It’s true that, in general, belt drive yields better sound quality than direct drive. But it’s equally true that not all direct drive turntables are bad. Direct drive got a bad rap thanks in large part to all the cheap plastic junk foisted upon unsuspecting audio buyers in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Not everyone took that cut-rate approach. Technics could usually be counted on to deliver a quality table, if not a great tonearm. Kenwood made a number of good direct drive models that were often coupled with SME tonearms to surprising effect. And of course, Denon built -- and still builds -- gorgeous turntables of mid-fi quality. My DP-47F was worth every penny of its $650 price, and I wish I still had it today.
