Fluance RT82 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable Record Player with Ortofon OM10 Cartridge, Speed Control Motor, High Mass MDF Wood Plinth, Vibration Isolation Feet - Walnut

My old Techniques SL-Q3 still works but has its issues. So, I looked for new TT, after some research it was a toss up between AT-120USB (Direct Drive) and the rt82 (Belt Drive). First, I bought the AT-120 (options, reviews, & used to DD) sounded great for the price point. However, the Anti-Skate didnt work properly and (depending on volume, low vibration resistance) it gave a hum to feedback, so I returned it. Purchased the RT82, got it quickly, nothing damaged, easy to put together, and pleasing to the eye. The Anti-Skate worked perfectly, the motor has little to no sound, the sound resistance is great no hum, the sound is good with the OM10 (not as warm as I like) but got another cart/styli I prefer and it sounds great... The RT82 is a great buy at its price point with upgradability and a strong company presence making it easier to get parts, if needed (was part of my decision). However, no VTA which can be an issue with some head shells and cart/stylis, so be aware if this would be an issue for you.

It was either this or the 400$ ATH LP120X and I gotta say, not only is it a hundred bucks cheaper, the build quality and componentry are also so much better. Comes with an inuitive system for weighing the tone arm and levelling the table, and the sound quality is superb. Sounds as good as it looks.

amazing turntable for beginners.

added it to me home stereo system, great addition. looks fantastic and sounds even better. First time ever using or setting up a turntable, and everything went along just as the directions and videos said. did I mention it sounds fantastic...

I purchased the RT82 because of the price and the fact i can upgrade it over time to an RT85 or better. It sounds great as is, so may leave as is. I got the bamboo color as I think the black and walnut (although beautiful) would be fingerprint and dust magnets. Highly recommend this turntable!

Nice low-end turntable.

Ive tried turntables for under $200 and they simply not that great. While the bulk of these are Audio Technica or have the same mechanics as AT, they continuously have issues with skips on records that never have and muddier sound as the album progresses. You cant get a good automatic / semi-automatic that works well anymore (I miss my Technics turntable). So I sucked it up and got the Fluance. I will say as an actual record player, the sound is really good and it plows through problematic records that the AT couldnt handle. Setting it up was fairly easy especially if you follow the video the company posted on YouTube which takes about 5-10 minutes from unboxing to playing. Its a reasonably inexpensive turntable thats meant to work like a pricier audiophile one. I compared the sound to the AT and its not even close. The Fluance sound is bigger and broader in sound making a lot of my old records sound new. The AT is strictly for newbies who dont care for sound. The AT sounds flat and compressed. A better turntable definitely has an audio difference. Im also pleased that the speeds on the turntable were pretty accurate right out of the box. That said, I find it odd that Fluance couldnt add a few more features. Its advertised as a semi-automatic turntable, but thats being extremely generous. The only feature thats semi-automatic is the turntable will stop when the needle gets to the end after 20 seconds. Thats it. Theres no power shut off, no auto return, nothing. You have to drop the needle and return the tone arm manually, and even after that, the power dial also has to be turned off. I dont know if anything bad would happen by leaving it on, but for 21st century equipment, this seems way behind the times. I guess one of the manual benefits is you dont accidentally have it set for an LP when you mean to play a 45 and have the needle automatically miss the record and damage the needle. Given how replacement needles for this are fairly expensive, I could see why one would want to me more cautious but they do provide better sound than cheaper ones and perform better like I said before. In summery. its a turntable that performs and sounds well, but it takes a bit more effort on your part.

Overall top notch especially for the money. Replaceable headshell was a must, really hard to find. Change the character of its sound in a few minutes with a headshell/cartridge swap.

I have an RT82 and it has generally been great, but a few months in I had an intermittent electrical problem. Fluance support stood by their product and replaced it with one that is sounding great!

One of the best TT Ive ever owned. I hope to use it to get back into vinyl listening.