Belt Drive vs Direct Drive Turntables: What's The Difference and Which One Sounds Better?

[@philipbrown9006]

It was interesting to watch your video comparing belt and direct drive turntables. Having owned a budget turntable of both types (Pioneer PL-12D and Citronix PD-2s) I have to be honest and say I couldn't notice any discernable difference between the sound quality of the two units. However my experience was that I much preferred using the direct drive turntable because of the faster start up and stopping times and the fact that I didn't have to worry about replacing the belt every few years. I'm inclined to feel that sound quality has got little to do with drive type and more to do with turntable weight, number of poles on the motor and quality of the turntable bearing. I expect many people may feel the opposite. In order to help people make their choice, it would be interesting to hear from people who have owned higher end systems of both types, as to which they preferred and what their reasons were.

[@theophicen7850]

Direct drive because of speed consistency. I had a lot of turntables, but the belt driven ones all had to high wow readings for my taste (noticable). Only older belt driven turntables from the 70s had wow and flutter below 0,1.

[@jro7075]

Yes sir I agree 1000 percent I just finished commenting on this subject and almost said sane thing JRo📀

[@musclecarfan74]

There is a 3rd type that used an idler wheel, they are no longer made

[@lennongroover4189]

hve a or an altered belt drive homart. Could I use ths to turn my belt drive fan, lke if I ever wanted to the the belt iff and use ths to mke it spin a little if lje a txd/jxst slxwer bt lke still hve the tightness to decrease rattling noise or di, or is it too weak to use?🤔🤨🧐🤷‍♂️I gt a sprocket to make it chain drive, it ordered ir lke arrived today, but I’d have to go pick it up frxm grainier because it wsnt in stock

[@gregoryirwin263]

Dear fluance please come out with a direct drive turntable for the audiophile market I think it could really expand your customer base I know I would purchase in a hot minute if you guys came out with one I know I'm not the only one Cheers

[@bkkersey93]

Direct drive

[@garetholeary1385]

What’s the background music?

[@jro7075]

I really don't understand I've had direct drive turntables all my life never was a fan of belt drive because belt will wear down and can or might cause speed issues ,maybe I am deaf but I never heard any noise from motor on my TT's. I had. TT with a lot of rumble if I tapped the base I could hear stylus pick up the sound but I never heard motor noise I am fussy how sound comes from playing records and I can hear if the stylus is worn or has dirt on it. I have. A Pro - ject TT belt drive I can sometimes hear motor running but so far I do not hear it in music my stylus has not picked it up and not a fan of TT's with belt around platter like U-turn TT it is a great looking TT but seen way too many videos with belt slidding off of platter I "'ve seen people who showcase their U -turn but complain how belt easily falls off I don't understand how u can get speed stability out of a very thin belt and looks so loose when people string it up I would prefer if belt was flat and was a little tighter around platter or why not machine a small lip on platter edge if they can charge extra for a simple cueing lever which I believe SHOULD COME WITH TURNTABLE and it should not be an option then they can charge extra for platter lip and in my time the belt drives they had when growing up the motor wad a little better made than today's motors speed is usually off of these cheap motors that is why I prefer direct drive and with quartz speed control you don't have to worry about speed variations JRo📀

[@fraudsarentfriends4717]

Most DJ records are 45 rpm for a reason. Jukeboxes use direct drive at 45 rpm most consumers buy 33 1/3 lp Belt drive is better at the lower speeds with less noise wow and flutter. The reason direct drive is more expensive is that it's a commercial drive system and it's made to be more rugged. Not because it sounds better.

[@victorysonics6564]

Of course company selling rubber band driven tables promote that instead by far superior and measurable quieter direct drive. I was considering fluance TT up until that moment. Boo.

[@leon9021]

Its complete BS.

[@leon9021]

Such wivestale BS, you still think Direct Drive designs sound worse? Theres no more noise from the motor, if a Belt drive is attached to the plinth it can rumble just as much if its poorly made.

[@felixfranzen7318]

They sell belt driven turntables. Direct drives do not transfer more noise to the platter (some really cheaply made ones do of course). Most good Japanese DD's from good old era had rumble vi below -70dB. Many even pushed it below 75-78 dB, like the Technics SL-1200 and lots of others. That's better than the vinyl medium needs and any noise from the turntable will be drowned out by the vinyl noise. Name me one belt drive that beats that which people other Elon Musk-types can afford. We don't need to talk about wow and flutter, dd's are better. Cogging is a myth. If it was real it would show up in the flutter measurements.

[@audioFail06]

DD noise is a myth made by British audio magazines/ dealers, they were absolutely horrified when direct drive hit the market so they had to make up stuff to make DD look bad. Some turntables like mine (Technics so-1900) have a slight hum coming from the coil itself but the bearings and platter are seperated, it isn’t transferred to the stylus.

[@verocola6335]

In the Direct Drive ... since the the platter is directly sttached to the motor ... SOUND QUALITY MAY SUFFER ? ? ? HOW, WHY, SAYS WHO ? THE MOTOR SPINS AT THE DESIGNED RPMS, DIRECTLY, NOTHING IN BETWEEN, NO VIBRATIONS, THE MOTOR ELECTRONICALLY SPINS AT 33 1/2 RPMS, WHAT VIBRATIONS ? ALL THE SPECIFICATIONS MEASURED IN LABORATORY, SHOW ALMOST NO FLUTTER, OR WOW, HUNDRED TIMES BETTER THAN A LITTLE MOTOR SPINNING AT HIGH SPEED (CREATING VIBRATIONS) AND MOVING A TURNTABLE THRU A RUBBER BELT THAT DRIES OUT, STRECHES AND SLIPS, MAY SNAP AT ANY MOMENT AND LET YOU HIGH AND DRY.... THIS GUY HAS NO BRAINS OR IS BIASED TOWARDS ILOGIC REASONING, A BUNCH OF BS OR IGNORANCE

[@Groundbeef88]

Belt drive!

[@tirant_blanc]

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