If you were looking for a direct drive turntable ...

Just for the record, in more ways than one, I don't think the Pioneer PLX1000 should be classified as "vintage".  It's a recent model apparently aimed at undercutting the cost factor of the Technics G series turntables, in that it is cheaper than any of those.  So, it's a candidate if you are on a budget, but not in the vintage category.  Pioneer did make a very high quality line of DD turntables back in the day, topped by the nonpareil Exclusive P3, which is now very costly if you can even find a good one. Below that was the Exclusive P10 and then the Pioneer line headed by the PL70 MkII, I think. (Chak can correct me if I have the alphanumeric designation wrong.)  All of these used coreless motors. These top 3 came with an excellent tonearm, too.

I am getting all verklempt to see the nice photo of a Transcriptors Reference. Back in the day, they were irresistible, and I did own one for a while. No matter whether it was a good turntable or not, no one can say it was not great fun to watch. Some of us old farts can remember it was prominently displayed in the movie, "A Clockwork Orange". What was really hokey was the hinge between the headshell and the arm wand, permitting free movement in the vertical direction. Also, the 5 brass pedestals that support the LP (sort of) on the platter surface are the anti-thesis of a record mat. But watching those brass pieces rotate at 33 rpm was riveting, if you also had a doobie on hand. Thanks for the photo.

Mijostyn’s blanket indictment of DD turntables, the "oscillating" motor, has been "asked and answered" many times before. If he understood the meaning of the word "oscillation" in the context of electronics, he would probably choose another term. He’s thinking about EMI radiations. I am sad to see he cannot appreciate the Kenwood L07D. In that turntable, Kenwood engineers attempted to address nearly every aspect of proper design, for DD or other. It was very advanced for 1980 and is still very modern in its execution. No TT drive system is without potential conceptual flaws, so let’s just leave it at that.

If you are a relative newbie to this hobby or to DD turntables, it would be a no-brainer to opt for the new Technics, the best one in the G series that you can afford. Among vintage direct drive turntables, my opinion is that the Denon DP80 or DP75 is the best bang for the buck. (The two models have identical specs, so I think of them as equivalent; I own and enjoy a DP80 that was refurbished for me and for which I made a Pennsylvania slate plinth.) If you’ve got the bucks, PBN Audio make a killer wood plinth for the DP80. The DP75/80 is also easily serviced, compared to some others that require hard to find parts, should something go wrong. If you go vintage, do not buy a "broken" unit with the notion that you can have it fixed cheaply. Buy only a known functioning unit in good condition, preferably with a recent service history and from a reputable seller.