Garrard 401 vs Townshend Rock

Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Garrard 401 · Townshend Rock.

Practical differences

Highlighted cells show a lower reference price, support for more listed speeds, or the presence of a convenience feature. They are not an overall score.

The Garrard 401 spins its platter via idler drive; the Townshend Rock uses belt drive instead. Neither is objectively better — a rubber idler wheel driving the platter rim directly, giving huge torque and a punchy, immediate character that's become a specific taste among collectors versus a motor that's mechanically isolated from the platter by an elastic belt, which is the usual route to a quieter noise floor — the default choice across most of hi-fi.

The rest of the recorded specifications line up closely, so this database does not establish an overall winner.

Bottom line: both are £900 at reference price — price doesn't separate them, so the table above is where the real differences show up.

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