Whether you’re new to vinyl or looking to upgrade your current setup, you should know that there are two main types of turntables: belt drive and direct drive. What’s the difference? Is one better than the other? We’ve got everything you need to know.
What is a belt turntable?
In the case of both belt drive and direct drive turntables, the terms describe how the motor drives the platter on which the record sits. In the case of a belt drive turntable, the name explains how it works quite well. A belt is connected to both the motor and the platter, causing the motor to rotate the platter. The first turntables were belted, which is part of why the design is so common, but there’s another reason. The belt, usually made of plastic or rubber, does not transmit much of the engine noise to the platter. This means less engine noise gets through the stylus and into your speakers. Of course, several factors can change the motor noise you get from a belt turntable. For example, while platter weight is important in belt-driven turntables for many reasons, one of them is that a heavier platter transmits less motor noise than the belt.
Belt Drive: Advantages and Disadvantages
As we’ve already seen above, avoiding motor noise is one of the main reasons belt turntables are still so popular today. This increases the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), resulting in better overall sound quality. Because they are so common and popular with consumers, belt turntables are often more affordable than direct drive turntables. This is not an absolute fact and you can pay thousands for either belt or direct drive turntables. However, if you want to start listening to vinyl records (and you really should) you’ll usually get better sound performance for the price with a belt drive model like the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO. Work Belt turntables aren’t perfect. For example, they may be prone to pitch variation, as the grip of the belt on the platter may not be perfect. This is another case where a heavier platter comes in handy as it maintains momentum and keeps the tone stable. The belt on a turntable is a wearing part, so you should expect to repair or replace the belt. This lasts a long time, so you don’t have to wait for the belt on your turntable more than every five years, and it’s common to go much longer. Of course, this depends on how often you use your turntable. Belt drive turntables have much less torque than a direct drive turntable. This means they take longer to get up to full speed, but this is rarely something you should really worry about. If you need more torque, you’ll probably prefer a direct drive turntable.
What is a Direct Drive Turntable?
Direct drive as a name also does a great job of describing how this type of turntable works. Here, the motor drives the platter directly, so there is no belt or anything between the motor and the platter. Although this design seems simple, it was not developed until the late 1960s when a Matsushita-Technics named Shuichi Obata pioneered the design. It didn’t take long for a very specific clientele to latch on to this type of turntable design: DJs. While belt turntables struggle with torque, this doesn’t matter if you’re listening at home because they still accelerate quite quickly. For DJs who quickly stop and start recordings, this instant acceleration was a key feature. To date, all DJ-centric turntables are direct drive.
Direct Drive: Pros and Cons
One of the main advantages of the direct drive design is the torque we mentioned above. While this is generally only good for DJs, there are other benefits of direct drive designs that are good for home use. For beginners, a direct drive turntable is easier to maintain. There’s no belt to replace, and you don’t have to worry about the belt slipping off the turntable when you move your turntable (trust me, it happens). Another advantage, though more for DJs, is that the weight from the needle or your hands on the turntable is less of an issue. On a belt driven turntable this will slow down the platter and lower the pitch. With a belt drive, the motor has enough power to counteract these small changes in weight. Crosley While the design is simple, motor noise is more of an issue on direct drive turntables. For DJs in a loud club, this slight motor noise isn’t too much of a problem, although high-end DJ turntables still aim to eliminate motor noise. For audiophiles, the slight hum, which is amplified by the phono preamp, is a huge annoyance. Manufacturers have found ways to reduce motor noise and bring direct drive turntables into your home, but it often doesn’t come cheap. This means that while there are affordable direct drive turntables like the Crosley C200A-BK, they are not as common as belt drive models.
Which type of turntable is right for you?
To put it simply, the belt turntable is the best choice for most people at home. If you’re just into vinyl, you’ll probably want a more affordable turntable, and you’ll find belt drive options more affordable than direct drive options. That said, there are great direct-drive turntables aimed at the home market, and while they can be expensive, there are affordable models as well. If you’re tired of fiddling with free DJ apps and want to upgrade to a real turntable, you’ll definitely want a direct drive model. When it comes down to it, there are many other factors in your turntable that you need to pay attention to, starting with how it sounds to you. Let the features that matter most to you choose a turntable for you, or cheat by checking out our favorites.
