Direct Drive vs Belt Driven Turntables - Which is Better?

As we’ve discussed in numerous articles in the past; a turntable is complex instrument of precision, designed to best reproduce the sound of vinyl records through a whole host of pivotal components. We’ve covered the topics of the different types of cartridges, and even the importance of maintenance and the possible upgrade paths of manufacturers and products such as Linn Sondek LP12. But one question that is often asked by those looking for a new turntable is “Should I be looking at direct drive or belt driven?” Well, let’s see if we can answer that one for you…

So how do they work?

Anyone with a modicum of technical or engineering prowess could probably work this out for themselves. Afterall, the names are pretty self explanatory…

Direct Drive

The direct drive turntable is a creature of moderately uncomplicated design. It consists of a platter which is directly attached to the player’s motor via the spindle… That’s it!

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dansette advert from the 1950s

It’s a common misconception that Direct Drive is the same as design the Idler Wheel Drive found in the likes of Dansettes, Thorens and Garrard turntables of the 1950s, 60s and 70s… This just simply isn’t the case.

This design incorporates an offset motor that uses an intermediate wheel or cog to drive the platter. Although this manufacturing style was popular around sixty years ago, it is very rarely found in turntables today.

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Belt Drive

Belt driven turntables are designed with an offset motor which is connected to the spindle via a thin belt, which is more often than not made from rubber. The movement of the motor creates a pulley system which in turn creates the revolutions of the platter.

So, what are the Pros and Cons?

As I’m sure you can already guess, neither designs is without their pros or cons. If one design was perfect, then the other one would most likely cease to exist. Let’s start with…

The pros

A direct drive system features arguably a quicker startup time and stronger torque, offering slightly more consistent speed. Some argue that this design has better overall reliability and durability.

When looking at a belt driven turntable, we turn our attentions to the belt itself. These are almost always made from shock absorbing materials such as rubber, which can reduce any harsh vibrations which are generated from the motor, and in turn produce a better overall sound quality (We’ll go into more detail a little later on). Now let’s set something straight here… Predominantly, these belts aren’t any old elastic bands! Most manufacturers take this very seriously. One such brand is Rega and their Reference EBLT Belt. The manufacturing process itself sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, “Once moulded, the belts are cryogenically frozen and barrelled to remove any excess flash in order to create perfect cross sectional roundness which is critical for accurate speed and stability.” Not to mention the composition of the material that goes in to the Reference EBLT Belt is top secret!

So what are the cons?

Whilst a direct drive turntables has some mechanical advantages over its belt driven counterpart, it is the direct connection between the motor and the platter that is its biggest weakness… Let me explain. Because the platter and motor are physically attached to one another, vibrations are fed directly from the motor to the platter, which in turn travels through the record to the cartridge. This creates a degree of distortion which inevitably lowers the playback quality.

The rega PLanar 1, 2 and 3 feature a manual belt movement to change playback speed

Oddly, when looking at belt driven turntables, it’s once again the component that gives it it’s advantage that can also be attributed to any potential downfall… Firstly, some might argue that belt driven record players have a slightly less accurate playback speed than direct drive turntables due to stretch and potential slipping of the belt. This can happen over time as belts elasticity can wear down, especially on those that require the belt to be moved between differing sizes of drive spindle to change the playback speed. Luckily, in most cases the changing of a replacement belt is easy and the parts themselves are fairly inexpensive.

It is worth noting that the belt isn’t the only potential problem area of this design. If the spindle or platter is not machined to be perfectly cylindrical, you can experience issues in timing and playback. Fortunately this is an issue which relates more to budget or economy turntables… Not the sort that you will find in our reputable establishments, I can assure you!

OK, which one is for me?

