A Few Comments on Speed, Stability, and Wow / Flutter Figures
Speed stability is a much more complex issue than conventional measurements would suggest.
In a nutshell, the problem is that we measure things that do not equate to great sound quality or musical performance, whilst NOT measuring things which affect sound quality a great deal.
If we at Origin Live wanted to produce excellent speed stability and w/f figures, then it’s easy – just make a good interference fit bearing, use an inexpensive AC electric motor with a high-grade concentric pulley and a decent belt. The measured figures would make everyone happy, but the sound quality would be awful in comparison to a poorly measuring DC motor. So why is this?
It’s interesting to note that on 2 reviews of our Voyager Turntable by Hi Fi Editors, they have commented that the subjective speed stability of rhythmic timing in the music was as good as the top-of-the-line VPI direct drive at nearly double the price. And yet the measured wow performance of the Voyager was very mediocre in comparison. Similar sentiments are expressed by Michael Fremer when comparing the Sovereign Turntable to a Technics SL-1300G featuring their latest spec Sigma Direct Drive in his July 2025 review in The Absolute Sound.
It’s interesting to note that on 2 reviews of our Voyager Turntable by Hi Fi Editors, they have commented that the subjective speed stability of rhythmic timing in the music was as good as the top-of-the-line VPI direct drive at nearly double the price. And yet the measured wow performance of the Voyager was very mediocre. Similar sentiments are expressed by Michael Fremer when comparing the Sovereign Turntable to a Technics SL-1300G featuring their latest spec Sigma Direct Drive.
It’s interesting to note that on 2 reviews of our Voyager Turntable by Hi Fi Editors, they have commented that the subjective speed stability of rhythmic timing in the music was as good as the top-of-the-line VPI direct drive at nearly double the price. And yet the measured wow performance of the Voyager was very mediocre. Similar sentiments are expressed by Michael Fremer when comparing the Sovereign Turntable to a Technics SL-1300G featuring their latest spec Sigma Direct Drive.
The reason for this is that measuring instruments lack the sensitivity to pick up the much smaller speed fluctuations and vibration occurring in the drive process. These microscopic speed variations at a vibrational level have far more effect on the music than the relatively crude measurements picked up by instrumentation.
We are willing to compromise slightly on achieving perfect wow measurement to achieve a low vibration design by lowering the contact area and decoupling around bearings (our turntables will generally measure below 0.2 RMS). A turntable platter on a high-friction bearing with an AC/direct/idler drive can be microvibrating and cogging to a high degree at near-perfect speed & wow measurements. In our experience, this sounds worse. Another platter on a low-friction bearing and DC motor can also be microvibrating at a very low degree at less than perfect speed, and wow. In our experience, this sounds better, which is why we have pursued this design. Over the years, we have at intervals retested the latest AC vs DC motors and have found the same results.
Speed is not everything – if people measured vibration and observed one motor had 50% more vibration than another, it would put things in perspective. People easily hear the effect of micro vibration on the sound of the music, but cannot usually detect even a 0.4% speed drift when listening. For instance, the early Regas ran 1% fast all the time, and people thought they sounded far superior to the much more speed-accurate decks of the day. Michell Gyro decks used to use AC motors, which give good w/f figures, but in recent years, they have since moved over to DC motors because they sound better.
Further questions come to light about whether many of the most celebrated records in the world are even cut with perfect wow. For instance, all Blue Note records cut by Rudy Van Gelder between 1953 and 1967 (see https://rvglegacy.org/discography/) would have used a belt-driven Scully 601, which most likely has worse measurable wow readings than the numerous direct drive options available in the contemporary period (such as the Neumann). Yet to this day, some of the best mastering engineers in the world want to work with the Scully Lathe because of its excellent sound resulting from low microvibration from its decoupled motor.
In summary, it is not necessarily going to enhance your musical enjoyment to pursue the best possible wow measurements. These can mislead you into thinking that they are the whole story. They are not! There are far more important factors at play.