EMT 927 vs. Micro Seiki 5000 or 8000 - different?

Dear Mosin, dear Lewm, dear In_shore, while I myself are quite an admirer of the Micro Seiki skeleton turntables (RX-1500 g-versions, RX-3000, RX-5000 and SX-8000 in particular), I nevertheless understand the initial "cold welcome" it received from HP and others back in the early 1980ies in the US.
Many reviewers back then favored the LP12 and an unsuspended MS with an untreated platter is certainly sound-wise not to everybody's liking (it is not to mine ...).
The bell-shape of the Micro Seiki's platter (each of the above safe for the SX-8000 w/stainless steel platter and glued glass platter underneath for the air bearing) is certainly not the best possible. Have a look at the photos of Syntax' RX-5000 to get an impression what I mean. A RX-5000 with solid platter on top of it's stock platter is a completely different beast and gives a shocking improve to the MS's sound performance.
What is needed further to really explore the possibilities of the Micro Seiki is a good suspension.
Use a Vibraplane (Kinetic Systems) or Minus-K with additional load and you will explore an all new sonic experience with the Micro Seiki.
Micro Seiki itself realized it late in it's history and the SX-8000 II came with a floating pad (at least an attempt in the right direction).
As it stands, a stock RX-1500G, RX-3000, RX-5000 or SX-8000 is a turntable with incredibly built quality and some real smart ideas topped with a time-less form-follows-function design.
To really show off it's sonic possibilities however a few points (suspension, platter) need to be addressed carefully.
In stock condition it is sonically only 60% of what is possible.
Cheers,
D.
P.S. to put the principle of inertia w/ string/thread drive to perfect function is another topic. It works - and when it does it is really stunning. But it is too often misunderstood and not applied correctly.

Dertonam,

Just to add my 2 cents - turntables owned - Linn, Pink Triangle, Sota, Oracle, Well Tempered, Roksan, Garrard 301 - current turntable used and much preferred is the Final Labs Parthenon - this is like a micro seiki steroids. It is in fact the same turntable used by my friend Warwick Mickell who was the Foreign Correspondent for The Absolute Sound Magazine in the early years.
The key improvements over the Micro's are - solid base ( SPZ some composite alloy/lead ) solid platter ( not a bell ) with inverted bearing, copper mat ( twice the weight of the micto's ), and most importantly the reconstructed ac power generator & thread drive for accurate speed control.
Kitamura the designer was most upset by the TAS review by HP as the turntable was reviewed mounted on an air suspension.
The design wicks energy away from the record and a rigid platform is recommended. The base I use that Kitamura recommended is a plinth of crushed stoned which is highly compressed in a torsion box. I also run the belt on the same plane as the bearing point.
I think no suspension is a key to the design as well.

Hello Dertonarm,
While it may be that we do not agree on some things 100%, this time we do. Maybe sometime, just maybe, we can hear each others turntables, and see if we like the flavors. I suspect we will. :)

You may also get some ideas on the big Micros from the thread:

Micro SX-8000 II or SZ-1

best & fun only - Thuchan

Dear Lewm: +++++ " Does anyone know what is so special about the big M-S turntables, apart from their obvious build quality, which can after all be matched by several of today's high end belt drive turntables? " +++++

IMHO there is nothing especial other than MS was one of the TT heavy weight BD design " pioneers " .

I agree with your friend on " "good" but not mind-blowing " TT and IMHO several today TT's are better and more neutral than the MS.

I had my first " encounter " with MS through an USA japanese audio items importer company named Japanese Stereo that was located in LA ( I think in Wildshire Blvd. ). The model I saw the first was the SX-8000-II and I was no less than " shocked ": beautiful machine when in those times I was playing with Technics SP10s and Denons DD TTs that against the MS looked like " baby's toys ". I never had the money to buy it even that Japanese Stereo had it very good prices. I can't remember the 8000 price but the RX-1500 full equiped ( vacuum plater and the like ) was for 1.3K.

Btw, was through this distributor where I bought my SAECs/Audiocraft/Goldbug/Koetsu/Highphonic/etc, etc japanese tonearms, cartridges, mats, clamps and the like.

Japanese designers trusted on heavy weight TTs, I think that the heaviest was the one from American Sound with a 50kg on the platter alone where the biggest MS has " only " 28kg.
The Final Paruthenon named here weights 140kg and that from AS 170kg. Seems to me that these people were " crazy " about heavy weight and its influence on TT quality performance.

I'm not with that heavy mass used to damp or taking away " resonances/vibrations " ( of course for speed inertia. ) and I think that even today several TT designers and persons that posted here does not find out yet where precisely reside or which is main factor/ characteristic for a neutral TT: heavy mass can't do it, at least is what several TTs shows and showed till today.

+++++ " The motor assembly seems quite large but probably in part due to the incorporation of an elecronic drive system. " +++++

the motor it self was build by a Matushita group company and the TT controls design inside are not first rate, the weight seems to me need it to compensate for the heavy TT platter. Some today TTs comes with a stand alone motor and separate TT control/electronics.

I can tell you that for almost any person that never been in direct " touch " ( other than readed about. ) with the MS ones and bought it IMHO his first impression will be as mine: WOW WOW and certainly that that WoW will translate on a non-true WoW " feeling " about its quality performance level. After the time people learn about and then put these mahines where it belongs against other TTs. Well there are persons either that never learn.

I for good left the MS audio " stage/step " behind and follow " the road " in front/forward: the life is short.

As always only an opinion.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.