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Direct Drive vs. Idler Drive vs. Belt drive

I'd like to know your thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of each drive system. I can see that direct drive is more in vogue over the last few years but is it superior to the other drive systems? I've had first-hand experiences with two out of the three drive systems but looking to learn more.
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mikelavigne
2,171 posts
 
I would be interested in hearing about an air bearing that has less play than a high quality bearing of conventional design.

with air bearings there are high pressure, high flow......and low pressure low flow....designs. the high pressure (the Rockport and almost all others) is logically a more robust amount of air pressure building up between metal parts. locations of venturie’s also matters especially for the arm tubes. platter air bearings sometimes are fully captured and other times use an ’air’ film to reduce resonance.

as far as ’less play’ than a conventional bearing i’d say that i’m not concerned about the technical side of what is ’play’.....more about what my ears tell me. and isolating final performance to individual pieces is really guessing for end users.

my low flow-low pressure air bearing CS Port LFT1 turntable and linear tracker give me more detail than any conventional bearing turntable and conventional bearing tonearm i have heard. the bass is otherworldly. magnificent.

https://www.csport.audio/products/products-lft1-en.html
dodgealum
1,400 posts
 
I had run various belt drive tables for years but got the urge to try something different when I listened to a friends Artisan Fidelity Garrard 301. It had an addictive quality that the TW Raven AC sitting next to it did not seem to capture. So I set about looking for a modern idler-type table after exploring various restored vintage tables and the PTP Lenco. I decided I wanted to see if someone would achieve better results by bringing modern technology to an old design concept. After nearly a year wait and lots of helpful and informative communication back and forth last week I received a Sempersonus TE-2, the first to arrive here in the US. You can learn more here: https//sempersonus.com/te2-our-first-turntable/

I worked with Jeffrey Catalano at High Water Sound NYC on a TW Raven (12 Inch) tonearm and a Charisma Audio Signature One cartridge. I'll come back and post some comments about the sound on another thread but just thought I'd share as the table uses an "epicyclic drive" system that is essentially and inner rim drive with an electronically regulated speed control system. The table is beautiful to look at and a breeze to set up. If anyone is interested I've got pics posted on my virtual system. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,656 posts
 
my low flow-low pressure air bearing CS Port LFT1 turntable and linear tracker give me more detail than any conventional bearing turntable and conventional bearing tonearm i have heard. the bass is otherworldly. magnificent.
If you didn't use the exact same platter pad, cartridge and arm on both machines, this might only be anecdotal wrt the platter bearing type.
terry9
2,256 posts
 
New Way air bearings have amorphous carbon faces, resulting in literally millions of ’apertures’. I saw a U-Tube presentation of a shaft rotating in an air bearing (maybe New Way), spinning freely, when the high pressure air supply to the spindle was cut. The shaft came to an abrupt stop with a bang - it was immovable. Now that’s low tolerance!
agrippa
160 posts
 
I did respond to this, in my post just prior to this.
Apologies, somehow I managed to miss it. Now remedied.

I took your original post to mean a mat with the same universal durometer as vinyl, which was why I wondered. Thanks for clearing it up for me.
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