Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

The idea of driving a turntable platter directly without an intermediate belt or idler is far from a new one. Very early examples, including the Garrard 201 [HFN Jan '08] with its induction motor, can trace their lineages back to the 1930s. That said, the first deck that brought about the modern electronic era of direct-drives was Technics' original SP-10, from 1970 [Vintage Review, HFN Nov '10]. Direct-drive's heyday lasted through the 1970s and early 1980s with some truly astounding designs. Technics' original SP-10 hit its ultimate Mk3 guise in 1981, using a motor shared with the SP-02 cutting lathe, joining contemporaries including the Trio L-07D, Sony's mighty PS-X9 [HFN Mar '17] and Denon's even mightier DP-100M also in 1981.

These vinyl-spinning behemoths straddled the professional and domestic markets, offering massive torque to bring their platters up to speed within a fraction of one rotation. Other designs such as the Pioneer P3, JVC QL-Y5F and Japan-only Yamaha GT-2000 were aimed more at the domestic hi-fi scene and backed off the torque very slightly, reasoning that few of these models would see pro use. VPI's Avenger Direct joins the new generation of direct-drive decks inspired, in part, by the restoration of the SL-1200 by Technics [HFN Jun '16].