Taking into account all the pros and cons of each design, When it comes down to it, it is a case of function over form…

Given their durability, high torque and faster startup speed, direct drive turntables are largely heralded as the dominion of DJs. The contemporary design most popularised by the likes of Pioneer, Technics and Audio-Technica allows them to stop and manually rewind vinyl as they try to line-up the beats of multiple tracks, as well as scratch records without fear of a slipping belt stopping the music coming back in to play, right where it is needed.

So, unless you’re planning on unleashing your DJ skills unto to the world, and you favour audio quality over portability, then belt drive is the way for you! There are countless high-fidelity manufacturers opting for this design, all of which taking different approaches to optimising the performance of their respective models. From floating chassis to external motors, each range and model of turntable incorporates different designs, manufacturing techniques and materials…

This opens a wider debate that moves away from the objectivity of “Direct Drive Vs Belt Driven”, and requires that you, the listener be put in the proverbial driving seat to determine which one performs best to your ears within your chosen budget.

We have a whole host of turntables available through our twelve bricks and mortar stores. You can view most of which online Here.

Thanks for reading

Brad Tyler (Audio T Digital Marketing Manager)

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

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Are all turntable cartridges the same? A study of the Audio-Technica VM95

With the popularity of vinyl growing on what seems to be a daily basis, it’s unsurprising that you’ll see more and more content online featuring those wondrous discs that many of us cherish above all other possessions. Social media is rife with record players in almost all advertisement, whether it be a boutique hotel chain or a popular wine merchant, it would appear that vinyl records are the hottest appurtenance. As with any trend, comes a wave of younger and uninitiated enthusiasts, eager to get their hands on the latest buzz items…

As we know, not all turntables are created equal. To repurpose a well known phrase from legendary tattoo artist, Norman Collins (Aka Sailor Jerry) -”Good hi-fi ain’t cheap and a cheap hi-fi ain’t Good”. Obviously, in the original quote he was talking about tattoos, but the sentiment remains the same. We’re all too aware of a certain brand of turntable, born of a furniture manufacturer, that comes in the form of the portable suitcase design, playing on the current trend of mid-century nostalgia and certainly working on the “style over substance” ethos. Frankly, these systems sonically retain all the charm and clarity of an old tin can… I ask myself, “Why buy records at a starting price of £20 and upwards and then play them on a cheap system that lacks depth and soundstage, not to mention bass?!”. This is of course not to say that you have to break the bank with your hi-fi system, especially when looking at your first set-up. There are countless options out there, but it’s just knowing where to start. And what better place than the cartridge?

After a recent conversation with a customer who was enquiring about entry to mid-level turntables, we had gotten on to the subject matter of cartridges. Now this has obviously been a hot topic throughout Audio T recently with Manchester’s excellent blog explaining the difference between Moving Magnet (MM) and Moving Coil (MC) Cartridges, not to mention Swansea’s article of discovery, answering their customer’s enquiry, Do you need to stick with the same brand of cartridge when replacing your existing one?

So, in the conversation with my customer, who was novice to the world hi-fi and turntables, he said “I keep seeing record players with a green stylus. Is that any good?” Instantly I knew he was talking about the humble Audio-Technica AT-VM95E. I explained that it is a true workhorse of a cartridge and considered to be one of the best within its price bracket. “But do I have to have a green one? I’ve seen the same cartridge in different colours.”… Oh dear boy, sit down and let me explain to you the story of one of the most popular selling cartridges worldwide. The Audio-Technica AT-VM95…

A Brief History of Audio-Technica…

Tokyo’s Bridgestone Museum of Art (1952)

During the early 1960s, Hideo Matsushita, curator of the Tokyo Bridgestone Museum of Art, was well known for hosting listening concerts within the walls of the newly constructed Bridgestone Building. Here, people would experience vinyl records played on high-quality audio equipment. Matsushita moved by the positive reactions that the guests had to the musical experience, but dismayed with the expense of high-fidelity listening and how it prevented many people from experiencing it, felt that something needed to be done to change this…

Audio Technica founder, Hideo Matsushita

In 1962, Matsushita founded Audio-Technica based within rented one-storey apartment in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. The company had a single vision; producing high-quality audio that would be accessible to everyone. Matsushita soon created a truly affordable phono cartridge, the AT-1.

