Direct drive vs belt vs rim vs idler arm


Is one TT type inherently better than another? I see the rim drive VPI praised in the forum as well as the old idler arm. I've only experienced a direct drive Denon and a belt driven VPI Classic.
rockyboy
Lew,

You you may be right. I spoke out of school because I lack the extensive firsthand experience that you have.

Thuchan,

You are right.

Lawrence,

I took no offense, but you haven't heard them all, and I'm here to say that an idler can be made that can do anything the others can do. I am sure of it.

Now, if I can only convince Syntax. Then, the fight will be won! That will certainly take some convincing, won't it? At least he and I agree about string drive! ;)

.
Mosin
Now, if I can only convince Syntax. Then, the fight will be won! That will certainly take some convincing, won't it? At least he and I agree about string drive! ;)

Hi Mosin - seems like an easy fix.

Send him one of your tables to hear, and see if he returns it.

No?
Dover recently I had a demonstration of a Nakamichi 1000 table and was impressed, I just got caught up in the hoopla about it thats all,I should read this site more and I'll shut up .I know a reference position is needed of course to use a centre correcting jig and much more work can be done on my attempts.
Mosin I agree with Lewm on the issue of direct drives, Halcros nude thread on plinth-less dd is a shining example of the influence poor plinth design and material used can directly effect performance. On the other side of the coin is the plinth of the fantastic Kenwood L07D.
Lawrence,
even if this is the case as you described very well with the Lenco users this is not an argument against idler drives per se. Not all horn systems have a limited bandwith. I am a running a perfectly adjusted EMT R 80 idler with my modern 5way horn system (TAD berrylium drivers) with two active subs and I am pretty sure there is no limitation at all. I am able to compare all three drive technologies in one system. As said before in the Top League it is more a matter of implementation than what kind of drive you are going for.
Ketchup
I will take your figure as correct. I did the calcs long hand while waiting in a Cafe for a Flat White ( that's a coffee to those from the Northern Hemisphere)
Yes the number is small and if you extend the distance out further, which we are all quite capable of decerning, the L/R delta gets smaller. Quite amazing.

Dover The jitter artefact, as Mosin quite correctly points out, is not limited to the Technics line, he hears it in DDs in general. Actually my testing and listening has shown it to be present in any motor that uses feedback be it local feedback ( self correction) as in free running motors like those in most BDs / idler drives or global feedback as in DDs. That is it occurs in all motors. Since all TTs have motors ......
I hasten to add that this is definitely not cogging, it occurs at frequencies above that which the physical motor build would precipitate cogging.
It occurs at a higher frequency still in DDs, where global feedback is employed and is more obvious in higher torque motors, but it is there in all drive iterations.