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
Dear @edgewear / friends: The " notice/news " in your thread is not really a good notice because the RX-5000 is not the " touted " TT as we could think. I’m an owner and know it very well.

The MS RX seies followed the TT trend in Japan in those old years: massive metal heavy weigth BD units as if metal heavy weigth TT characteristic was the rigth solution for a TT targets when in reality it’s not and does more harm than true help to the cartridge signal.

MS motors came from Technics/Panasonic and that heavy TT platter in reality damps nothing at all and rings as a bell. The 5000 has not a well damped structure/foots anywhere in the design because they thougth that heavy means " damping " and try to " disappear " problems mainly through " high weigth ".

Its arm boards are really easy to use, solid an tonearms friendly to set up but they choosed the worst position for the arms board: exactly vinculated to each TT foot with out no damping, everything pass through those foots and arm boards and when I said everything I mean vibrations, resonances and the like and those " everything " degraded the cartridge signal. Terrible as a TT.

The " incredible " notice is that now other manufacturers are taking the MS as a guide to build/design its TTs, ! !

But not only the ones you name it but several other manufacturers that are just followers of that totally wrong vintage japanese trend: massive metal heavy weigth designs that they used thinking that a heavy weigth platter high rotational intertia permit better speed stability but it’s not so simple as that and in the other side any rotational/movement heavy weigth platter can’t damp its own internal resonances generated for its heavy weigth in movement.

Asian people in those times likes it that metal heavy weigth shiny look that for them was a sinonimous of high quality performance when it’s not but the other way around.

The " stupid " thing about is that today we have that same trend, I can say : an up-dated trend and not because are better thatn the vintage TTs but because are/comes even with more mass and way higher metal weigth. It’s clear that the vintage audiophiles in that TT chareacteristic regards just do not changes and follow buying those trash of metal heavy weigth BD TTs. ! ! !

As always IGNORANCE is the culprit here and ignorance from the manufacturers that shares with the " audiophiles " that just can’t think a little on what they are paying for: they are buying kilos of metal at a price that’s higher than real gold ! ! and are all happy with ! !

The @jtinn Wave Kinetics NVS TT outperforms easily any of those heavy weigth massive BD TTs and for a lot lees money ! ! !

About who is copy whom is more a " joke " because a TT or tonearm or whatever audio item you can think is not rocket science, it’s really easy to build a TT like the MS or a tube ( perhaps SS units and allitle on speakers not so easy. ) item and we don’t have to be engineers to do it almost any one can do it.



Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.


Raul, without commenting on most of what you wrote, I would only say that I think you’re wrong about the price of the NVS turn table. I think most of these micro seiki  copies are less expensive than the NVS, which I think is about $40,000. Of course, correct me if I am wrong. Good point about the mounting of the tonearm in direct connection to the foot of the turntable which is certainly not the best idea.
Dear @lewm : Yes. you are rigth about those 40k NVS price but I'm not refering to those MS but to the today ones BD that sells for over 200K !

R.
@edgewear What arms have you got in place on your 1500G and in what positions? My 1500 is the DDX version and it has no issues with speed control, despite its age. It is damn hefty being built of gunmetal, even the outboards. Absolutely no chance of movement there.
The DDX (which is direct-drive) is a totally different animal from the massive M-S belt-drive turntables, one of which carries the "1500" numeric designation (RX1500, or some other alphabetical prefix depending upon price point).  In fact, isn't the M-S DD turntable called "DDX1000", not DDX1500?  Also, the later quartz referenced version was called DDQ or DQX, IIRC.  Anyway, if there really is a DDX1500, I'd like to see a photo.  Thanks.