Direct Drive vs. Idler Drive vs. Belt drive

The issue is you need a powerful drive. Direct drive easily has the best speed stability (Technics makes the most speed stable machines in the world and their drives are pretty powerful). A powerful idler drive can easily dust a weak direct drive or belt drive- a powerful belt drive can easily dust a weak idler drive or weak direct drive.

This is why you see a following around certain vintage turntables- all of them have powerful drives- the Technics SP10, the Garrard 301, Empire, Lenco and the Thorens TD124.


The problems with the vintage machines is usually a poor plinth design which does not take into account the effect vibration can have on the sound of the machine, and crude tonearm performance (solved by installing a modern arm). If the designer has done their homework, the plinth (and platter) of the ’table will be quite dead.


Another serious variable is the platter pad- it can color the sound since there is resonance in the LP itself when the stylus tracks it. If this is going on the LP can ’talk back’ to the cartridge. A good platter pad can make all the difference and this is a left out variable in the discussion of which drive is better!! A good platter pad will simultaneously damp the platter and silence the vibration in the LP; this has to be done with a platter pad that has the same hardness (durometer) as the vinyl. In that way energy from the LP is absorbed and not reflected back the the LP. If this is all correct, it will be very hard to hear the stylus tracking the groove with the volume off.

None of the vintage machines had anything other than a joke for a platter pad. For that matter most modern platter pads are no better. IMO this is the least understood aspect of LP playback.

atmasphere, thank you!
Do each drive system have a certain sonic character of its own, I know it’s often said that idler has more drive, bass, etc. Does DD have a sonic character? What is your ideal platter pad material?

There are new people to the forum every day that can/may offer new insight, so I think it’s okay to rehash old topics every once in a while, it keeps the forum going.

scar972 

Here is the link to. 

Goldilocks and the Three Turntables Adventure.

this question.....how the three drive approaches might sound different, guided me this last year to add some turntables. i wanted a top level example of each drive method. and then top arms and cartridges too. you can look at my system page for details and pictures.

i have owned a direct drive tt; the Wave Kinetics NVS, for 9 years (and previously owned the Rockport Sirius III for 8 years, generally viewed as the top direct drive turntable ever).

slam, scale, authority.

last August i purchased the Saskia model two, an idler.

PRAT....flow.....tonal weight......timbre.....focus.

then in November i purchased the CS Port LFT1, an air bearing, string/belt drive.

space, detail, liquidity, nuance, decay, holographic.......truth.

and the answer is that these drive differences do play out in musical connection/synergy terms. and i do choose turntables somewhat based on the music or mood i’m in.

so far my favorite turntable seems to change from week to week and i really enjoy them all. i’m happy i made this investment in vinyl truth.

and the last point i will make is that execution is way more significant in ultimate turntable drive satisfaction than dogma. i choose these three turntables for the level of execution of their designs. they each compete with the very top level of their drive types.