Idler wheel drive vs Belt

I just found a picture of it. It was obsidian. I recall it being bigger than the unit shown, but maybe that was because it was so long ago. I think I had the 205 arm not the 100 shown at http://www.xs4all.nl/~rabruil/sp10page.html

I have had a Linn for about 20 years (serviced and brought up to latest spec every 2 years) and remember being blown away by Linn/Naim demonstrations at hifi shows in the late 70's.

Recently, I've upgraded my cd player and it blows the Linn away. I have a few tracks on vinyl that I know really well that I use as a kind of reference. There's one, "Death May Be Your Santa Claus" by Mott The Hoople, that is a real test of timing, dynamics, PRaT, and holding a tune. On my Linn it really drags, it's like the band are playing without hearing each other.

I'm convinced that the Linn suffers in terms of speed stability. I've now bought a Technics Sl50 and a Lenco L75 and I'm going to play with both.

IMHO, both the Technics and the Lenco have more upside potential because they were launched in an era when acoustic isolation was not well understood. The Linn is kind of okay at everything, but it's not an example of great engineering is it? Cheap motor, pressed steel sub-chassis, etc.

There's a theory that current belt drive tables struggle when fitted with low compliance moving coil cartridges because the motor/belt lacks sufficient torque to overcome stylus drag. I'm going to put the theory to the test and make my own mind up.

I'm quite certin that a SP10 MkII in a good CLD plinth, mounted on a state of the art isolation table, fitted with a Schroeder arm and Zyz Airy would smoke the equivalent LP12 set up. What's more I'd love the chance to put this hypothesis to the test!

Regards

Red

Flyingred, you guys have brought the SP10 out of my memories of 30 years ago. I don't know why I am even interested, given that I have the Shindo Labs 301. I would love to hear the SP10 set up as you would have it.

Well I found a nice 301 off eBay.
Tbg: can you tell me how much is a Shindo plinth, and which arm you are using?

Shindo will take Garrard 301 and do mods on it. Checkout shindolabs.com for information. I bought the entire package which includes the totally modified 301, a modified Ortofon 12" tonearm, and a modified Ortofon SPU cartridge, which I have yet to get. There may be provisions for other arms, but I don't know anything about this. Even using a headshell with another cartridge would mean greater error in tracking angle. All of this is unimportant once you have heard it.

Originally, I intended to do just what you have done, namely to get a nice Garrard 301 and enjoy it.