lewm, it was on the VPI Forum (as well as others) that Carlin voiced his opinion of the superiority of DC motors over AC ones in turntable applications, and he was also brutally honest in his critique of the Hurst AC motor VPI installs in their tables. He and Harry and Mat Weiseld really "got into it" on one thread, and Harry locked it. It's still viewable, however. I would provide a link to it, if only I knew how!
I'm unable to discuss what constitutes a 3-phrase DC motor/power supply/etc., as that is over my head technically. I'm only repeating what, not SOTA, but Bill Carlin said on the subject.
lewn, I did not say, nor even suggest, you had stated AC motors are superior to DC motors. Where did you get that impression? The same is true regarding the bashing of the Linn LP12 or SOTA.
The "problem" of a base-mounted motor in a suspended sub-chassis design is of interest to me, as the VPI Aries 1 I recently acquired has it's motor (the Hurst AC, of course, though the SOTA DC is being made available for it) mounted in a 15 lb. pod separate from the plinth holding the platter and tonearm. That is in effect no different than an AR/Thorens/Oracle/Linn, except for the fact that the plinth sits on "isolation" cones, not springs. But I just replaced those cones with Townshend Audio Seismic Pods (springs in a bellows-type rubber sleeve), for true isolation (cones provide that down to only 10Hz or so, not nearly low enough). Ya just can't win! But then, the Seismic Pods absorb vibrations, so perhaps their presence does not break the motor/platter/arm/cartridge mechanical integrity. Again, over my head ;-) .