How does one go about auditioning a new turntable?

Two parameters of turntable design are wow and flutter and rumble.
IMO speed stabilty is the most inportant. It is very anoying. You want a table that can find the right speed and hold it there. If there is a speed variation you want a table that can detect and correct it.
Everything is a trade off. Most tt use belt drives and a massive platter. This uses inertia or what is called the flywheel effect. Inertia helps the platter maintin constant speed. However if it goes off speed it takes longer to get back. Then there is the Denon approach. Lightweght platter with direct drive and quartz locked speed sensor.This allows lightening fast speed corrections. However because the plater is so light thre is less inertia.

Rumble is ususlally the sound of the platter riding on the bearing. It can be really anoying in the bass frquencies. Most tt take the Linn approach by machining the bearing to the nth degree or having it rest on a substance like teflon. Air and magnetic bearings a re very effective.

Most tt makers choose high mass platter wit

Two parameters of turntable design are wow and flutter and rumble.
IMO speed stabilty is the most inportant. It is very anoying. You want a table that can find the right speed and hold it there. If there is a speed variation you want a table that can detect and correct it.
Everything is a trade off. Most tt use belt drives and a massive platter. This uses inertia or what is called the flywheel effect. Inertia helps the platter maintin constant speed. However if it goes off speed it takes longer to get back. Then there is the Denon approach. Lightweght platter with direct drive and quartz locked speed sensor.This allows lightening fast speed corrections. However because the plater is so light thre is less inertia.

Rumble is ususlally the sound of the platter riding on the bearing. It can be really anoying in the bass frquencies. Most tt take the Linn approach by machining the bearing to the nth degree or having it rest on a substance like teflon. Air and magnetic bearings a re very effective.

Most tt makers choose high mass platter with belt drive. Why because it is just easier.

To me at least speed variations are the must annoying. Play a well recorded piano. If the tt has speed problems you well know it right away. Also you need a record with a lot of bass. Again if there is a rumble problem you will know it.
The next problem is vibraion control-airborne and structual. Examine tt for any way they can reach tt platter. What has manufacturer done to deal with this? Most try to dissipate the energy with either mass, fluid damping or springs. All can be effective. That is to say the vibration is absorbed by the fluid or spring. In the case of mass the thery is there is insufficient energy to make the strucure move.

This is why tt can get very expensive very fast. Dealing with these problems can drive you crazy. Fortunately after almost a hundred years they have gotten pretty good at it.

There are countless articles and books written on these subjects

Tvad -that also keeps the replacement stlyus industry in business.