The Rega moved me more but the pitch instability drove me nuts. I had Wilhelm Kempff playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata where the famous triplets in the First Movement were distorted to point that I had thought someone slipped acid in my coffee.
I assume on Deutch Gramophone - one of my favourite performances of the Beethoven Sonatas, other than Horowitz. Beautifully balanced top and bottom hand and the piano is nicely miked not too close. The playing is wonderful.
Piano lays bare any pitch instability - rubber belt drives are very susceptible. Some are worse than others.
My 2 TT's use silk thread drive and idler drive - the thread drive being the most pitch stable.
If you must have direct drive why not push the boat out to a new Technics 1200.
A classic that will be reliable and serviceable for years. Having said that there have been wobbly platter issues with the new generation, so beware,