Basis Turntables: Worth it or Ripoff?

While I have chosen direct drive due to what I hear when I use good ones compared to good belt-drives, I would be the last to say they necessarily "control vibrations better".  What they do better is keep time.  Constant speed.  But I do recognize that there are excellent examples of turntables using any of the 3 major types of drive system currently available, thanks to the re-emergence of vinyl as a commercial market.

nkonor and ctsooner, I recently retired from a career as a medical scientist (in the field of virology).  Your testimonies reminded me that at about the time I was in med school, nearly 50 years ago, the concept of "autoimmune" disease was described, and there was great optimism that diseases like MS, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc, would soon be understood and made cureable, as opposed to "treatable".  I am very sad that this endpoint has not yet been reached, even after so many years have passed and even as a result of a massive increase in our understanding of the immune system.  My heart goes out to both of you guys, and your posts should make the rest of us who are in good health realize that we are very lucky and that our arguments about audio gear are really quite trivial, even silly, by comparison to what is really important in life.  Carry on.

Not only do I agree completely with James, but I would add that lots of dollars are spent on bling, only, adding nothing to performance.  If that's what one wants, it's perfectly ok, but being aware of this factor is a good idea.

Value is in the eye of the buyer and user, maybe more so in audio than in any other hobby.  For example, while I have defended Basis Audio products just as most others have done, I too think that SOME (not all) of the Synergistic Research stuff is suspect.  I only mention that to point out that each of us has his or her own threshold for suspending disbelief.

Maybe it would be better to tell us what Basis products you are interested in buying and what are the costs.  Unless someone is raising Basis prices based on the recent demise of the designer, Basis Audio always seemed to me to be good value for money.  If you want rip-offs in vinyl gear, there are much riper targets than Basis. BUT I don't know what you are looking at and for how much.