How good is the Micro Seiki DDX-1000 Direct Drive turntable ?
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 :)
Chakster The Luxman PD-444 (and 555) are some of the best “vintage” tables available. I am moving on acquiring both at the moment. My two current tables are a MS-91L and a Luxman PD-350. I have a PD-310 and my first born JVC QL-Y5F. I had to move my Nakamichi Dragon CT and importantly for this post was a MS DDX-1500 with 2 arms. It was one of my best performers. Maybe I happened to get a good one from Germany. The best acquisition I am on to is a MS SX-111FV or a 777. It’s hand wringing time with my beautiful wife looking at the price figures. One or two of my current tables will need to move. But with the current exchange rates poorly, I may just sit and wait. 😟 |
Yeah, Luxman 444 is like a Cutting Lathe for me, the engineering is so nice that in terms of usability this is definitely the best turntable, because i use so many different tonearms and cartridges and only this turntable allow me to swap whatever tonearm quickly. Here is a pair of mine. I could sell all turntable, but not Luxman, it is a keeper. It became my favorite so quickly, so i even sold my Technics SP-10 mkII after i bought my second PD-444. Designed my custom rack especially for PD-444 and now nothing can compete with it in my system. When i will make racks for Victor TT-101 and Denon DP-80 i wish i could use them all together, but it's crazy idea. I love vintage DDs, but PD-444 is what i like the most. |
Chakster, nice setup. thanks, been working on it for a long time You have to be careful with CU-180 for LUX platter, because there is a slight tolerance (+/- 0.2mm) between different samples of CU-180 in diameter (this is stated in the original manual). One sample can fit, another can’t. The problem is that LUX platter is like a round frame, look at the edge, the mat must be inside the round frame on the platter and a tiny difference in diameter is critical. Sadly mega rare my CU-500 is too heavy for LUX motor and i can’t use it, it was my best mat on SP-10 mkII SAEC SS-300 and The Mat (Sakura System) is what i use too. What tone arms do you have in use? I tried so many, right now i have in use my FR-64fx with W250 and N60, Lustre GST-801, Denon DA-401. Before there was SONY PUA-7, Victor UA-7045/7082, Luxman TA-1, Technics EPA-100 Ikeda IT-345 is waiting here, FR-64s with B60 too I have only one tonearm that is impossible to mount on LUX, this arm is EPA-100 mkII |
