Akai AP-D3
The Akai AP-D3 is a direct-drive turntable from the early 1980s, part of Akai's push into the value-conscious audiophile market (High-Fidelity Trade News, February 1980, p.35). Akai promoted it as one of 11 new products for the value-conscious customer of that year. It sits in that lineup as a straightforward, well-equipped deck rather than a flagship.
The D3 uses a DC servo motor to drive a 313 mm platter (some sources list 330 mm). A quartz lock system holds speed at 33-1/3 and 45 rpm. Wow and flutter is rated at 0.025% WRMS (some sources list 0.04% WRMS), and rumble at -68 dB (DIN B) (some sources list -70 dB). The tonearm is an S-shaped tube with adjustable tracking force, anti-skating, and cueing. Effective length is 231.8 mm, with 15 mm overhang. Pitch control spans a 3.5% range, and a strobe is built into the speed selector so you can check speed by eye. The power supply is switchable for 110, 127, 220, or 240 V.
The unit measures 430 × 149 × 365 mm and weighs 6.5 kg (some sources list 6.8 kg). No production years, original price, or owner reviews surfaced in the research. The record is thin. The specs above come from a single detailed source (Audiodrom), plus database entries that back up the basics.
- Direct drive, DC servo motor, quartz lock
- Speeds: 33-1/3, 45 rpm
- Wow and flutter: 0.025% WRMS (some sources list 0.04% WRMS)
- Rumble: -68 dB (DIN B) (some sources list -70 dB)
- Platter: 313 mm (some sources list 330 mm)
- S-shaped tonearm, effective length 231.8 mm, overhang 15 mm
- Pitch control: ±3.5%
- Dimensions: 430 × 149 × 365 mm; 6.5 kg (some sources list 6.8 kg)
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