The Merrill-Williams REAL 101 turntable is a versatile US made turntable that can accept many tonearms and has a unique record clamping system.
kemela demonstrated the Merrill-Williams REAL 101 turntable at the 2011 Axpona show in Atlanta and is honored to be one of the few select dealers of this excellent turntable for serious vinyl enthusiasts.
George Merrill has long time been associated with highly regarded turntable design since the release of the Merrill Heirloom turntable in the late 1970s and is one of the few qualified true turntable designers. The Merrill-Williams REAL 101 turntable is the totally new third generation high performance table that uses patented Rubber Elastomeric Acoustic Laminate and other energy management techniques that address fundamental design principles of well engineered turntables.
For 2014 the Merrill-Williams REAL 101.3 turntable has been released with several enhancements over the original REAL 101. These changes include a new black phenolic skin, quick change tonearm mounting platform, built-in speed strobe and bubble level, and new motor mounting method.
The REAL 101 design addresses all of the 4 types of energy present in the turntable: self generated, mechanically coupled via the feet, airborne within the operating environment, and conducted stylus energy as the record plays. The Merrill-Williams REAL 101.3 turntable has just the right amount of useful user adjustments to set up the table optimally. In addition to being able to level the table, the Merrill-Williams REAL 101.3 turntable is one of the few tables with tonearm platform leveling and tonearm azimuth adjustments. Note the Merrill-Williams REAL 101.3 turntable does not come with a tonearm. The tonearm mounting platform, however, is suitable for all standard 9" and longer 12" length tonearms. Future upgrades are therefore possible via a tonearm upgrade.
The Merrill-Williams REAL 101.3 turntable comes with an external sine wave generator power supply to drive the motor and is a convenient way to change the speed. AC line noise will affect speed stability and degrade the sound and the electronic speed control/regulator will significantly improve performance compared to tables without electronic speed control.
There are useful upgrades available for the Merrill Williams REAL 101.3 turntable. Resonances generated within the record itself can be be reduced by increasing the weight of the vinyl and by ensuring the record is in contact with vibration damping material on the platter. Central and peripheral clamping is the best way to tame intra-vinyl resonances.
The turntables are fabricated in the US using small-scale high-precision hand-built manufacturing optimized for performance rather than production optimized
for low cost and high profit. This turntable is perfect for customers wanting choice over tonearm and cartridge for top level no-nonsense vinyl reproduction at a realistic price.
Merrill Williams R.E.A.L 101.3 turntable
- Rubber elastomer acoustic laminate plinth
- Elastomer suspended fluid damped motor and bearing
- Azimuth adjustable energy absorbing quick change tonearm mounting platform
- Elastomer mounted adjustable hemispherical feet
- Bakelite cellulose composite platter with cork mat and speed strobe
- External electronic motor control with speed adjustment
- Optional central and peripheral record weights
