REAL 101

About the REAL 101

The Merrill-Williams R.E.A.L. 101 turntable, a collaboration between George Merrill and Robert Williams, employs innovative Rubber Elastomeric Acoustic Laminate construction in the plinth, consisting of rubber elastomer sandwiched with phenolic, to isolate vibrations from the motor, platter, bearing, and tonearm. It includes a microprocessor-controlled motor drive with built-in speed strobe for precise speed accuracy verified by Sutherland Timeline, energy-rejecting elastomer feet, and a sophisticated record-clamping system with damped center weight and periphery ring. The design holds U.S. Patent #8,406,122 B2. It supports standard 9-12" tonearms via an adjustable platform with leveling and azimuth controls (quick-change in later versions). Later models like 101.2 and 101.3 introduced enhancements such as improved platter materials, black phenolic skin, prism speed viewer, and 2 ppm speed accuracy with 0.02% wow and flutter. Does not include tonearm or cartridge; compatible with examples like Ortofon TA-110, Tri-Planar, or Schroeder No. 2. Praised for transparency, midrange openness, detail retrieval, bass articulation, and approaching reel-to-reel performance at an accessible price point.