Angels Horn® Blog · Bluetooth Turntables · Category_BLOG>Record Player History · Category_BLOG>Turntable Knowledge>Vinyl ·Feb 22, 2024

Choosing Your First Turntable: Understanding Drive Technologies

Are you considering purchasing your first turntable but feeling overwhelmed by the various drive technologies available? Don't worry, we've got you covered. In this guide, we'll break down the three main types of drive technologies – belt-driven, direct-drive, and rim-driven – to help you make an informed decision.

Belt-driven Turntables:
- These turntables use a belt to drive the platter, which reduces motor noise and vibrations.
- Advantages: Smooth operation, suitable for casual listening, and affordable.
- Disadvantages: Belt wear over time, slower startup, and potential speed variations.
Direct-drive Turntables:
- In direct-drive turntables, the motor directly drives the platter, offering strong torque and stability.
- Advantages: Quick startup, stable speed, and ideal for DJing and scratching.
- Disadvantages: Higher cost, potential motor interference with the stylus, and limited belt-driven advantages.
Rim-driven Turntables:
- Rim-driven turntables feature a rim-driven mechanism, similar to belt-driven but with different mechanics.
- Advantages: Technologically advanced, high-end options available, and reduced motor noise.
- Disadvantages: Higher technical expertise required, limited options, and potentially higher cost.

Key Considerations:

Adjustable Speed: Look for turntables with adjustable speed settings to compensate for motor inaccuracies over time.
Replaceable Components: Opt for turntables with replaceable tonearms, cartridges, and needles for long-term flexibility and maintenance.

In conclusion, when choosing your first turntable, consider factors such as your budget, intended use (casual listening or DJing), and long-term maintenance needs. Belt-driven turntables offer a budget-friendly option with smooth operation, while direct-drive turntables are ideal for DJing enthusiasts seeking stability and quick startup. Rim-driven turntables cater to audiophiles looking for advanced technology and reduced motor noise. Whichever option you choose, ensure it aligns with your preferences and requirements for an enjoyable vinyl listening experience.

Happy spinning!

Outstanding!

This is a great mid-range record player system! The sound for the size and price are right on point. The setup is much more complicated than I expected it to be, but that’s mostly on me. I didn’t realize the complexity of a good record player. This has a great counterweight on the arm and anti-skating feature. The main unit also has spring loaded feet to keep the player still and avoid skipping in the event of an accidental bump to the unit. Also really love the fully functioning level meters on the front of the player. Overall I highly recommend this system!

Belt drive record player

Had a slick finish and is super heavy as a set in the box. A little detailed to set up but instructions are pretty good.
Pretty amazing sound with the blue tooth connecting to Apple Music.
Nice sound with my records too.
Something about the set seems a little incomplete but I think the sound and look is fantastic!

My first record player

This is the first record player I've ever owned and I definitely recommend spending the money on this, if you want a true experience of listening to albums this is perfect for you. It has the true sound/tone of all the original music you decide to play for you and your friends. Easy setup and quick delivery with lifetime a warranty.

It sounds better than it should.

If you don't like reading long reviews than the short answer is: Just buy it, you won't be disappointed.

Now for the longer review and why I took off 1 star.

Price, it's one of the more pricey units out there, and I would have like to see it perform better in a couple of areas. The amplifier and volume control. The volume knob has to be at the 10 o'clock position to get any sound out at all, below that does nothing. By the time you get to 2 o'clock your really pushing the limits of volume before distortion. Sometimes I could get higher without but the recording needed to be quieter coming in, then the overall volume was about the same. The amp has a slight hiss sound over the speakers, once you start playing music it isn't noticeable at all, but this should have been addresses for this price. It needs just a bit more power, at times with certain music I wanted to turn it up a bit, but there was nothing left. The tone arm, when down, is right against the case, so it's a bit hard to get your finger under it to lift it. The "Line in" on the back is still a bit too high gain to be considered a full line input. I had to run a line stage and turn it down a bit. Some songs and equipment were fine but others were not. It's really more of an AUX IN, for headphone out of a phone or MP3 player.

The good:

Looks: Fit and finish is quite good, it comes very well packaged and was in perfect shape. It is just the simulated wood vinyl, but it's well done, you can't see particle board anywhere. The overall esthetics are nice, I love the watt meters on the front. The speakers have little rubber feet on the bottom, they keep the bottom from getting scratched or scratching anything, and keep the speaker from vibrating around. The grills are removable which is nice for those who want that look. When the unit is turned on, the turntable rotates near silently, no grumble or bearing noise.

Sound: This is where it all comes together. I first put on a record to give this a try. The video is of Tears for Fears and you are listening to the small speakers that came with the player. They have surprising mid base and deep extension. They are not room shaking, but you hear all the music. This album is well recorded and has a lot of depth. The amp and speakers made this sound great. The tone of the whole system is musical, warm and inviting and the speakers image quite well. Something I thought I would never say when describing a system like this. Hooking up to the KLH-5 speakers present in the video brought another level to the sound. It was louder with better low frequency extension, it really showed what this amplifier sounded like.

Technical: I tried all the functions and everything worked as it should. The pitch control allowed me to fine tune the rotation speed with my strobe disk. Once set it stayed stable. My FiiO MP3 music streamer connected via BT and kept connecting when switched back and forth, as soon as I powered back on it paired and played great. The line in worked, except for above.

Overall a great setup.