Building on this passion, Audio-Technica have grown to design critically acclaimed headphones, turntables, cartridges and more. To this day, Audio-Technica remains a family business that retains the belief that high-quality audio should be accessible to all…

Meet the family…

As already mentioned, the popular AT-VM95E is a staple cartridge for many turntable manufacturers around the globe as it offers high-quality sound at an affordable price. Taking their deep historical roots in the phono cartridge industry, Audio-Technica continue to offer innovative products to all, this being demonstrated in release of the AT-VM95 family of cartridges.

AT-VM95SH Cartridge cross-section

The six, yes that's right six AT-VM95 Series models all feature Audio-Technica’s patented Dual Magnet design, which duplicates the “V”-shaped arrangement of the magnets in the cutter head and precisely positions the magnets to match the positions of the left and right channels in the groove walls. The Dual Magnet construction provides superior channel separation, stereo imaging, frequency response and tracking of the record groove. A newly designed coil constructed of TPC (tough pitch copper) wire provides increased output voltage, and a new radial damping ring improves both transient and frequency response. Ok, that’s all good and well, but unless you have a physics degree or electronics qualification, you might be staring blankly into space right now… So what does it all mean?

The AT-VM95 Models

AT-VM95C with conical stylus - The series’ entry model features a 0.6 mil conical stylus (spherical on the end, more like a ball-point pen). Whilst it improves on the sonic performance of its predecessors, the AT91 and AT91R, the spherical shape of the conical stylus means it has a large radius. This means they can reach less of a record’s tiny groove modulations which are associated with higher frequencies and more detail. There are however benefits of this design - They can pick up less debris and imperfections that may lay deep in the record’s groove. Let’s say that you are listening to older or possibly more damaged records. In theory, you’ll hear less pops and clicks during playback.

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AT-VM95E with elliptical stylus - Successor to the legendary AT95E cartridge, the AT-VM95E offers a higher output level, improved dynamic range and frequency response. It is also the first cartridge in the family to feature an elliptical stylus (also known as a bi-radial stylus). An elliptical stylus, because of its shape makes better contact with a larger area of the grooves on a record’s surface. So, it’s a little more precise than a conical stylus. An elliptical stylus generally has improved frequency response and lower distortion. Because a record’s inner grooves can be hard to track, an elliptical stylus tends to be the best bet. The one drawback to this design, is that elliptical styli tend to wear down quicker than a conical stylus. But Audio-Technica still quote a range of 300 to 500 hours of playback with the AT-VM95E, so I wouldn’t worry too much about that.

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AT-VM95EN with nude elliptical stylus - The AT-VM95EN is a nude elliptical stylus. But what does that mean? In a conventional design of cartridge like the AT-VM95E, the stylus is a bonded (or jointed) diamond tip which is glued on to a metal shank that is itself glued into the hole of the cantilever. Nude styli, shaped from whole diamonds, are more costly than bonded styli, with their diamond tips “bonded” to metal shanks before finishing. But because of their lower mass, nude styli track more accurately, giving a more detailed sound and a longer life to the stylus.

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AT-VM95ML with line contact MicroLinear stylus  - The AT-VM95ML features a MicroLinear diamond stylus which is a more complex shape than the elliptical design, allowing it to reach further in to the groves, giving the sound of playback more detail and clarity.

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AT-VM95SH with line contact Shibata stylus  - The top of the line VM95 Series model comes with a line contact Shibata diamond stylus. Also known as fine line, stereohedron, hyperelliptical styli. Shibata diamond styli take the elliptical design further for greater contact with the record. When properly aligned they offer fantastic high-frequency performance, longer tip life (in some cases up to 2,000 hours), improved tracking, and low record wear. They are, however, harder to manufacture than elliptical styli, and therefore more expensive.

