Micro RX 5000 Renaissance?

@amg56, I agree. The capitalist need for cheap labor ushered in globalism - as a slightly more civilised form of colonialist exploitation - and the communist regime in China opened their doors in a desperate attempt of revigorate their own declining pre-industrial economy. Necessity is the mother of invention and copying is simply a part of that process. And so they became the world's sweat shop.

Fast forward a few decades and they have evolved into innovators in several key sectors like energy, mobility and digitisation to power, move and manage their economic transition. The second industrial revolution made - uh - 'America great', but the third industrial revolution will happen in the East, as well as the power shift that goes with it.

Now they've learned all the tricks from the former Masters of the Universe like a real sorcerer's apprentice, we're now talking about moralism over here in the 'decadent West'? That would be the mother of all cynicisms. Or would that be Mr. Trump starting a trade war to 'bring back the jobs' and 'make America great again'?

I wonder what all this has to do with my initial observation that reputable Western brands are building turntables that look like the RX-5000? Does it show that the former copyists are now being copied by us? Perhaps a reverse trend as just another sign of our own decline?

@amg56, don't worry, my last remarks were very much tongue in cheek. I sort of enjoy the way discussions on this forum tend to take unexpected turns. From RX-5000 clones to paradigm shifts in global economic power is just a small step in 'lateral thinking', so I feel right at home here...... ;-). 
 
@lewm, you mention two 'weak links' in Micro turntables, the motor speed controller and the construction of the armboards. The first one contradicts my own experience. I've had several German made modern tables (from Clearaudio and TW Acustic) that exhibited problems in speed control. That was the main reason for going back to vintage Micro. Both my RX-1500G and BL-91 are flawless in that regard. The gunmetal AX type armboards are very heavy and solid, so I wouldn't know why they could be considered 'not the most stable'. Especially compared to the acrylic or aluminium ones used by these 'modern' German tables........

I wanted to ask a question related to the better MS tables, but I see @invictus005 has already infected this thread.