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In Reply to: direct-drive?: Without a doubt, idler-wheel drives... posted by Munna on August 3, 2005 at 10:44:05:
In fact, I have owned a quartz-locked SP10 MKII and other large servo-controlled direct-drives (such as my Sony 2250, which I actually preferred to the big Technics which I subseqently sold) and find that the Lenco is both more dynamic and punchier, though not by a particularly large margin (where the Lenco really scored is in a sense of easy fluidity which the Technics lacks). For bass, perhaps the SP10 MKII is more accurate, or perhaps merely drier, there's not much difference in terms of reach or detail. It's probably true that not all idler-wheel drives are created identical, and perhaps the Lenco is punchier than other large idler-weel drives as some have reported. Whatever the case, let's stay united in that both direct drives and idler-wheel drives reveal weaknesses in belt-drives, particularly in the quality and quantity of the bass (but in other areas as well) and in a sense of "drive", which means they are serious "audiophile" alternatives to the old belts, which also have certain charms.
Follow Ups:
Hi
thanks for the qualification. i was thinking more of Garrard 301,401 & Loricraft 501 idler wheel tables when i made my comment. i would agree that the direct-drives i have heard are drier than garrard bunch .. to me they are also flatter and steelier... less flattering but in some ways more naturally close to the sound of club music which is often dirty. i do have some other idler wheel
tables (Lenco, Rek-o-kut) but have not had a chance to set them
up seriously.... will be interesting to see how they compare with
the garrards. all the direct-drives & idlers (except the 501)
have been used in heavy mass birch plywood plinths.
Munna
Munna I think you will be pleasantly surprized by both the Lenco's
and the Rek O Kut's, I have a 401 but still need either a different power supply or a 60 Hz pulley, but have heard a friends 301 in his system, but obviously the difference in rooms and systems is going to mask all but the most obvious differences.
I recently Modded a Rek O Kut and was very surprized at just how nice it is as I'd read others opinions that they have inherent rumble problems, for whatever reason mine is wonderful, and I doubt it's an anomoly, as all I really did aside from putting it in a heavy Baltic Birch/MDF plinth and rewire the motor, and I did use a Sorbothane gasket on the motor mount was mount a Project 12c and an SME 3009 series III both sound incredible but very different as the SME is running an unbroken in OM 40 and the Project a VDH 103 unbroken in as well.
But the Rek O Kut has to be right up there in the same league as the Lenco's Garrards, TD 124's etc.
Lot's of Drive and slam ! and steady as the proverbial rock.
Yes, precisely, the quartz-locked DDs are flatter and steelier sounding, while the servo-controlled Sony 2250 is fluid (like the Lenco, which also has a greater dynamic range) and so to my ear more musical. If I were to design a new no-holds-barred TT, I would either go the simple/elegant Lenco idler-wheel route (balanced motor spins flat out, no electronic tricks, and is coupled via the wheel to dynamically-balanced flywheel-platter), or a simple/elegant direct-drive route: direct-drive motor with no circuitry tricks, running flat out for an unregulated accurate speed, coupled to a flywheel-platter, thus relying in both cases on pure momentum to achieve perfect speed stability in the face of stylus drag. In the case of the DD I would rather it be fed clean electricity than a quartz-locked signal which I believe is audible, ending up in that dry mechanical sound as compared with the Sony and the Lenco and certain belt-drives. The Sony, and the servo-controlled Technics SL1100 both sound very fluid and musical. I build my plinths out of alternating layers of birch-ply and MDF, but did so for both the Technics (which had a twice-as-heavy plinth) and the Lenco. For rock music, I guess it's a matter of taste: I would think that the greater sense of flow and momentum from idler-wheel drives would be better suited to rock'n'roll, but for that dirty sound a big SP10 MKII could be just the ticket, especially when matched to big honking sensitive speakers like the horn-loaded Altecs, as I know one fellow here who has just such a set-up (and who bought my Technics). Keep us posted as to your experiences, I'm always on the verge of rebuilding my Rek-o-Kut, but have so many other things to do!
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