Reloop Turn 7 Review

Welcome to my Reloop Turn 7 Review article.

Reloop Turn 7 is a cutting-edge turntable engineered to meet the demands of both audiophiles and professional DJs. Boasting a fusion of advanced technology and classic design, the Turn 7 is a testament to Reloop’s commitment to delivering exceptional audio performance and precision. With its sleek aesthetics and innovative features, this turntable sets a new standard in vinyl playback. Join me as I delve into the depths of the Reloop Turn 7 to uncover its capabilities, craftsmanship, and the experience it offers to music enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Intro

With the Turn 7, the Münster-based manufacturer Reloop is bringing another hi-fi record player onto the market that stands out, above all, visually. Because blue LEDs illuminate its transparent acrylic turntable. Under its cover, there is also a decentralized belt drive, electronically switchable to the two playback speeds of 33-1/3 and 45 RPM, a straight carbon tonearm with pre-assembled Ortofon 2M Red, a switchable phono pre-amp and a sound card with which over a connected laptop and recording software your vinyl records can be digitally preserved.

With the Turn 7, Reloop wants to stand out even more in the hi-fi segment, literally. The turntable illuminated with LEDs is a real eye-catcher that is intended to add a colorful accent to the smart black high-gloss design. Accordingly, as I unpacked it, my curiosity grew as to whether the visual appeal in the press photos also impressed me in terms of quality.

Reloop Turn 7 Specifications

Turntable Section:

• Type of turntable: Belt-Driven manual Turntable System with USB Interface
• Drive: Belt drive
• Motor: DC Motor
• Rotation speeds: 33 1/3, 45 RPM
• Starting Torque: //
• Start-up time/rpm change: //
• Wow and Flutter: 0,2% WRMS
• S/N Ratio: >45dB or higher
• Breaking System: Manually

Turntable Platter:

• Turntable Platter: Acrylic glass
• 300 mm diameter
• Weight About 1.7 kg

Tonearm Section:

• Type: Straight Tonearm
• Effective Length: 223.6 mm
• Effective Tonearm Mass: 18.5g
• Overhang: 18.61 mm
• Tracking Error Angle: ±1.5°
• VTA Adjustment Range: – 2 ~ 4 mm
• Applicable Cartridge Weight: 7.2 ~ 11.2 g (incl. Headshell)
• Anti-Skating Range: 0 – 4 g

Cartridge:

• Ortofon 2M Red
• Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5 cm/sec.: 5.5 mV
• Channel balance at 1 kHz: 1.5 dB
• Channel separation at 1 kHz: 22 dB
• Channel separation at 15 kHz: 15 dB
• Frequency response: 20-20.000 Hz + 3 / – 1 dB
• Tracking ability at 315Hz at recommended tracking force: 70 µm
• Compliance, dynamic, lateral: 20 µm/mN
• Stylus type: Elliptical
• Stylus tip radius: r/R 8/18 µm
• Tracking force range: 1.6 – 2.0 g (16-20 mN)
• Tracking force, recommended: 1.8 g (18 mN)
• Tracking angle: 24.7°
• Internal impedance, DC resistance: 1.3 kOhm
• Internal inductance: 700 mH
• Recommended load resistance: 47 kOhm
• Recommended load capacitance: 150-300 pF
• Cartridge color, body/stylus: Black/Red
• Cartridge weight: 7.2 g

General:

• Terminals: 1x PHONO/LINE Out, Build in Phono Stage (Pre Amp)
• Power Supply: 12 V 1A DC
• Power consumption: 12W
• Dimensions: 420(W) x 356(D) x 148(H) mm
• Weight: 8.2 kg

You can download & view the manual here->Reloop Turn 7 Manual

Design & Construction

Reloop chassis made of MDF wood is unusually heavy. To protect the paint from scratches, the surface is also covered with a soft cloth. With the chassis standing on four large silver height-adjustable and tiltable insulator feet, I see a true piece of jewelry in a timeless, elegant design that truly enhances the interior design at home.

The fact that the Turn 7 weighs 8.2 kg, almost as much as a DJ turntable, is not just due to its wooden chassis. The transparent 20 mm thick acrylic turntable alone weighs 1.7 kg. To illuminate it, 20 LEDs surround the turntable hub, covered by a plastic ring that is visually reminiscent of the drive board of the Technics SL-1210 MK7.

The surface looks very tidy and spacious with its elements. Starting at the bottom left is the RPM speed switch for 33 and 45 RPM records.

The decentralized belt motor with its bronze hub around which the belt needs to be tensioned was placed in the upper right corner.

Reloop Turn 7 Tonearm

According to the manufacturer, the very light straight carbon tonearm promises first-class acoustic properties by counteracting vibrations. Most straight Hi-Fi tonearms have a curved extension on which only under-deck pickups are installed. In this case, an additional headshell is unnecessary. In contrast, Reloop relies on a standardized SME closure, which means that pre-assembled under-deck systems such as the Ortofon 2M Red, which is included in the scope of delivery, or Concorde cartridges can be connected to headshells. The appropriately angled headshell ensures the correct needle position, as with a straight tonearm with a fixed clamping device.

