Roberts RT100
FOR Well built; plenty of useful features; detail; smooth sound AGAINST Timing, dynamics and organisation; rival players “As far as catering for first-time buyers goes, Roberts has laid on quite a spread”
Sometimes it’s difficult to see how something once so good has gone so badly wrong. Even analysing each particular decision with the benefit of hindsight, pinpointing the one key moment that led to the decline isn’t always straightforward.
The outlook for the Roberts RT100 isn’t quite that bleak, but it is difficult to comprehend quite how such a well armed and generally well built turntable could fall this short of the leading pack.
There is a built-in phono stage, the use of which is optional, and a USB connection for digital conversion. Both of these are features we’re becoming used to at this entry-level price, offering the kind of convenience that suits the market well.
Speed is selected via a push button on the plinth – simply press down for 45rpm or leave up for your albums.
Thoughtful construction
We are impressed by how well the RT100 has been engineered: the main bearing is snug, there’s little give to the tone arm and – a pleasant surprise for an entry-level deck – Roberts has gone to the trouble of decoupling the motor.
The RT100 is also semi-automatic, the platter beginning to spin as soon as the tonearm glides across, and dons a removable head shell for the simplest of cartridge changes. As far as catering for first-time buyers goes, Roberts has laid on quite a spread. In fact, it is only with the plinth we can find true fault. Though the feet it sits on offer suspension, the plinth itself feels far from robust.
Even lifting it from the box, our fingernails graze the MDF on its underside, and a simple tap returns a quite hollow sound. Given the obvious precision and care that has gone into the rest of this deck’s construction, it is a bit of a letdown.
As ever, it’s the sonic performance that dictates the bulk of our rating, and that is where the RT100 is sadly lacking. The presentation is quite detailed and the balance is good: there are no sharp edges, and the bit of warmth it has over the Award-winning Sony PSHX500, for example, is actually to our preference.
But all that good work is unravelled by the RT100’S sense of timing and dynamics. Take Boards Of Canada’s Tomorrow’s Harvest, for example, and especially tracks such as New Seeds: the interlocking rhythms sound more like corn popping in a saucepan than a composition curated by practised musicians.
All about timing
The beat anchoring each bar is definite, offering some navigational stability, but the organisation of less-pronounced rhythms is decidedly haphazard. The performance is inoffensive and generally easy on the ear, but combined with a lack of acute dynamic awareness, it isn’t wholly satisfying either.
The Roberts fares better when rhythms are more singular. We play Radiohead’s Kid A and the RT100 appears to be more comfortable, using its general insight to dig out decent texture from the instruments and affording generous body to vocals.
Here it is mainly the restricted dynamic range letting the RT100 down. There is a lack of expression that dulls the music, eschewing intensity in favour of preserving the deck’s generally amiable character.
The capable competition
Apart from the Sony PSHX500, there are a number of other options we would also take before settling on the RT100. Audio Technica’s ATLP5, for example, is a directdrive alternative for only a marginally higher price, as is the ATLP3, which can be found for as little as £150 – though that lacks the capability to record your vinyl.
The RT100 has its positives. It’s generally well built and stocked with useful features but its sonic performance falls some way short of those at the top.