FW: record players

[Robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

 > From: Brian <http://www.cs..edu/~b>
 > Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2020 14:12:57 -0700
 >
 > Most turntables have always been belt drive, because the belt helps 
 > isolate the platter from any vibration in the base.  The downside is 
 > that any flat spots where the width of the belt varies can cause speed 
 > variation.  (For example, if you stop the platter by hand while the 
 > motor is running, that will flatten the belt, so DJ turntables are 
 > generally direct drive.)  But in a decent turntable for home use we're 
 > talking about small effects either way.  I think probably the tonearm 
 > construction matters more than the platter drive.  For more than you 
 > want to know, check out Wikipedia:
 > 
 > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph#Turntable_construction
 > 
 > On 8/4/20 8:48 PM, Robert wrote:
 > > So, for several months at this point, our record player (this is the same
 > > record player (a Denon DP-7F) that you helped me buy in 1987) hasn't been
 > > working right.  It has severe wow and records sound terrible when played.
 > > We brought it into our stereo equipment repair shop and it plays fine
 > > there; i.e., they were unable to reproduce the problem. The guy there
 > > thought that the electrical current in our house is the cause of the
 > > problem.
 > > 
 > > It was suggested that buying another record player may be one way to work
 > > around this problem.
 > > 
 > > Do you have any recommendations or suggestions for a record player?
 > > 
 > > In 1987, I (we) settled on a direct drive so that I would never have to
 > > change the belt.  And it worked well over the years.  It's only within the
 > > last several months that this problem emerged.
 > > 
 > > It seems like a majority of record players available are belt driven.
 > > Other than having to replace the belt over time, is there any disadvantage
 > > of having a belt-driven phonograph?
 > > 
 > > Thanks.