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AT-VM95SP for 78 RPM records  - The AT-VM95SP is optimized for 78 RPM disc playback. The groove of a 78 RPM record is about 3 to 4 times wider than the a typical 33 RPM record. To play 78 records, you must use a stylus designed specifically for the wider grooves. If a standard stylus tip were to be used, it will ride very low in the groove and produce a very noisy, unlistenable signal. Not to mentioned it will destroy your standard stylus very quickly! Buy hey, the likelihood of those new to the world of turntables and hi-fi are unlikely to be listening to 78 RPM records.

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Styli and Cartridges and Headshells… Oh My!

If you’ve been and had a look at the AT-VM95 family on our website, you’ll notice that there are three varying options for each of the six different different models. These come as -

• Interchangeable Stylus

• Cartridge

• Cartridge and Headshell Pre-mounted Combo Kit

So which one is right for you? Well this all comes down to what you’re trying to do…

If you’re replacing a worn stylus or perhaps upgrading your existing AT-VM95 stylus, then you can simply purchase the interchangeable stylus. The cartridge body of the AT-VM95 allows any vinyl enthusiasts to use the same cartridge with a variety of the above styli. It’s a incredibly simple process that can take just seconds. Watch the video below to see how…

If you’re replacing the cartridge on a turntable with a fixed head on the tonearm, a design incorporated by manufacturers such as Linn or Rega, then you will need the whole cartridge. The VM95 cartridges are designed for easy installation, thanks to threaded inserts in the cartridge bodies that allow them to be mounted to a tonearm using just two screws… No fiddly nuts here! You can see how our Swansea store tackled this in their aforementioned blog, Here.

If you happen to be replacing a cartridge on a turntable that has a separate headshell then you may prefer the Audio-Technica pre-mounted combo kit, which comes with the AT-HS6. A universal ½"-mount headshell for 4-pin turntable tonearms.

The Audio-Technica AT-VM95E pre-mounted on to the AT-HS6 headshell

To Summarise…

There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to selecting the ideal stylus/cartridge for yourself. Much like the turntables themself, every shape and design of the cartridge is a balance between performance, price, and application.

One thing is certain. The AT-VM95 family from Audio-Technica offers pretty much something for everyone! The interchangeable design of the body makes it easy for users to replace worn out styli and upgrade to the next level without fuss. Don’t forget that Audio-Technica offer a wide range of cartridges beyond the AT-VM95, and you can view them Here.

Hopefully you’ve found this article useful? Don’t forget that you can take terminology used within the descriptions of these cartridges and use them across all makes and models. You can find more cartridges, from a whole host of manufacturers on our website Here.

As always, Audio T are on hand to help with any enquiry you may have. So be sure to Contact Us with your questions and queries.

Thanks for reading

Brad Tyler (Audio T Digital Marketing Manager)

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

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Audio Technica can be found at the following Audio T stores

• BRIGHTON

• BRISTOL

• CARDIFF

• CHELTENHAM

• ENFIELD

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"The Pinnacle of Sound" - Is 'Ionic Original' the Future of Music?

How does the old adage go? “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”? Well, with that in mind, many audiophiles would argue that the vinyl record is the pinnacle of sound. Having gone through several changes in its various incarnations over a 132 year history, is there a new contender for the throne in the form of T Bone Burnett’s “Ionic Original”?

You’ve got to know where you’ve been before you can know where you’re going…

Before music was readily available on black discs of varying materials and sizes, the forerunning commercial medium was found in the form of Wax Cylinders. But even this has a more complicated story…

First invented in 1877 by renowned American mastermind, Thomas Edison, the phonograph used a thin sheet of tin foil wrapped around a hand-cranked, grooved metal cylinder. Due to availability, refinement processes and durability tin foil was not a practical recording medium for either commercial or artistic purposes, and the rudimentary hand-cranked phonograph was only marketed as a novelty, to little or no profit. With this, Edison moved his attention to the incandescent electric light bulb. It wasn’t until several years later that Scottish inventor, Alexander Graham Bell and his team introduced wax as the recording medium, and engraving, rather than indenting, as the recording method. In 1887, Bell’s "Graphophone" system was being put to the test of practical use by official reporters of the US Congress, with commercial units later being produced by the Dictaphone Corporation.

