Turntables — Rekkord Audio F100

The F100 is an entry-level fully automatic turntable from Rekkord Audio, a German manufacturer that designs and hand-assembles its own decks. Priced at $399, it is the first step in a range that adds features model by model through the F110, F300, F400 and M500, and it is meant as a ready-to-play deck for newcomers who do not want to install or adjust anything.

Key specs that matter

This belt-driven turntable plays at 33 and 45rpm, with a DC motor under electronic speed regulation. Wow and flutter is about 0.06% DIN (0.035% WRMS), rumble is 40dB, signal-to-noise ratio is 62dB and frequency response runs from 20Hz to 20kHz. The 8.3-inch ultra-low-mass (ULM) aluminium tonearm comes fitted with an Audio-Technica AT-3600L moving-magnet cartridge, and Rekkord adjusts its tracking force and anti-skating before the deck leaves the plant. Power comes from an external 12V DC, 150mA supply. The deck measures 430 x 130 x 365mm, weighs 5.4kg and is finished in black satin.

Engineering and use context

Rekkord builds the tonearm at its St. Georgen facility and gives it steel ball-bearing pivots. According to the company, the AT-3600L is a cartridge more often found on turntables of a higher class. A heavy aluminium platter keeps rotation stable and the speed even, and the pressed-wood chassis damps resonance. Operation is fully automatic. One press of the start button lowers the arm onto the record, plays the side, then lifts the arm and returns it to rest, a function still uncommon at this price. The standard F100 has a fixed phono-level RCA output. The F100P version adds a built-in phono preamp and a line-level RCA output instead.

Pairing

The F100P can feed powered speakers or any line-level input directly, without a separate phono box. The standard F100 must be wired to an outboard phono stage or to an amplifier fitted with a phono input.

Alternatives

The Rekkord F110 is the next automatic turntable up the range, with more features at a higher price.