I personally find it a bit disappointing that some of the greatest TT engineering has been relatively ignored here. I am referring to late 1970s through mid 1980s direct drive turntables from Japan. The mighty Exclusive P3, The Yamaha GT-2000, the Kenwood L-07, the Nakamichi TX-1000 etc. The hunting of the old servos was all but eliminated with sophisticated bi-directional servos (Thanks JVC) and high mass platters (Kenwoods and Yamaha's were both over 6Kg...and Yamahas was oversized with more weight on the outside for inertia). Also, and this was mentioned earlier, the motors were all out custom efforts in most cases. This meant that they eliminated cogging in several models by coming up with coreless and slotless and sometimes even brushless designs (like the Kenwood). So, they eliminated cogging and the hunting issues and the result is smooth confident sound with impeccable timing. I own a GT-2000 and I have tested many TTs now with my Allnic Speednic, which is very sensitive to instantaneous speed changes, and I have yet to test a more stable TT than my Yamaha...even when playing a record or under direct load (from a finger on the platter for example). The belt drives we have tested all fared much worse...even my friends bit Transrotor with three motors and magnetically decoupled drive system. I am quite sure all high mass/low torque belt drives will not be as stable with a record actually playing.
If any of you guys have an Allnic Speednic then try it out with the record playing and watch it carefully. I wish I had video taped it....maybe a project over the holidays.
Now, that is not to say that all DD TTs from that era are great...but the best ones will go toe to toe with anything made today.
Now there is one other TT that is worth discussion that seems to have fallen through the cracks and this is the Voyd Reference. The Voyd is the best belt drive TT I have ever heard. It has a HUGE power supply for the 3 large Papst motors that are arranged in a triangle around the Lexan platter. Light platter, high torque with phase locked external rotor motors. It has dynamics and drive that I have never heard from anything other than a top DD or idler drive TT. No other belt driver does it the same way from what I have heard (even other TTs with three motors...usually they still have small power suppplies and large heavy platters). Only the noise of the three motors being under the platter sullies the sound somewhat. Also, the suspension is, how shall we say, archaic and difficult to set up correctly. I had a 3 motor Voyd, but not the reference, and I still have very fond memories of this awesome TT...only a great DD took me away.
FWIW, I have head a couple of the DD EMTs and they are nowhere near as good as the last of the great Japanese TTs. They had cogging motors and less sophisticated servos.