Rekkord Audio F110 review

It is easy to dismiss a new brand like Rekkord Audio. Vinyl’s ongoing revival has encouraged many newcomers to get into the record-playing game and to be fair, the majority have done a poor job. In our experience, most of those products serve better as fashion accessories rather than pieces of hi-fi. We think Rekkord Audio is different.

For starters, while Rekkord is a new brand, it is owned by the team behind Pro-Ject, which bodes well given that it knows a thing or two about building turntables. Rekkord is based in Germany and much of its technology, the automation mechanism used in the F110, for example, can be traced back to earlier Dual turntable designs. Given how respected those were, the signs are good.

Rekkord’s launch range is sensible for a company trying to break into the mass market and offers something a little different from the established competition. It essentially builds six basic models that start a rung below the F110 we have on test here and go up to a £1800 / $1899 premium deck that is equipped with an Ortofon Quintet Red moving coil cartridge. The two cheaper decks (which includes the £399 / $449 / AU$849 F110) are available with a built-in phono stage for around a 10 per cent premium. As you move up the range the finish choices grow from just black to a variety of wood veneer and paint options. More ambitious cartridges are also on the menu.

Design & build

The Rekkord F110 turntable is a great introduction to the range. It is a basic, no-nonsense design that is built nicely and works well. The big news here, and the thing that differentiates this deck from capable rivals like the Rega Planar 1, Audio Technica AT-LP5x and Pro-Ject Essential, is that it is fully automatic. 

What exactly does that mean? It means that the F110 will cue the pre-fitted Audio-Technica AT3600L moving magnet to the start of the record and lift it up once the side has been played, returning the arm to its original position and stopping the motor. This is pretty much the ultimate in fuss-free record replay, and it is easy to override the mechanism if, say, you want to skip from track to track, or start and stop in a different place. Note though that the Dual-derived automatic operation mechanism is mechanical and can be a little clunky at times, but be a little patient and it all works well enough.

Set-up is about as easy as it gets. The drive belt is already attached, as is the cartridge. The user only has to fit the aluminium platter (a well-finished but surprisingly insubstantial affair), put the antistatic felt mat on and plumb the deck into their system. The Audio-Technica cartridge comes fitted and aligned from the factory and the arm has a fixed tracking weight and non-adjustable bias. Things like these make the F110 a breeze to get working but also limit any future cartridge upgrades. While we suspect most users would be happy with the AT3600L cartridge provided, this is something to keep in mind.

Compatibility

If you want to hear the best from this Rekkord, place it on a level, low-resonance support. If you have bouncy suspended wooden floors then consider a wall shelf of some type as it will avoid issues with footfalls. There is an element of suspension in the design, with a decoupled sub-chassis isolating the mechanical bits from external vibrations, but placing the deck with care is still worthwhile.

Typical partners for a deck of this type would be a Marantz PM6007 amplifier and maybe a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 12.1s or Elac’s Debut B5.2 speakers. The F110 sits comfortably with such company and delivers pleasing results. 

Sound

We have tried a number of fully automatic turntables over the years and this Rekkord is one of the few that satisfies musically. Starting with Orff’s Carmina Burana, we are impressed by the deck’s tidy presentation. It sounds precise and controlled, refusing to be overawed by the music’s complexity. 

A cartridge tends to dictate the tonal character of a record player to a large extent and we are pleased to report that the Audio Technica AT3600L proves to be a balanced performer. It sounds clean and crisp by price standards and digs up a reasonable amount of detail. Once it has bedded in, there is little to complain about in the way of harshness or unwanted edge.

Over time it becomes clear that this package plays it safe when delivering dynamic extremes. It doesn’t get too ambitious and consequently sounds a little restrained compared to cheaper, manual alternatives such as the Rega Planar 1 or Audio Technica LP5x. But, let’s not put too much weight on such comparisons. Those interested in the Rekkord obviously prioritise it being automatic and the chances are that those people would probably never consider a manual design.

The important thing for us is that the F110 retains enough of the drama and energy of the recording to be an enjoyable listen. We keep listening, going from Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis to Mary J Blige’s No More Drama and Four Tet’s There Is Love In You, and the Rekkord copes well. Lows are taut and grippy, and there is enough in the way of agility and drive to entertain. 

The deck’s balanced nature means no genre of music is treated any better than another and its ability to deliver the sound in a composed yet still interesting way holds our attention better than any of the fully automatic alternatives we have heard.

Verdict

If you are after a fuss-free record player, give this Rekkord serious thought. It is simple to use while delivering a level of performance that sits out of reach of other automatic options we’ve tried. Add solid build and neat finish into the equation and the F110 turntable becomes an easy-to-recommend option.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Rega Planar 1

Also consider the Audio Technica AT-LP5x

Read our Pro-Ject Essential III review

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