Marantz Tt 1000 mkII
(1990 - c. 1997)

The original Tt 1000 was first presented in october 1979 at the japanese Audio Fair - it is the one known as "mkI" or "ESOTEC". It wasn't presented alone for the very first Tt 1000 was also present : Tt 1000mk0 ! Thanks to my relentless search for rarities, you can now see that pre-production sample in the Invisibilia section. Those with a sharp eye will recognize many similarities between the Tt 1000 mk0 and the Micro-Seiki RX-5000. Normal : the motor of this silk-thread driven sample is a rebadged/relooked RX-5000 motor ! Depending on the sources, this sample was announced with a pricetag (exorbitant) and a name like Tt 8000 or Tt 7000. However, the production of this ultra turntable wasn't pursued as Marantz deemed the chances of selling any very slim. That was Mistake n°1.

As we all know, the Tt 1000 mkI was produced as shown, first with a Micro Seiki tonearm (CF-1), then armless or with an SME. Now for the real cherry : if the ESOTEC Tt 1000 was built on the mechanical base of the Micro Seiki DQX-1000, the Music Link Tt 1000 (aka Tt 1000 mkII) was built on the base of the Micro Seiki DDX-1500, the latter being the 1990s version of the original DQX-1000. Same motor (with a different cover for the mkII), same parts, same everything.

The external power supply of the Music Link Tt 1000, is a straight rebadge -without even bothering to change its looks this time- of Micro's ultimate AP-M1. The suede mat of the Music Link Tt 1000 isn't something that special in itself but it does come from the same AP-M1.
The feet of the 1000 mkI and mkII come from Micro Seiki as well: they were available as an accessory under the MSB-100 reference. The 2-part arm bases are 100% interchangeable with Micro Seiki's, too, but with a twist: the inner part of those bearing the Micro tag are made of bronze while those sold for/under/to Marantz -for cost reasons- were made of aluminium. And the revised platter of the Music Link Tt 1000 is a direct import from that of Micro's DDX-1500. Amazing, isn't it ?

Absolute proof you need ?
The external PS of the Music Link Tt 1000 bears the "SAILOR" tag which you can see below. What in the name of heaven is that ? Hang on: Sailor comes from Sailor Pen, a brand owned by an LP replay addict who funded Micro when the latter was already going down in the late 1980s and in need of urgent cash. After this welcome funding, all of Micro's output was tagged in one way or another with that "Sailor". And why would a big, huge, brand like Marantz go search for a measly power-supply at Micro Seiki? Because, bar the glassy looks, the Tt 1000 mk0, Tt 1000mkI and Tt 1000mkII simply were mechanically Micro Seiki from top to bottom.

The Music Link Tt 1000 is a much better turntable than the original Esotec Tt 1000 - the glass platter was a true engineering mistake... Many Micro Seiki improvements were planned to be incorporated into the Music Link Tt 1000 but finally not implemented. Had they been thrown in, the Music Link Tt 1000 would have become one of the best turntables ever and would have sold well, benefitting from a) a still expanding high-end market, and, b) from the aura of the original 1979 Esotec which was and still is one of the better remembered high-end turntables. That's... Mistake n°2.
The Music Link Tt 1000 would've at last earned its reputation and be on par with its overweight pricetag : the price of the 1979 Tt 1000 precluded many possible sales because it was way too much for a Micro-engineered looker.
Fast-forward ten years : Marantz planned to produce as many as 150 Tt 1000mkII. Not sure 150 were effectively produced but, at 12,000DM, it is quite probable they didn't sell even half that amount. 12,000DM was exorbitant and much too much for a mkII -however excellent- finally not that different from the original. And with a marketing reduced to a single country (Germany, of course), Marantz lowered the possibility of significant sales - last mistake.

Coda : the german catalog showing the Music Link Tt 1000 only displayed a pre-production sample of it. Such things happen, and quite often in fact. But the lettering on the sample was that of... the old Esotec Tt 1000 from 1979 ! If accidental, that little blunder was rather prescient.

Source for all this detailed info shall remain anonymous but is very, very close from both The source and from Mr Fukagawa who directed Micro's export operations in Japan between 1980 and 1990.