Direct drive vs belt vs rim vs idler arm

Lharasim -
My suggestion then, based on what I see in the video, and given the age of the deck, would be to get the power supply checked over and ensure it is in spec, check the electrolytic caps which can dry out. In my experience decent power supplies contribute hugely to the sound of a turntable, not just speed accuracy.
For a few dollars you may get quite an all round improvement.

Nice thread and lots to learn, however I am not sure which aspect to bother about in this whole game. I own a Nouvelle Platine BTW.

Another thing, whenever there is a discussion of "well designed" TTs, the names that come up are Seiki, Technics, Victor, Luxman etc, all Japanese TTs. What about EMT ? Where do they stand ? Arent they suppose to be one of the best TTs of their age ? I know the 927 has achieved legendary status but why should we leave out the smaller models like 938, 930 and 950, they built to similar standards as well! I havent measured but I would guess they hold their speeds as good as any of the DDs and Idlers discussed here and have great bearings. However they are rarely discussed in this forum.

Gentlepeople
A simple dynamic load test you might want to try if you havent already done so, is to hold your finger against the rotating platter while playing music.
No strobes, timelines needed just your ears. Can you hear a speed change?
How much drag do you need to apply before a chance is apparent?

Now the validity of this test is matter of opinion. But if we can hear an obvious change, one would think that there would likely be tiny changes
due to stylus drag and that this would be at least subliminally important and deleterious.

Again the method of drive/ control comes into play here and we each need to decide which does the least harm.

to me, it looks like the Fat Bob is running very slightly fast, as the line moves very slowly to the right on each revolution. When the stylus drag is applied, the line quickly moved to the left, indicating a slowing of speed, and then stayed there, indicating a constant 33.33 rpm under load. the video didnt stay on long enough to see if that changed, but to me, it reflected a design which rendered the proper speed under load. Is something wrong with that?
disclosure. I own a Transrotor Fat Bob an like it very much.

FWIW, I use a "Jeremy" bearing on my Lenco. Jeremy is in England and makes several different versions of replacement bearings for Lenco and possibly for Garrard. I have his "Superbearing" with an accessory clamp that attaches underneath the turntable chassis to keep a firm grip on the bearing housing. The whole assembly really works. Note, I have not compared the Superbearing to any other aftermarket bearing, just to the stock Lenco bearing assembly.

Manitunc, Don't sweat it.