The record player that wants to be a washer.

[qsd-dan]

BD vs DD.....

is good topic to start World War 3 in most audiophile sites.

While most DD turntables are (and were) under-designed, there are a couple that will rival their BD counterparts. Garrard 301, 401, and Lenco's are hot commodities, and not for nostalgic reasons either. I can't quite include the Thorens 124 as they're kind of a hybrid since their design includes both an idler and a belt.

If anyone questions the above, just take a peek at the price of this Garrard 301 WITHOUT a plinth or tonearm. Luckily, I was able to locate one at a fraction of the current price several years ago.

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[tolivac]

Oh yes a Garrard 301-these have turned up at radio stations.I haven't worked on these but know some of my freinds that have.
When I did my listening test with the TT's I had just bought the Rega and a Pioneer Spec#1 preamp-used that to drive a McIntosh Mc225 tube amp driving a pair of Stax Lambda lectrostatic headphones.Since I worked at a radio station then-was able to get two records containing the same songs-that way I could play the same song from either TT and A-B them.The Rega sounded so much smoother.I didn't have a high end DD machine such as a Technics SP10 or the Denon-both beyond my budget at that time.
Come to think of it the Technics TT's I installed at an international broadcast facility had the 3 speeds-their record library had 78's they used for airplay.And also for a jazz music program.In the TT well was a headshell that held the 78 rpm cartridge and stylus.
and for radio station TT's esp those in AM stations-you had to make sure the rumble and W-F were kept down-cleanleness of the drive components and frequent idler wheel replacement-otherwise the rumble and W-F could trip AM transmitter modulator or PA overloads.You would hear the wow and rumble on FM stations.
Other common radio tation TT's-Rek-O-Kut-later to be Russco.And you would find EMT-Gotham units-built in Germany-really heavy duty TT's idler drive-but have two platters-inner and outer-a clutch lever was used to engage the outer platter-thus playing your record-and they held Q becuase the outer platter was braked when disengaged.I would love to have one of these.They had an excellent tonearm.Forget the model# of these machines-but superb.Much better than any DD.A few radio stations I dealt with had EMT's.They were stations in the Wash DC area.
And for older stations-Gates TT's and RCA-the RCA had gear drive-a large motor and transmission in the base of the TT cabinet-the transmission was about the size of that in a washer.And these also had a brake.The Technics Sp10 had brakes too.That made it convenient for slip cueing of records.And all of these machines had high start torque so they got to speed quickly-in a fraction of a platter rotation.No wowing at the start of songs.