. They don’t even need a real turntable - they are only for looks, playing serato time code discs with a rap controller stocked with illegal content. 

The only reason linear tracking turntables were never bought by these goons is because most require the dustcover to be closed before the arm will cue and set the stylus down on the record. 

@uber

These are very good comments but I am still left wondering what was wrong with the general consumer models like the Revox, B&O, Technics etc that caused their lack of acceptance.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the Technics linear tracking turntables. They solved so many problems to do with the difficulty and complexity (for non-technically-inclined types) of setting up a conventional tonearm by ushering in the innovative P-Mount system. Technics was and still is light years ahead of most others in respects of speed stability, and they’ve done very well with their TNRC anti-resonant polymeric compounds. I still own the first turntable I bought, from back in 1981 or thereabouts: the Technics SL-DL5 direct drive linear tracking turntable, and it sounds great, as good today as ever. I’ve since bought the quartz regulated model, the SL-QL5, and it sounds even better. These turntables were also very attractively designed, with a very low profile and sloping dustcover, beautiful materials and sleek, high quality controls. The only thing keeping me from using these for daily use is my SL-1700mk2 which has an Audio-Technica VM540ML cartridge with line contact stylus, which is in my humble opinion, close to being as good as it gets.