Turntable speed measurements for speed accuracy?

It would be nice if review rags would perform speed accuracy tests with every turntable they review. It seems like this is a fundamental specification of performance to actually measure.

If a turntable cannot spin a record at a consistent speed, then what good is it?

Especially the high end manufacturers, if you put a high end turntable on the market, shouldn't you back up your high end design with a standard or reproducible speed accuracy measurement?

I only bring this up, because my last 'high end' turntable costing over $6500 (and this is on the low end for 'high end' turntables) could not play a record and keep a consistent speed. It sure had exotic features on it like vacuum pull down platter, exotic wood finish and '25 years of experience' of manufacturing turntables.

A vintage $300 turntable is able to keep a more consistent speed than a current design $6500 turntable. The turntable drive implementations are different, the vintage table uses a Quartz Direct Drive where as the 'modern high end' table uses a belt drive. The difference was noticeable right from the first song cued up.

I'm sure there is more to a good sounding turntable than just speed accuracy, but I would think this is priority number one? Yes?

Please report your findings on this software. Sounds interesting...

I lived with a SOTA Cosmos mk3 for 2 years, then upgraded it to the mk4 status. I could hear the speed UN-stability it was playing with my records. Which is what drew the turntable out into critical listening for me. I could hear the speed change over various songs pretty easily. This turntable retails for over $6500 and it cannot even play a record consistently.

I wonder if it is the belt drive design. Regardless, the SOTA implementation of a belt drive is pretty poor. Compared to a vintage $300 Luxman PD-264 - a direct drive design sourced from Panasonic, this turntable plays at a far more consistent speed than the SOTA.

Have you heard a record played on a direct drive turntable vs a belt drive? I think the reason why you do not see direct drive turntables in the 'high end' world, is because Technics/Panasonic holds the patent for Quartz locked direct drive:

http://www.kabusa.com/ttdrive.htm

There is a link to explain in more detail the evolution of turntable drive design.

Where are the 'high end' direct drive tables? The Grand Prix Audio Monoco table is a new one. Brinkman has a direct drive table now called the Oasis. Hopefully we will see more.