After this system was demonstrated to his representatives, Edison quickly resumed work on the phonograph and eventually settled on a thicker all-wax cylinder, the surface of which could be repeatedly shaved down for reuse. Both the Graphophone and Edison's "Perfected Phonograph" were commercialized in 1888.

Objectively speaking, these early wax recordings sounded great for the time, but the medium wasn’t overly durable. Being made from wax, they were easily scratched and were known to warp with changes in temperature. Whilst many rival companies scrambled with experiments to create more hard-wearing materials for the phonograph format, others decided to move their attentions elsewhere.

“They're records Jim, but not as we know it”

“Can you take another one? I think I had my eyes closed” - Emile Berliner

In 1890 Emile Berliner introduced flat disc shaped records for use with his gramophone invention. The shape of the disc was considered to be more appealing due to being far easier to store and transport over cylinders. Five years on, Berliner introduced discs based on shellac – a natural resin secreted by female lac bugs, mixed with clay and cotton fibres. This brittle, yet inexpensive composition dominated the industry for decades to come.

However, Edison, joined by independent inventor and entrepreneur, Jonas Aylsworth, advanced the chemistry behind record discs in 1912 when they introduced Condensite, a phenol-formaldehyde resin similar to Bakelite which had been invented several years prior. The sound and finish were far superior to shellac, but the high price of Condensite meant it wasn’t as popular and shellac remained as the dominant medium.

The first vinyl LP (long-playing) record was launched circa 1930 - The 30cm, 78rpm flexible plastic discs were used as part of syndicated radio programming. Although they shipped well and had superior broadcast sound, they didn’t prove popular with the general public.

During World War II, shellac became harder and harder to source, leaving record companies no choice but to begin to move away from the natural resource. In 1948, Columbia Records started selling Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) long playing records, which had a quieter surface, stored more music and were far less brittle than their predecessor. This led to the big record labels of the time introducing their own heavy gauge PVC and styrene formulas with different finishes. MGM had Metrolite, Mercury Records – Merco Plastic, Decca Records - Deccalite and Regent – Sav-O-Flex. Obviously all boasted the claim of ‘Unbreakable Under Normal Use’…

Colour variants have been a driving force in the resurgence and popularity of vinyl records in recent years

To this day, PVC remains the most popular material for record production, the crystalline structure means it’s strong enough to support a groove and withstand the needle without damage. Although contemporary compositions tend to be optimised for thick, heavy records with deep grooves as it is argued they give a better-quality sound. 180 gram vinyl records are certainly stronger and more durable, so they tend to last longer and resist breakage. Because of their tensile strength, 180 gram vinyl records also resist warping better than those of conventional weight, however, some argue that they are not as sonically good!

Records - The Next Generation?

Now we’ve already seen countless music formats come and go, with the likes of Reel-to-Reel, 8-Track and in more recent decades MiniDisc, all claiming to be the next big thing… So is it possible to improve on the physical format of music?

Award-winning music producer and musician, T Bone Burnett, announced earlier this year that he is developing a new physical music format which he calls Ionic Original. The format combines some of the materials and methods used in both vinyl and CDs to create durable, one-of-a-kind analogue discs.

T Bone Burnett with a ionic original disc

Unlike traditional vinyl LPs made of PVC, and CDs, which contain plastic with a layer of metal, Ionic Originals consists of "lacquer painted onto an aluminium disc, with a spiral etched into it by music...which can be heard by putting a stylus into the spiral and spinning it", which is essentially the same technology that the music industry has used for decades to create test pressings, known as acetates or dubplates.

