makeshiftrigger Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 probably a dumb question but i still use an old 1980s Zenith turntable that is belt driven. In its age the automatic functionality has died and im looking towards a new one. just wondering what the differences are between the 2 styles of turntables to see if there is a reason i should go with direct vs belt. my dad has a zenith tv shop which has since rebranded to LG but we have never been able to locate the problem with the turntable and after about 6 years im ready to have it stop and start when i turn it on or the record ends. thanks for any help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papermonsters Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I had a direct drive gemini for a little while that I wasn't really feeling. I went back to a belt drive and l like it a ton more. That's just my personal preference though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makeshiftrigger Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 any idea on what the main differences between the 2 are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papermonsters Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 The motor is attached directly to the spindle on a direct drive and on a belt driven one a belt connects the spindle to the motor. A lot of DJs swear by direct drive because they don't have to worry about belts wearing down and whatnot, but if you are just using your turntable for listening to records a nice belt driven turntable should work just fine. On direct driven turntables the platter just straight up stops and starts when you start it up and turn it off. On a Belt driven turntable the platter will slow down steadily to a stop and take just a bit longer getting up to speed. A lot of people like DD turntables also because they can adjust pitch and stuff immediately. So basically, if you plan on doing a lot of DJing and whatnot a DD may be better for you, but if you just want to listen to records, a normal belt driven table will work just wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makeshiftrigger Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 right on, thanks a ton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Knocksville have very valid point. I'd like to add one. Whenever people ask me about this I usually ask em one thing; How many $5,000+ turntables do you see with direct drive? ALL super high end tables are belt driven for a reason. In turntables, less is more. Simplicity is best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 yeah, dd for home use isn't necessary but if you DJ a lot then they're pretty essential peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somethingvinyl Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I agree with the notion that "less is more." And if a belt-driven turntable goes out, it's likely due to the belt, which is $20 max. If a direct-drive turntable goes out, it's likely to be the motor, which is way more money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makeshiftrigger Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 Appreciate all the info guys. Really helps me make the easy decision to stay with belt driven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankerdesk Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Belt drives also help isolate any vibrations coming from the motor. Direct Drives are unable to do this as the motor is making contact with the platter/spindle. This is usually fine for a DJ as I'm guessing any motor noise would probably be lost in a club, but would be more obvious in a room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Unfortunately it isn't that simple. In the budget class, both types have their advantages and disadvantages. It also has a lot to do with what cart you're planning on using and what kind of upgrades you're thinking of adding. For example, getting the best out of a low-compliance cart with high tracking force, a really solid drive is a must, and for around $300 it's easier to find a DD that will do the job properly. The lack of motor isolation with DD tables is just as negative as the lack of speed stability wit belt driven tables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I feel too many people focus on speed stability. If all else fails, they do make speed boxes on the cheap. But, having an isolated motor with a power supply? Game on. But, I also don't have a $300 table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Well a speedbox will only eliminate speed issues caused by the motor, but not those caused by the belt. Although you can also upgrade the stock belt with something better, but when you add it all up a $300 table becomes a $450 table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almightyseancore Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 i use a direct drive and i love it. it's great for needing to stall records (i do this a lot, especially when putting the needle on), or needing to "rewind" them quickly. also for listening to backwards masked tracks and stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 At the end of the day, drive system does not matter. What matters is the design, build quality, engineering execution and ultimately, real world performance. I've said it before, but there are excellent examples of BOTH direct drive and belt-driven decks. Each has its weaknesses and strengths, but there is no doubt that if the end result is high fidelity, than you can coax wonderful sounds out of turntables in both categories. Again, it depends on the model, but throw out a high-end Rega for comparison and I'll give you a vintage Sony, Denon or Micro Seiki that sounds just as good. And what of these $5000 + belt-driven turntables? Could there possibly be any other reason why a small, boutique company that only sells a tiny number of turntables each year would want to keep things simple rather than toil with the design and manufacturing of a relatively complex direct drive? Could simplicity of design and execution, lower manufacturing costs and larger profit margins have anything to do with it? I'm not saying that these decks aren't wonderful, audiophile-quality machines and that these companies don't believe in the virtues of the belt-drive, but there are in fact examples of excellent, expensive direct driven tables and there's no doubt that they perform just as well as their belt-driven counterparts. With unlimited funds, you can build an amazing turntable, be it belt or direct drive. To the OP, do some research and make a list of well-regarded turntables in both categories. Then narrow it down to a couple that have the most features and benefit that appeal to you. And finally, if possible, listen to them in real life. If you can't do that, conduct more research on those specific models and get as much feedback from friends / peers as you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 As always, bearchuck has a solid post. Except one thing, I wouldn't call companies like Pro-Ject/Music Hall botique. They make a lot of money, and make a lot of prodcuts in all price ranges. They've made DD and belt driven... but all of their over $1,000 tables are belt driven. aviolentworld 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 I don't really think he was calling Pro Ject/Music Hall boutique companies. It wasn't mentioned here before, but what I've experienced to be at least on par if not superior to direct and belt drive is the "idler drive" system. When done right, it is a beast to listen to. No wonder those old EMTs hold their value. Most high-end tables are belt driven exactly for the reasons bearchuck mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Yeah, my point was just that economics plays a part (how big, I can't say for sure) in a boutique company designing and manufacturing high end belt-driven turntables ... but if that someone really wanted to sink a crap load of money, research and development into a + $5000 direct drive machine, it can be done. And I'm sure it would sound amazing. Regardless, it's not like anyone here is spending that type of cash on a turntable. For our purposes, we're talking about affordable (but still high quality / fidelity) DDs and belt drives. Oh, and idler drives! I will always contend that there are great examples of TTs in all those categories. Actually, I don't even own a direct drive. My best table is a modded AR-XA (belt drive) and I would put it against just about any $500 - $1000 TT out there. Of course, I'm not delusional either. I know there are turntables in that range - belt, direct and idler - that would best it. I also have a Dual 1229 (idler) and it's great as well, but it's certainly not the quietest table in the world. Really, it just comes down to preference, and part of the fun is listening and comparing. I'm lucky in that I know a local guy whose business is restoring vintage audio gear, so I get to hear a lot of different setups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melikecheese Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 A good direct drive will beat any belt driven table IMHO. Good being the important word here. The late 70s to mid 80s were a great time from direct drive tables. I have used DDs from JVC, Sony and Pioneer that I just loved them. Nothing beats a DD motor with quick stop that stops the platter in 1/4 a turn. The reason most table are belt driven has more to do with manufacturing costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rochambo Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 My Sony PS-X6 Direct drive table is solid. Way better than any belt driven I've owned from the same era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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