Looking at Turntable: belt drive or direct drive?

turntable drive - as always, thre are no absolutes, depends on the implementation..

then there is the argument that detachable headshell arms in the budget category incur significant performance compromises in comparison to some of their fixed headshell brethren

you have to weigh up the the pros and cons..

@elliottbnewcombjr Sorry, I have owned all three arms to which you refer. 1 & 3 do not fall into the budget category and are not what I would call high performance arms. Moreover they are totally unsuited to moving coils and therefore limit the user if he or she wishes to try different types of cartridge. The SME 3009 with its knife edge bearings is a real old school ’pipe and slippers’ arm that does not do PRAT well at all. The Acos is hardly stellar in that department either. Rega and Project make modern fixed headshell arms which will outperform those listed and give the user more options in terms of cartridge choice and upgradability.

I still own 2 & 3, but when you put them up against a Jelco 750D you realise just how compromised they are in terms of removeable headshell arms.