Musicians, producers and engineers tend to agree that these acetates sound better than the resulting vinyl - but they degrade quickly, as the force of the needle pushing into the groove melts the lacquer.

"So we started looking into what they use on the Space Station to shield it from the direct light of the sun," says Burnett. "And we've been able to coat the acetate with that, and it removes enough friction that the acetate doesn't degrade over thousands of plays."

He goes on to say that the coating - made from a gradient of sapphire and quartz - also reduces the crackle often associated with vinyl.

"Friction creates static electricity, which attracts dust, which causes pops. So with this coating removing friction, if some dust does land on the needle, it cleans it out. So the discs are essentially self-cleaning."

“How Much? £1M? I’ll take two…”

Ok, so this one might need a little explanation…

In March 2021, alongside T Bone Burnett, Bob Dylan recorded a new version of his seminal hit, “Blowing in the Wind”. Unlike the original, the 2021 re-recording features a full band, recorded live in the studio as Dylan sang. This is the first time the song has had a studio recording since it was first written in 1962.

Now here’s the kicker… There is only one copy in existence! And you guessed it, It’s on Ionic Original.

Currently on display at Christie’s Auction House, the one-off item is set to fetch between £600k and £1M…

“We’re only making one because we view this work as the equivalent of an oil painting”

— T Bone Burnett

Playable on any regular turntable, the new format is described as "the pinnacle of sound" by Burnett. He goes on to say "I don't know what an original recording of Bob Dylan singing one of the most important songs of the last century is [worth] today, but I know it's not point $0.001 divided by 5 billion, which is the reality that musicians face now." - A blatant comment on the current state of music streaming and the ways in which artists are paid.

So how does it sound?

Well, unless you’re one of the lucky fans that has been you’ve been to visit Christie’s Auction House, there is no way of knowing first-hand. Supposedly, the auction house has a sedate side-room, where the 10-inch disc is handled with silk gloves before being placed on a £30k McIntosh hi-fi system comprising of the MT5 Precision Turntable, MP1100 Phono Preamp and MHA200 Headphone Amplifier,

BBC’s, Mark Savage, is one such person who has had the privilege of sampling the exclusivity of both the Bob Dylan track and the Ionic Original experience -

“Listening on headphones, the warmth and precision of the sound is immediately apparent, save for a few pops and cracks (maybe four in total) attributable to dust or static on the surface of the record.

Dylan's voice is smooth and dextrous throughout, having benefited from an extended break in touring during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

I find it interesting that he notes the pops and cracks… After all, Burnett himself says “the discs are essentially self-cleaning”… Interesting!

Should I expect to be buying Ionic Original in the future?

In my humble opinion… No. I really wouldn’t worry about the need to think about replacing your record collection anytime soon… Not least at all, because the discs can’t currently be massed produced. So for the meantime they are set remain collector's items for playboys and philanthropists. However, Burnett hopes they will be more widely adapted in the future…

“I don’t look at this as a replacement for anything,” he says. “I just look at it as another arrow in the quiver for every musician in the world [and] a whole new way of earning a living that we’ve never had before.”

— T Bone Burnett

Not to put a damper on Burnett’s endeavour, but this isn’t his first foray in to the reinvention of sound… In 2008, it was reported that Burnett started a new venture called ΧΟΔΕ (or Code), which aimed to do for music what THX did for cinema sound whilst allowing listeners to achieve "studio quality" recordings from a DVD player… This was a flash in the pan that died a quick death!

So at least for now, you can sit happy with your CDs and Vinyl. And as always, Audio T are on hand to help with any enquiry you may have. So be sure to Contact Us with your questions and queries.

Thanks for reading

Brad Tyler (Audio T Digital Marketing Manager)

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not go ahead and read some more of our other blogs, and be sure to follow us on our social media channels below…

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McIntosh can be found at the following Audio T stores -

• SWINDON