Gear head vs belt drive lathes - Practical Machinist
Speeds above 600rpm are very whiney. I use ear plugs above 800rpm, which I rarely use. Once you get accustommed to it, gear change is straight forward. I liked the flat belt Southbend 14" best when I was at school. Nice and quiet, easy to change speeds and forgiving of errors. It had a back gear shaft though which few Chinese lathes now sold have.
