Micro RX 5000 Renaissance?


It may be just a coincidence, but looking through the various reports of the recent Munich high end event I've noticed no fewer than four (!) different turntables that all look suspiciously like the Micro RX-5000.

TW Acoustic and Kuzma launched new models visually 'inspired' by the RX-5000 design, Acoustical Systems showed a table that looks like an exact copy and DB Systems (www.micro.nl) also showed an exact copy, leaving no doubt of its objective by simply calling it 'The Tribute'. And then of course there already was the TechDas AirForce 5.

Does anyone know more about these newbies and what's under their bonnets? It would be interesting to compare their performance vis à vis the original and hear how much technology has moved forward. Or not.

While I'm a happy owner of the RX-1500G, the RX-5000 has been on my radar for quite some time. So with this Micro Renaissance going on, should I wait for a mint original to cross my path or should I go for one of these new tables? It seems Micro enthousiasts are now spoiled for choice........

edgewear

@lewm Mine is a MS DDX-1500 direct drive. Check https://www.vinylengine.com/library/micro-seiki/ddx-1500.shtml

for detail. I have MS MA-505 and MS MAX-237 arms attached. It plays beautifully, again subtly different to my MS-91L and Kuzma. I do have a couple of more TTs but there are my go to's.

There is a Simone Yorke turntable among the modern belt drives, has anyone tried it? I like the stands he made.  

Here is an interview with Simone Yorke 
@amg56, I use three different arms. At the back left position a Reed 3P 12" on an AX-6G armbase, at the back right position an Audiocraft AC-4000MC, also on AX-6G and front right a Fidelity Research FR-64FX on AX-8G armbase. The Reed has a Van den Hul Colibri XPW Blackwood as my ’reference’ (besides that it’s definitely not fun mounting or dismounting a Colibri). With both other arms I use a variety of MC cartridges in constant rotation. Most of these are of the ’vintage’ kind. Comparing them and making new discoveries has become one of the more enjoyable aspects of my ’audio life’.

On a side note: I also have a BL-91 and I’ve made comparisons with the RX-1500. They share the same bearing and by using the same gunmetal plateau (and both using the same arm/cart combo and both on the same wall mounted frame) you can easily hear the difference between the fairly light weight wooden plinth of the BL-91 and the ’heavy metal’ approach of the RX-1500 (and likewise the RX-5000).

Contrary to what others have said here, I definitely prefer the ’heavy metal’ approach of the RX-1500, which is why I have an interest in the even heavier RX-5000. And the matter of ringing of the gunmetal plateau: this is true in ’naked form’, but when you add a CU-180 copper mat, the ringing vanishes completely. I’m sure this will also be the case with the heavier plateau of the RX-5000, although you might need the heavier CU-500 mat for this. But Micro apparently knew very well what they were doing......



@rauliruegas, What's the point of your endorsement of a $40k turntable for people interested in a RX-5000 or one of its clones? 

I'm sure it will be absolutely shocking news for some people to hear that in your opinion this NVS table is superior to modern BD tables costing over $200k. But what does this have to do with anything?

For what it's worth, I seriously question the validity of this numbers game and even doubt that performance is the main objective here. High end audio is all about 'luxury trophies for the rich' these days, just like designer bags for the girls and wrist watches for the boys. The more expensive, the better the trophy....