Micro Seiki BL-41
This is a belt drive turntable with speed control; it has no strobe to monitor speed but that is a very minor issue; it's easy to print a strobe pattern and use a neon or compact fluorescent bulb (or smartphone app!) to see the speed.
This is in the lower mid range of Micro Seiki turntables, but the over all quality is very, very good. A heavy platter and good arm make this better than many upper-mid tables from other well known quality producers, add to that electronic motor speed control (as well as automatic arm control) and this is really an excellent turntable.
On top of that it sounds great, the arm takes a reasonable range of cartridges, it seems to be medium to lower mass so probably best with a higher compliance cartridge. Sounds good with the Nagoaka and Ortofon cartridges, I'm yet to try a Shure and Stanton (I only have one head-shell, its not a standard SME mount).
This turntable shows why Micro Seiki turntables are universally praised even if the popular ones are usually Direct Drive.
I'd happily live with just this turntable and I usually try to avoid automatics but the electronics work very well here, no complicated mechanicals to contend with.
This is the only Micro I have encountered so not much to compare with in their range but I'm impressed.
NOTE: The turntable mat shown is a cork one that I made to use with other turntables but not because I believe cork has a "better sound" but practically; it does conduct away static electricity very well, I was having static problems the dust would be attracted on to the record, the cork completely eliminated that problem. I used an automotive grade cork/rubber particle "gasket" 4mm thick and a little heavier that plain cork, it works well. I still have the original rubber mat.
This is in the lower mid range of Micro Seiki turntables, but the over all quality is very, very good. A heavy platter and good arm make this better than many upper-mid tables from other well known quality producers, add to that electronic motor speed control (as well as automatic arm control) and this is really an excellent turntable.
On top of that it sounds great, the arm takes a reasonable range of cartridges, it seems to be medium to lower mass so probably best with a higher compliance cartridge. Sounds good with the Nagoaka and Ortofon cartridges, I'm yet to try a Shure and Stanton (I only have one head-shell, its not a standard SME mount).
This turntable shows why Micro Seiki turntables are universally praised even if the popular ones are usually Direct Drive.
I'd happily live with just this turntable and I usually try to avoid automatics but the electronics work very well here, no complicated mechanicals to contend with.
This is the only Micro I have encountered so not much to compare with in their range but I'm impressed.
NOTE: The turntable mat shown is a cork one that I made to use with other turntables but not because I believe cork has a "better sound" but practically; it does conduct away static electricity very well, I was having static problems the dust would be attracted on to the record, the cork completely eliminated that problem. I used an automotive grade cork/rubber particle "gasket" 4mm thick and a little heavier that plain cork, it works well. I still have the original rubber mat.