The tonearm base is also impressive both visually and qualitatively. The lift device and lever are made of chrome-plated metal. Like a DJ turntable, the anti-skating can be adjusted using a wheel from zero to four; the height of the tonearm can be corrected with the included Allen key.

Reloop Turn 7 Connection Options

The connections and other switches of the Turn 7 are hidden in a recess on the back: gold-plated RCA sockets as phono or line output, selectable via a switchable preamp. I can also switch the LED lighting on and off in the back panel.

The laptop is connected to the USB port and the included external power supply is connected to the power socket. I look in vain for a ground screw, so the manufacturer also foregoes the ground cable.

The scope of delivery also includes an RCA and USB cable, the cover and hinges, a felt mat, an aluminum single puck, the support weight, a cover for the drive hub, an Allen key and a comprehensive operating manual.

Assembly

To get Turn 7 ready to play, you first need to do a few small things. After setting it up on a safe level, I placed the heavy acrylic plate into the place. Since the drive belt is already wrapped around the plate, clamping it around the motor axle is much quicker than with other hi-fi models.

First I install the headshell and cartridge on the tonearm. The support weight is set to the 1.8 grams recommended by Ortofon; the same value applies to the anti-skating. Whether I still need to adjust the tonearm height depends on the thickness of the felt mat and the record. It is therefore important to check that the tonearm is horizontal to the record and, if necessary, adjust the tonearm height.

Finally, I clamp the two hinges into the cover to hook them into the two rear brackets.

LED Illumination

The idea of illuminated turntables is not entirely new. For example, the high-end manufacturer AVM also offers illuminated acrylic turntables, but they cost almost five times as much. Since a record player also enhances the furniture, in addition to the sound properties, the successful design together with the illuminated plate should be a big selling point for the Turn 7. The switched-on LEDs illuminate the turntable quite discreetly and evenly. The drive belt placed around the plate does not disturb the look at all but rather makes it appear to be in two parts.

Reloop Turn 7 – Background Noise and Synchronization Test

To check the background noise of Turn 7, I first connect Turn 7 to the Rane Seventy-Two MKII and turn up the gain and master as far as they go. The phono signal hisses and hums typically, but in my opinion it is less and hardly noticeable compared to other drives. When playing vinyl at normal volume, I don’t even notice this in the pauses between songs.

If the receiver or integrated amplifier does not have a phono input, connect Turn 7 to the line input and switch on the phono preamp. This not only bridges the missing phono input, but the turntable signal sounds even less noisy and the hum is eliminated.

Despite the massive mass of the acrylic plate, it gets moving quite quickly thanks to the low-vibration DC motor. The specified synchronization fluctuation of 0.2 percent illustrates a stroboscope with a visually easily disappearing strobe marking, which other drives in the same price range manage somewhat better.

Sound Test

To test the Turn 7’s sound, I connected it to my Yamaha A-S3000 integrated amplifier. The sound the record player ultimately delivers depends, of course, on several components, including the drive, the cartridge, the amplifier, the speakers, the cables and ultimately the room acoustics.

The Turn 7 is delivered with the Ortofon 2M Red, an elliptical moving magnet cartridge that covers a frequency response of 20 to 20,000 Hertz and its output is 5.5 mV. This means that Turn 7 plays very balanced and quite neutral. The well-dosed bass sets clear accents in the interplay of mids and highs, which is characterized by transparency and brilliance. The system knows how to reproduce the latter in a disciplined and fairly genuine manner, even with critical S and hissing sounds.

Be it Michael Jackson’s “Off The Wall” or Fleetwood Mac’s “Tango In The Night”, the Turn 7 delivers a very convincing and pleasing sound, which at least goes a step further with a fairly inexpensive upgrade to a 2M Blue Stylus.

Convert Your Records To Digital Format With Reloop Turn 7

To preserve vinyl digitally, I connect the record player to a PC. Since the Turn 7 has a class-compliant sound card, no additional drivers are required. The record player is immediately recognized as a USB audio codec in the optional recording program, in my case Audacity. With 16 bits and a sampling rate of 48,000 Hertz, the sound card achieves a very good recording result, the resolution of which might not entirely satisfy the pickiest clientele, but they prefer to listen to vinyl analog rather than from the hard drive anyway.

Reloop Turn 7 – Possible Alternatives

In terms of technology and price, the Reloop Turn 7 is already in the upper league of the game players Pro-Ject and Thorens, where it will establish itself thanks to its features:

Reloop Turn 7 Video Introduction

Final Verdict

The belt-operated hi-fi record player Reloop Turn 7 is exceptional. Visually, the very smart and timeless-looking drive stands out thanks to its blue illuminated acrylic turntable. The term premium turntable stands here, among other things, for its solid wooden chassis with a smooth-running, decentralized belt drive including a straight carbon tonearm, whose anti-skating and tonearm height is adjustable and to which an Ortofon 2M Red is pre-mounted on an angled headshell. Its hi-fi quality is only slightly affected by its synchronization tolerance, which was observed in the test using a stroboscope. Thanks to its phono preamp, the Reloop Turn 7 also plays with low noise via the line input of a receiver/integrated amplifier. Records can be digitized using a computer connected via USB and optional recording software. Reloop Turn 7 can satisfy the appetite of every audiophile.