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How good is the Micro Seiki DDX-1000 Direct Drive turntable ?

Here is the MICRO DDX-1000 direct drive. Never tried myself, but it is the most compact DD designed for 3 tonearms.

*The question is how good this turntable really is, compared to some other vintage Direct Drives ?


Some information from VintageKnob website:  

The DDX-1000 is the original design, with two sculpted strobe markings around the 2kg / 31cm die-cast aluminium platter. The resulting moment of inertia is at 330kg / cm2 and the top mat in fact covers a thick cork sub-mat set inside the platter itself.

The DDX-1000, in real late 70s modernism is a direct-drive. The motor is a DC-Servo with FG frequency generator reference set through the strobe neon lamp which "checks" how many stripe it sees and rectifies if necessary ; the resulting speed accuracy is of 0,03%.

The starting torque is of 1,2kg / cm and load characteristics allow the DDX-1000 to remain below 0,04% deviation up to a 3g load set at the outer limit of the platter - specs-wise, we're here under the contemporary Sony TTS-8000 for instance...

The heigh-adjustable feet are typical Micro Seiki (or Luxman, of course :) and contain a mix of inert damping (neoprene stuffing) and mechanical damping (spring).

The is no Quartz Lock on the DDX-1000 ; the MD-1000 power-supply box holds the power on/off, start 33rpm, start 45rpm and stop buttons plus two ± 6% speed controls.

The AX-1G to AX-6G tonearm bases fit everything from the ubiquitous SMEs to the Technics EPA-100 or PUA-1600L.

Of course, the motor of the DDX was used as basis for the Marantz Tt 1000 (1979), and that of the DQX-1500 (an updated DQX-1000) for the Tt 1000 mkII (1992). And, as often, Micro's direct-drive motors came from... Victor.


DDX-1000/G :

April 1976 limited edition (really limited : 30 units) custom made in... bronze. Howerever, it is black-looking for the most part, with the bronze only kept visible for the top of the three feet ; the platter was kept in AL and the command box was anodized in all-black style ; even the AX-1/G was in-bronze-but-painted-black...
Names of the people they were made for (and offered to - these were gifts !) were silkscreened on the (bronze...) motor's cache (...but painted black) - a rarity to say the least.


The DDX-1000 naturally spawned a myriad of lookalikes and still does today - perhaps better than the original, perhaps not. Or not that much :) 

128x128chakster
billwojo
397 posts
 
What a timely post as I to am looking at the Micro Seiki DDX-1000 and DQX-1000 TT with those arm mounts. So the general consensus is that they are more about looks than function.
I do have a friend that has an Oracle Delphi MK1 with an SME 3009 SII improved tonearm that he wants to sell. My main issue with that TT is if the motor fails. Replacement motors and drive electronics are VERY pricey. Aside from that issue it seems to be a very highly ranked turntable. He also has a Micro Seiki MA-202L tonearm that will need to be rewired, would seem perfect for my Denon DL-103 cart. I would have to machine a custom tonearm base for the Delphi to fit it.
Lots to consider...........
BillWojo
chakster's avatar
chakster OP
6,144 posts
 
Nice, thanks for information. I will pass on it.
Regarding the Micro arm boards i have noticed the best are from gunmetal, just like my favorite Micro Seiki platter mats. 
best-groove's avatar
best-groove
843 posts
 
@chakster

A friend had 2 MS DDX 1000 bought used a few years ago, had both problems with the correct rotation and also problems with the rubber of the feet which in all MS tends to crack and split; frightened he did not want to take them to repair and sold them without any regret.
He was very disappointed with these turntables.

bimasta's avatar
bimasta
227 posts
 
@Chakster  You answered your own question with your 12-20/4:07 pm post. The Denon DP80 is a much better move.

I have both the DP80 and the Micro DQX-1000. The Denon is clearly better — and the same can be said of the DQX-1000 vs its older, bigger, uglier, more famous and worse brother, the DDX-1000, which you were briefly interested in.

A friend had one, and it was his pride and joy. When I got my DQX I took it over for a comparison. I regretted it — neither of us knew it would be so much better than his DDX, and I left him very depressed.

The DQX is wonderful, a joy to listen to, and it puts a smile on my face just looking at it while putting a record on. And I use its multiple arms feature. It’s far less known than the DDX because it was introduced just as the world changed to CD. A shipment of DQX-1000s arrived in the Port of Los Angeles, and the distributor didn’t even bother to pick them up. They sat in a warehouse for years; a dealer I know bought a few for his regular customers who’d stayed with Vinyl, and and I was one of them.

But though I love it, and the Denon isn’t as sexy, the DP80 is simply in a higher realm.
chakster's avatar
chakster OP
6,144 posts
 
Yeah, thanks

I guess in this situation i will stick to my Luxman PD-444, Denon DP-80, Victor TT-101 turntables. 

The impulse for Micro was strange. 
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