Micro Seiki, or TW AC-1

i've owned TW AC-1 & currently own Micro SX-5000 (air bearing version of RX-5000).

both exhibit unique characteristics in my system (i've run 3 diff arms on both). TW generally sounds more "hifi" (slightly hyped-up leading edge & timbre/tonality is less varied as others hv also highlighted), while musical notes decay rather quickly with the Micro, & some may also find it less "pitch black" vis-a-vis TW. both table's shortcomings can be addressed (to some extent) via matching &/or tweaking. based on my priorities, i prefer the Micro table (sounds more natural + the decay issue can be easily addressed).

reliability wise, i've had problems with both. my TW had an issue with the motor controller - wouldn't store/save speed settings (required a chip replacement), while my Micro had a weak air pump which caused my platter's glass bottom to occasionally contact the base (required a pump motor replacement).

hope you find this feedback helpful. good luck with yr turntable search.

Thuchan,

Nice to see your post.

From your website, I see you are using the VPI drive system on the MS table. Can you elaborate on the differences betw the VPI drive and MS drive?

Thanks

Best regards

Raul,
I try to learn new things too, sometimes it is not audio related. I happen to use my Micro to enjoy music, not as a "tool" to attack your personal pet hate, the German group. :)

Dear Jaspert: My experiences and opinion about MS was way before I knew them, you can confirm it through some posts by me.

With the german group or with out it the fact that the arm board in the RX-5000/8000 are mounted just/directly on the TT footers where exist no single way of internal/external damping on any kind does not change the wrong wrong TT design if for no other factors by that one that makes a heavy degradation to the cartridge signal. Every single resonance/vibrations of any type pass through that arm board/footers.
What in the hell has to do the german group or not?, that's a fact a nocive fact for any cartridge mounted down there and you know what: that's what you are hearing: heavy distortions. The fact that you enjoy it menas almost nothing but that you like those distortions even if are bad ones and you can't do nothing to disappear it.

I know that you as Thuchan don't learned yet about and likes that wrong design and you know what?: that second platter they use as Dave use too help in nothing to the arm/footers MS degradation focus!!!!!

I'm not against any honest person and certainly against no single audio manufacturer what I'm against is of any high distortion focus and I share my opinion about.

I know that like me we need to learn many audio subjects, some of us took more time to others but at the end the success on audio systems depends on that audio learning subjects.

I posted several times for several years that the main differences in between home audio systems is how high or low are its distortions and to improve our each one system we need to learn we need to be aware of several kind of system generated distortions and its precise focus. In the MS case the arm board is one of the generation of distortions focus and that's why today I almost avoid to make no single serious test of any audio item through my MS one.

Certainly you posted what is a misunderstood of whom I'm. I hope that with this could be more precise and clear why I posted what I posted here or elsewhere.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Glai, I experimented with flywheel arrangements. By doing so I realized that the motor management is very important and needs a precise steering. I found it in the VPI SDS. I use the MS Motor (SX 8000 II) and the HS-80 ( 8000 II) in combination to control the vector forces. From my opinion whether one uses a TW or MS he should look for good and precise motors and an exact and stable motor management. I would not go for a three motor design.

Regarding the quality of MS tables I have seen big differences on the markets, in Japan, Germany, France and the US. It depends on age, care and usage. the best samples I have seen in Japan.