This Realistic Lab 400 is a surprising good turntable. Simple, well-made, great sound and that’s it.
Nice motor, simple in mechanical parts, good quality metal and wood, and a great looking turntable too.
Realistic turntables back in 1978 where built by C.E.C.(OEM company in Japan) they made models for various brands and knew what they were doing, this one is a 2-speed, fully automatic, direct drive with repeat function and record size selection.
The Lab 400 retailed for $199.95 USD in 1978, and you never have to touch the tonearm. Just pick the correct record size and push start.
The base is an attractive walnut veneer and it came with 2 motors;
The 16 pole brushless DC servomotor with ratings of 0.03% wow and flutter and better than 63dB rumble.
And the tonearm has its own DC motor too, completely independent of the platter drive.
If you want a good-looking affordable vintage turntable, good performing and fully automatic, then this is the one for you.
I've had 4 of these. They are great...
1st
2nd
3rd
again 3rd and 4th
5th
Specifications