Micro Seiki, or TW AC-1

For what it's worth, the speed stability on my TW AC-1 is rock solid using the Feikert Adjust program. Including a center weight and stylus drag as factors. Same for 33 and 45 rpm. I'm using a dedicated 20A circuit and a Cardas Golden Ref power cable though.

Maril555, agree with you on our micro-sample size. I just long for more objectivity and no personal attacks or pompous attitudes on these boards. Makes them less fun, less informative.

Good luck on your search - you probably can't go wrong in either direction - the Micro-Seiki or a TW table. Both are in the 1%.

Philb7777, Maril555 thanks for getting this thread back on track. And yes I am having fun or else I would not be here.

If you have not noticed, it seems like most TW threads turn into a battle ground. There is a contingent of posters that just attack anything TW. Do a search of TW threads and you will find this to be true. I understand the theoretical points. But if you want to know why there is not a lot objective input on the posts, there is the reason.

Maril555, this is a hobby for me but I have been at it for a while. IIRC the Micro Seiki 5000 tables were produced very close to the time the CD came out - early 80s (I say that for anyone that may not know). They were fairly expensive for the time and not a lot of the high end tables i.e. 5000, 8000 ect. were sold because of the new CD and the economy was tough as well. So it is sort of a mistry even on audiogon. I assume you have done some research on MS tables to be even asking. What have you turned up? If you have not found it there are usually forums on interesting vintage equipment. There is no doubt in my mind the better MS tables are very interesting.

One thing that amazes me is how so many threads in the analog section drill down relentlessly on one point (but speed controll is very important) but seemingly miss some of the big picture.

For example, the preception of the leading edge trasient. I get how the TT speed control is critical to that. But lets go to the other end of the chain, the speakers.

Many high end, even uber high end speakers, use steep cross over slopes where the finished product has the tweeter out of phase of the woofer (in a two way) or out of phase from the midrange in three way. Good luck with assessing the leading edge when different drivers are out of phase.

One more thing that is even more important on the speaker end is the issue of first refections points on the floor, celling, and side walls. Nothing like have the leading edge smeared by those reflections.

Then there is the bass response in your room...

I only go on to illiustrate how important the whole of a system is to what one hears.

Philb7777, Maril555 much of my post is for anyone folling the thread.

great points Tdaudio!

I don't think getting a projectable sample is of any value here guys. I think you have to put these units in the system in question, and live with them for a while. That's the only way. Expensive, perhaps, but if Maril bought a good MS, and got Jeff to 'loan' him an AC and he decided he liked the AC better, the MS could be resold pretty easily, as long as it was a good example, no?