NB:
A thread – from a while back - that some members here might find contains interesting observations, advice and, perhaps, more. In my view, certainly worth dipping in and out of if even if you have only a few minutes to spare.
In a discussion with Mike (Shian7) recently on the SL-1210 thread he mentioned that Roy Gregory was going somewhat 'ape' over the £12k direct-drive Grand Prix Monaco turntable in Hi-Fi+. Intrigued, I obtained a copy; and what I read put a huge smile on my face because as I was reading it what he was describing was almost an exact facsimile of my feelings on the performance of the KAB-modified Technics SL-1210 (and original SP10) which are available at a mere fraction of the price! It confirms what I've thought all along that direct-drive, done well, is unquestionably a superior drive system solution to going the low or medium-mass belt-drive route. And getting the all-important issue of highly accurate speed stability right with a belt-drive T/T takes high-mass construction to ridiculous levels and a serious amount of required expenditure. The SP10 and SL-1210 in my opinion solve the issue far more elegantly via the use of their near-flawless direct-drive mechanisms.
Allow me to elucidate further on the importance of accurate speed stability with a turntable... Roy Gregory wrote: .....