Direct Drive turntables

There are so few direct-drives because the cost of developing a direct drive motor is quite expensive. Cheap AC motors are plentiful, add a rubber band, and you have a belt drive TT with off the shelf parts. Technics amortized the development cost of the 1200 motor eons ago, so this turntable is inexpensive, however any new design is quite costly, such as the Grand Prix Monaco and Teres, already mentioned. I do not mean this as an endorsement.

The problems with direct drive is that the spindle and platter are attached to the motor, so any noise in the motor is immediately transmitted to the spindle and platter. On the other hand, since there is no compliant material, belt or idler, between the motor and platter, speed variations due to compliant power transmission are non-existant. What is an issue is that direct-drive motors are by nature low RPM devices, turning at 33 and a third RPM (hopefully). Low RPM motors are subject to cogging, which is essentially a micro variation in speed.

In the end, there are some nice variations on all of the drive schemes, so just buy what you enjoy. I own two direct-drives, two belt drives and an idler. And I must say that I have no idea what aspects of their performance to ascribe to the particular drive systems employed. Happy New Year!

The problems associated with direct-drive were well known to the guys who designed the very best direct-drive turntables of the 1970s and 1980s, which was not exactly the Dark Ages in terms of electronics and engineering. The very best direct-drive tables of those days dealt with the issues in very effective ways. In many cases, their work fell down, if it fell down at all, at the level of plinth design and implementation. Poorly designed plinths account more than anything else for the colorations that one perceives in the mid-level Denon turntables, for one example. With a little ingenuity, one can build much better plinths for these products which mitigates their sonic character. Another source of sonic coloration may be that the built-in motors radiate EMI that can possibly pollute the signal at the cartridge. We now have very effective shielding materials that can eliminate such problems. The DIY effort is well rewarded. The same is true for the best idler drive turntables, despite their dismissal by "Elizabeth". If you want great sound for less money than any comparable belt-drive table, I would encourage you to experiment with top quality direct- or idler-drive turntables of the good old days.

Not all DD are equal. My Lt-30 is magnetically driven and has been superbly upgraded. It is also a linear arm. Generally Elizabeth's opinions have merit, however, not this time.

What Lew said.

The disco days most likely help encourage the direct drive turn tables.The DJ's could back cue.You could manually rotate the platter backwards without worrying about damaging the drive system.Doing that on a belt,or idler drive could cause damage to the drive system.That was the major benefit I know of.♫