Its not about using a belt at all.
I would never use a belt - not on a Micro Seiki nor on any other "belt drive" TT.
A belt is always a source of instability and in worst case much more than a filter.
The RX-5000 and SX-8000 were designed by Micro Seiki to be used with string for best results.
With a string, fairly low tension and symmetrical positioned inertia unit we are looking at a kind of slip regulated drive.
In other words - the inertia providing the speed stability and the low tension string applied without horizontal force is just preventing the platter to get slower.
Its a tricky idea and it only works with fairly heavy platter (= high inertia) and force free low tension string drive.
No belt - no tape - no high tension and no horizontal force vector.
There were papers in japanese magazines floating around by Micro Seiki engineers in the early 1980ies addressing this principle.
And yes, - there were top-class set-ups with SX-8000 and RX-5000 w/inertia units and mats dead quite already in the early 1980ies - this is nothing the US-audiophiles discovered.
Some of the japanese audiophiles were already enjoying this when the majority in the western hemisphere still thought a scottish TT would be the very pinnacle of analog set-up.
Setting up precisely a RX-3000, 5000 or SX-8000 that way will provide you with the utmost speed stability and an extremely low noise floor and outstanding low level dynamics.
I know it - I've done it a few times.
Despite what some people may say otherwise, anyone in the position to try should do so and find out for himself.
I know that some here have already done so and know that there is much truth in what I've said.
I would never use a belt - not on a Micro Seiki nor on any other "belt drive" TT.
A belt is always a source of instability and in worst case much more than a filter.
The RX-5000 and SX-8000 were designed by Micro Seiki to be used with string for best results.
With a string, fairly low tension and symmetrical positioned inertia unit we are looking at a kind of slip regulated drive.
In other words - the inertia providing the speed stability and the low tension string applied without horizontal force is just preventing the platter to get slower.
Its a tricky idea and it only works with fairly heavy platter (= high inertia) and force free low tension string drive.
No belt - no tape - no high tension and no horizontal force vector.
There were papers in japanese magazines floating around by Micro Seiki engineers in the early 1980ies addressing this principle.
And yes, - there were top-class set-ups with SX-8000 and RX-5000 w/inertia units and mats dead quite already in the early 1980ies - this is nothing the US-audiophiles discovered.
Some of the japanese audiophiles were already enjoying this when the majority in the western hemisphere still thought a scottish TT would be the very pinnacle of analog set-up.
Setting up precisely a RX-3000, 5000 or SX-8000 that way will provide you with the utmost speed stability and an extremely low noise floor and outstanding low level dynamics.
I know it - I've done it a few times.
Despite what some people may say otherwise, anyone in the position to try should do so and find out for himself.
I know that some here have already done so and know that there is much truth in what I've said.