Why do turntables sound different?

The exact science behind it let alone art remain elusive.

I laid out what the engineering principles are. How well a turntable manufacturer adheres to them will determine how neutral their machine is.

We have a Studer A-80 in the studio. Of all the solid state machines we have, it is clearly the best performer (and by that I mean the most neutral).
Tape calibration is not hard if you have an MRL test tape and the manual for the deck. The main difference between consumer decks and pro decks is that the consumer decks are usually set up for flat 1K-10K record and playback, while pro decks are usually set up for flat playback with the lowest distortion in record.

When we recorded Canto General, we used two different machines. Essentially one was tube and the other solid state, both fed the same signal from the mic preamps. That way we were able to audition the difference between the two master tapes. The tube-mastered tape seemed to sound more detailed on both the tube and solid state machines, so we went with that.

Its a simple fact that all tape machines sound different (assuming proper calibration), just as all turntables do (and for that matter, a lot of digital playback).

Ralph, though you express your own opinion, I think that you misinform some people. You did say that there were many tables that you had not heard. Why would you choose the Technics before auditioning all of the top tables? And tonearms. And cartridges.

I base a lot of my assessments on an LP that I recorded (Canto General- using two different tape machines, an Otari and a modified Ampex 354 tube machine). (FWIW I feel that the Technics needs a different platter pad and plinth to really show its stuff).

Since I was there and have the master tapes, I have a pretty good idea of what the LP is supposed to sound like. I've heard plenty of 'tables; the closest I've heard that does Canto General properly has been the Technics SP-10 MkIII equipped with the Triplanar 12" arm (of all the arms I've auditioned, the Triplanar is one of the very few that gets everything right). I've found that the cartridge choice is less important if the arm tracks the cartridge properly and the phono preamp is stable.

I do concede that when I see a machine that ignores what I see as basic engineering principles with regard to playback, that I will be prejudiced about that machine. So I am far less likely to even audition it. I've learned that from using about 30 different machines at shows. Its not worth the frustration of getting things to sound right if the 'table isn't based on sound engineering.

Would love to hear the differences on the above 3 turntables you liked.  You have direct drive and a heavy platter with 3 motors and lighter platter with 1 papst motor.

I would like to hear about the tone, body, decay, attack, pitch, and separation of instruments.

I'm not sure I would characterize it quite that way...

Its important to understand that I've not heard all these side by side. At least all the 'tables mentioned had the same arm installed- the 12" Triplanar.

The best so far has been the Technics SP-10 MkIII. It came the closest to tape in the regard that there was absolutely no shimmer in the sound stage- something that is hard to describe until you hear it.

The SL-1200GAE was really similar. I've not heard it with the stock arm.

The model 208 is next- it is less speed stable, but does have a good solid plinth that is pretty dead and a very dead platter. The Kuzma was very similar but its plinth is not as dead. In addition if I had to guess I would say its drive simply is not as robust- it takes longer to get up to speed and the speed drifts more with stylus drag (but to be clear, not by much at all- its an excellent machine).

We've had tape in our room at shows. I've heard the 'tables above outperform the tape on the same titles; since some of those were analog sources, its led me to believe that we are in a period where lots of titles are showing up on half track 15ips 10.5" reels that don't have the provenance they need to actually outperform the LP- IOW, the LP is significantly closer to the master than the tape.

Ralph, would you name those turntables you mentioned that were competent and sounded similar ?
I know, I know, you don't agree aloud that vinyl is inferior to tape medium. Theoretically, maybe not but in reality..

Kuzma Reference, Atma-Sphere 208, Technics SL1200 GAE with Triplanar arm, Technics SP-10MkIII with 12" Triplanar arm. I've heard a much longer list that I don't like and even longer than that are the ones I've simply not heard.

In addition to a solid plinth a robust drive seems to be really important to prevent shimmer in the soundstage. That is why the Lenco, Garrard 301s and some of the early Thorens have a following.

Regarding the tape/LP thing... Direct to Disc is really the only way for vinyl to really show off what it can do. So practically speaking, a tape with good proven provenance is likely to sound better... So in practice on this point I think we are in agreement. I mentioned that provenance thing because it appears that there are a lot of tapes out there that are questionable- its a bit of the Old Wild West on ebay for that stuff right now!

That's what I said - no turntable sounds right, even worse by definition they cannot.

I don't agree and that's not what I said either- I've seen several that are quite competent at all these issues and as a result sound quite similar.

Basically speed and vibration are the right answers.

Speed: the more speed stable, the less 'shimmer' in the soundstage- the more it soundstages like tape. This is because the arm does not oscillate over the position of the stylus as it tracks the groove due to variation in skating forces as the LP rotation speed changes.

Vibration: there are several aspects
1) the platter pad has to control resonance in the LP without imparting any editorial of its own. To do this it has to be no harder or softer than the LP, but have the ability to absorb vibration.

2) the platter has to be dead such that you can hit it while the LP is playing and not hear anything in the playback. If you can hear something, its imparting its own signature.

3) the plinth must be dead also and here's a big factor: it must have absolutely rigid coupling between the mount for the platter bearing and that of the tone arm. If there is any flex or its not dead enough, the patter bearing and the base of the arm may be vibrating in completely different planes and different frequencies depending on the source of the vibration.

Turntables are all over the map on this last one; some are very good and some even have separate mounts that are entirely independent of the plinth (the latter demonstrating a misunderstanding of the requirements of proper playback)! Any difference in vibration between the platter surface and the locus of the cartridge in the arm will be interpreted by the pickup as a coloration.

That is why turntables can sound so different!