Turntables — Rekkord Audio F100

The F100 is an entry-level fully automatic turntable from Rekkord Audio, a German manufacturer meticulously designing and hand-assembling its turntable range in one of Europe's foremost audio manufacturing facilities. Priced at $399, the F100 sits at the bottom of Rekkord's incrementally featured lineup - ahead of the F110, F300, F400 and M500 - offering a turnkey solution for newcomers wanting real audiophile quality without any installation complexity or setup fuss.

Key specs that matter

The belt-drive mechanism runs 33 and 45rpm speeds with electronic DC regulation, delivering low wow and flutter at approximately 0.06% DIN (0.035% WRMS), rumble at 40dB and a signal-to-noise ratio of 62dB, with frequency response spanning 20Hz to 20kHz. An 8.3-inch ultra-low-mass (ULM) aluminium tonearm, built at Rekkord's St. Georgen facility with steel ball-bearing pivots, comes pre-fitted with an Audio-Technica AT-3600L moving-magnet cartridge - Rekkord specifically notes this cartridge is typically associated with considerably higher-tier turntable products - with tracking force and anti-skating both professionally pre-adjusted at the factory. The heavy aluminium platter provides stable rotation and consistent speed for accurate reproduction, while the pressed-wood chassis naturally damps resonance for enhanced tonal warmth. Full automatic operation means pressing a single start button triggers automatic cueing, playback, tonearm lift and return - useful functionality still surprisingly underrepresented among turntables at this price point. Outputs are fixed phono-level RCA on the standard F100, or line-level RCA on the F100P variant with an integrated phono preamp built in, for direct connection to powered speakers or a line-level input without a separate phono stage. Power draws from a 12V DC, 150mA external supply. At 430 x 130 x 365mm and 5.4kg (12 lbs), the black satin finish is designed to blend into virtually any interior environment.

Sound and use context

Expect reasonable pitch stability for a turntable at this price, with confidence-inspiring automatic operation - one reviewer specifically called the F100 the most confidence-inspiring automatic turntable tested to date, noting the mechanism produces no weird groans or clicks during operation and has functioned perfectly on every single use across an extended testing period.

Pairing

The F100P variant's integrated phono preamp lets this turntable connect directly to powered speakers or any line-level input without additional equipment, while the standard F100's fixed phono output requires a separate phono stage or an amplifier with a built-in phono input.

Alternatives

Rekkord's own F110, F300 and F400 sit above this model with incrementally expanded feature sets at correspondingly higher prices, worth the further investment if this F100's already impressive entry-level automatic functionality still leaves ambitions for greater refinement or manual control within the same core German-engineered platform.