Heinz Lichtenegger –  of Pro-Ject Audio Systems fame – recently decided to create a new brand of turntables called Rekkord. The decks are made at the old Dual turntable factory in St Georgen, in the Black Forest region of Germany. Turntables have been made at that particular location since 1993, so the factory has the heritage, knowledge and experience to do the job. Apparently nearly all of the individual components that make up the turntables are produced locally, within forty kilometres of the factory. Every deck is hand-assembled, too.

UP CLOSE

The F400 is the top model of four in this fully automatic turntable range. It uses a belt-driven subplatter that only touches the aluminium platter at three points, to isolate and minimise the transfer of resonances. The subchassis that holds the tonearm, bearing and platter, and the mechanically automated system, is decoupled from the chassis and suspended in a stiff yet squidgy way by means of elastomer, not springs. It certainly doesn't float like an LP12, but it does have some compliance. The platter has a ring of rubber attached to its underside edge to add rotational mass and dampen resonances. A 3mm felt mat sits on top.

The deck uses a higher quality tonearm than others in the automatic range, one which sports an ultra-low mass aluminium tube with a carbon fibre reinforced headshell fitted with a locking ring. An Ortofon 2M Red moving magnet cartridge is fitted, which tracks at a recommended 1.8g. The effective tonearm length is 211mm, and it uses steel cardan bearings that are made in-house. The tracking force adjustment is massless, and set up so that the centre of gravity lines up with the centre of the bearing. Rekkord uses a precision flat coil spring to apply the force.

Despite the turntable's controls being made of plastic – which doesn't exactly impart a luxurious feel – it is generally well-engineered and uses a time-tested mechanical assembly that's reliable and silent in use. The deck plays 33, 45 and 78 rpm speeds, which are selected via a lever and a switch; as it doesn't require a belt pulley change, it's more convenient than many rivals.

The deck weighs in at 6.3kg, so is more solid than one might expect. The plinth is a single piece of 29mm thick MDF that has been CNC machined and then finished in a choice of satin black, high gloss black, and cherry real wood veneers, some which come at an additional cost. My sample was in gloss black and looked immaculate and classy. A good quality clear acrylic dust cover is included with the table. A 15V DC adapter supplies the power.

The F400 is easily assembled and can be spinning LPs within ten minutes of opening the box. The enclosed instruction sheet is reasonably detailed, but it could be improved to be more helpful for newbies. Ensure that you level the turntable and if you are in any doubt about setting the tracking weight, purchase an inexpensive digital scale, or use the Ortofon manual gauge, or ultimately seek help from your retailer. I used the Rekkord F400 hooked up to the MM phono input of Yamaha R-N2000A and Rotel RA-1572 Mk2 integrated amplifiers, which proved well matched and have plenty of gain.

Fully automatic operation is, as the name suggests, a single lever press to start and/or stop playing a record. Once depressed, the platter starts rotating, and the tonearm lifts and moves to the start of the first track. Then, gently lowers to start the playing. At the end of the album, it will automatically return the tonearm to its home position and stop the platter, saving you a hurried trip to do it yourself. If you have the control set to 45rpm, the mechanism assumes that you are playing a single (not an LP) and will correctly lower the arm at its starting point. Of course, you can still play records manually; the arm lift works smoothly, and the platter starts and stops automatically when you move the tonearm over the record.

THE LISTENING

This turntable has a well-balanced sound that is enjoyable and easy to listen to. It displays impressively low noise, which is especially apparent when playing classical music with a wide dynamic range. Listening to Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture: Romeo and Juliet, the F400 does a convincing job of conveying the emotional power of the music – better in my opinion than digital can manage at the same price point. It has a pleasing sense of musical flow, rhythmic ease, and atmosphere. Strings are reproduced smoothly and without harshness, horns have just the right amount of bite.

This is a pretty smooth and balanced sounding turnable, and this is further reinforced by the characteristics of the supplied Ortofon 2M Red. It has an even sound that doesn't have any obvious shrillness, yet provides a good deal of detail. You can see why this cartridge is an international best seller, and commonly fitted to more affordable-oriented turntables. All the same, it can and should be improved with an upgraded stylus at a later date, especially if you're crazy about your record collection. The F400's slight leanness in the bass is arguably not helped by this cartridge choice.

The Rekkord handles rhythmic music very well, delivering an interesting and immersive rendition of The Space Between by Roxy Music. The opening drum and bass work sound are crisp, well delineated and enjoyably percussive. Little By Little by Robert Plant is a dynamic track, and the F400 also does a good job of carrying its slam and punch, especially when considering its modest retail price. Some rival designs do better in terms of outright bass power, but the Rekkord is enjoyably percussive and that's what really counts. This deck resists ground-borne vibrations reasonably well, but when tapping the system support heavily with the stylus in the groove, you can still hear a deadened thumping sound which highlights the need for careful placement.

The F400 is accomplished at conveying the recorded acoustic of a piece of music. Listening to a live Pink Floyd version of One of These Days, and the soundstage is large enough to fill my well-sized listening room. There is a impressive sense of the crowd attending the event, set into the expansive arena. If there is a weakness here, it is that the Rekkord sounds just a touch two-dimensional, as it lacks some stage depth. By and large though, the deck unlocks the lovely open spatial quality that vinyl is famous for.

THE VERDICT

Those wanting a stylish, fully automatic turntable that's a pleasure to use should give the Rekkord F400 serious consideration. It's not the absolute last word in sound quality at the price, but automatic turntables never are. Yet still, this deck plays all musical genres in a balanced, engaging and enjoyable way. Well made and with good provenance, it is also keenly priced for anything that's made in Germany nowadays.

For more information visit Rekkord