Got a New CD Player and Now I'm Bummed

I agree with DGarretson and Dopogue (both friends of mine), move the tt out of that cabinet and onto a solid non-resonant support that does not enclose the tt, AND get yourself a motor controller, SDS or Walker. After that, if you're not happy, then I would look at changing the premplifier. Perhaps your dealer will let you borrow an alternative product to try. But that cabinet is a definite liability for vinyl reproduction, sorry to say.

I'll take a shot at it. From the one photo, it appears that the tt sits on a Target wall shelf which is in turn bolted to the back wall of that tall cabinet, in which also sits your TV and other gear. Thus, vibrations emanating from the tt are coupled to that wall which will be set into motion and resonate at a certain frequency. Further, vibrations from your other gear may be coupled back into the tt via the wall/wall shelf interface. Moreover, I have a bad feeling about enclosing the tt on five sides (top, bottom, right, left, and rear); the tt radiates noise and vibrations into the air around it and the enclosing surfaces may also be resonating due to that effect. Better to mount the Target shelf directly onto studs in your wall, out in the open. But don't forget about the motor controller idea either.

I for one do not care a bit whether or not you like your cdp better than your turntable. And I do think it's possible for digital to "outperform" analog, regardless of cost, if for no other reason than the fact that the judgment between the two media is subjective. I was only trying to comment on what might be subpar about your analog set-up, and I deliberately stuck to discussing things you could do that don't cost a fortune. (Meantime, I apologize for not reading the text of your post more carefully re the mounting of the Target shelf.) It's also easy to say that for thousands of dollars more your analog sound could be bettered. Anyway, it seems to me that you are the one who is being a bit pig-headed here; what have you got to lose by (i) moving the table outside of that cabinet enclosure, (ii) replacing the elastic belt with a thread per D Garretson, and (iii) trying a motor controller on the tt motor? (The last will cost money, but if you buy an SDS or Walker motor controller second-hand, you can likely recoup all your money on re-sale, should you find that it is not effective. I bought my Walker MC off A'gon many years ago with the notion that it was a crock worth trying, and now I cannot listen to vinyl without it.) It's highly likely that those 3 steps will make you quite happy.

Sorry about use of the phrase "pig-headed". Perhaps "close-minded" would have sufficed and would have seemed less harsh. No offense intended to anyone.

Guys, do you really think that a light platter with a friction bearing is a perfect analogue of a very heavy platter with a low-friction bearing? It would seem to me that those two behave very differently when rotational force is reduced. The heavy platter with a low friction bearing will want to go on spinning "forever" (in the complete absence of bearing friction), while the light platter cum friction bearing will rapidly slow down. Therefore, in actual use, when the platter is subjected to the opposing forces of stylus drag vs torque applied by the drive belt, the two approaches would give different results. Both designs can work well; I just don't think they are alike.

To further support the remarks of Dave and Doug, I owned a Notts Hyperspace and heard for myself in my system the large progressive improvements associated with going from elastic belt to thread and from no motor controller to a Walker PMC. Soundstage, separation of musical instruments and voices, depth, hall ambience, bass solidity, piano reproduction, etc, etc, all get way better. Then I bought a "Giant direct-coupled Lenco" which takes all those good qualities still further (used still with the Walker PMC). But that's why I've repeatedly urged you to at least try a motor controller and thread drive. (Apparently moving the tt out of that cabinet is not going to happen.)