Direct drive vs belt vs rim vs idler arm

Richard mentions the issue of 'Stylus Drag' which many think is an exaggerated myth?
On Timeline's own YouTube video.......using a Transrotor belt-drive turntable with a heavy platter (and high inertia).......notice at the end, how after the speed has been corrected according to the Timeline......when the tonearm drops on the record, the speed immediately slows HERE
With the Victor TT-101 DD turntable however.......notice the complete lack of 'stylus drag' even with two or three tonearms in operation HERE
Please forgive the amateurish video technique as I held my iPhone whilst talking and 'acting' :-(

The iPhone app filters out the record runout. Easy to do since record runout has a 1.8 second period. And I go right back to the record runout issue. Record speed accuracy is at least an order of magnitude worse than any high end table made today. Sure, you might loose between zero to 1/3 of a rotation during one side of record play (approx 833 rotations total). So what? Don't tell me anyone can hear that. WoW&Flutter is more critical an issue and that gets back to the motor quality and it's speed control circuits. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't believe drive types matter that much regarding speed accuracy. I think drive types affect the sound character of the turntable as much as all of the other design features of a given turntable such as plinth, mass, and dissapation of vibrational energy. If Wow&Flutter is <0.05% then it is all about the record and how the table/tonearm extracts the information. I just can't get past the fact that the record center hole accuracy produces a Wow&Flutter in the 0.5% range. Without a self centering tt/platter design, that number cannot be bested.

Dear Richardkrebs: I agree with Jazdoc too. There are several targets on a whole TT design and certainly what you posted:

+++++ " have absolute speed stability under all load conditions. " +++++

is a primary one but is only one link/part of the TT design and execution design. As you said: TT bearing is critical, platter weight and motor match, arm board design, platter build materials, plinth build materials, arm board build materials, mat ( if any ) build materials, drive system, motor choosed, TT footers, damping/drain vibrations/resonances, etc, etc.

Good to read your posts and other people ones that in many ways what we read it in this tread ( at least for me ) was/is a learning one.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

and we have to remember that that ideal/perfect TT design main target is to: FULFIL THE LP/CARTRIDGE NEEDS and not only to take money for we the customers.

R.

Halcro, your video of the Victor is most impressive. I'm not sure that many tables would pass that test which such flying colors. Well done. Have you tried this test with the dot falling on a wall that is further away? The video of the Transrotor tells a whole different story. It's surprising how far off that is with such a heavy platter. Someone once described the effect of stylus drag as similar to a fly trying to slow down an elephant. I no longer see the relevance of that analogy.

As interesting as a list of tables that pass this test would be, I don't think we will see one any time soon. Thanks for sharing your video.