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

Absolutely elegant product. The instructions are so easy to follow and setting up everything only took a few minutes - and this was my first time setting up counterbalance and anti-skate. Looks incredible in my room. The dust cover is a little more “Smokey” than I thought, but I really like it. I don’t know how they can sell such a great product at such a great price.

There are better turntables out there, but for the money this is a great valie. Love it.

First, this is a beautiful turntable in both sound and looks. It took a bit to put it all together correctly, but the directions were easy to follow. My problem is that I believed I was getting an automatic turntable where the arm actually returned to the resting stand once the record was done playing. Instead, the turntable just stops at the end of the record and stays on the stopped record, I cant imagine this is good for the needle and the description of AutoStop is a bit misleading. It is better than having the record continuously spin at the end, but not as good as when the needle comes off the record and returns to its resting stand. Id return it, but to take it all apart, try and get everything back into the box would be a huge hassle so I guess Ill learn to live with it. Just beware is all Im saying if youre looking for that fully automatic return feature.

I get that this is an entry-level turntable. It is the first new turntable I have bought in over a decade, and I was cautious, and did what I thought was an adequate amount of research. But I am extremely disappointed. I spent a long time setting this up, and was especially careful adjusting the tonearm weight - too often I have heard people complain about the sound of their LP player when it just turns out that their setup was faulty. The first night that I tried out the RT82, I was amazed: the motor hum, which I admittedly read was loud on this model, was not loud; it was obscene. Any music with soft passages was more or less unlistenable, unless I wanted to crank my receiver and belt out every record I play. As tempting as that is, its not the best long-term solution. I wanted to give the turntable the benefit of the doubt. This could easily have been a mistake of my own. I re-checked the assembly, and for the umpteenth time used a level to check the shelf that has housed with no similar issues my past record players. Nothing was off-kilter, everything looked good. The motor continued to scream. Dismayed, I walked away from it, and decided to get online and look for suggestions on how to handle this before simply packing it up and returning it. About an hour later, I decided to give it one more try, and sure enough, the motor had quieted down. I could still hear a light buzz, but it was far less egregious than it had been. Fine. While I was not about to throw away the box it came in, I chalked up the initial motor shriek to the table needing to be broken in. For a few weeks, thats exactly what I did. Eventually, the motor grew loud again. I dug in and looked up articles about some things I could do to combat the noise, and once again I re-checked my assembly of the turntable as well as the shelf on which the table was placed. This was all within the first month of owning the RT82. And it was within the first month that the speed issues began. Less than a minute into the start of an LP, the sound would begin to crackle and the rotation speed would slow to a crawl. So now Im legitimately frustrated. I have owned several older belt-drive turntables, and when this issue comes up, my first inclination is to check for a worn-out belt. But...a worn-out belt on a turntable that is less than a month old? Could the belt-twisting elves have snuck in during the night and twisted the belt around the platter? No, the belt looks fine. My next step is to check the motor pulley cap and make sure the alignment is secure. Check. Now I lift the tonearm and the motor doesnt even start. Oh wait, it just started. Oh wait, now its slowing to a crawl. Now it stopped. Ok, check the tonearm again. Maybe the counterweight is somehow no longer locked in place. No, the tonearm is fine. Maybe the.....ok, what is happening right now? Look, I understand what I did wrong. I read the bad reviews and the good reviews, saw that the good outnumbered the bad, and decided to gamble. I rolled the dice and lost. I could take it to be serviced by someone who knows what theyre doing, but really, why throw more money at it? I realized that I could either return it, or try to pop it open and look at the motor myself. Of course, then I would be left with a turntable that I may never trust to function properly without a monthly tune-up, which seems ridiculous. And, as Im sure I have made clear in this review, Im no technician. But I can pack a box, which is what I decided to do. Overall, I am very disappointed. The loud motor is one thing, there are a few tricks that you can find online to try to get that worked out (I cannot attest to these because I did not get to the point of trying them) but the speed issues, which have been documented in RT model reviews by other repentant customers, are a whole other matter. And the fact that it stopped working after a month is unacceptable. On Amazon, when I chose the option to return it, I was contacted immediately and they were very easy to deal with. The rep asked if I wanted him to contact Fluance to inquire about replacing it, but, as much as I wanted this to work out, I will very likely buy something else. I guess the timing of this thing sputtering to a complete stop worked out, since it happened within the return window. My protection plan, after a quick and friendly phone call, was also refunded almost in its entirety, so all told (so far), it could be worse. If you absolutely intend to buy this model, there are some good things about it. I can definitely say that its nice-looking. The instructions for assembly are easy to follow. Its also...I dont know, packed well? Im struggling here. It stopped working after a month. Did I mention its nice-looking? I cannot recommend the RT82. I certainly cannot recommend buying one without a protection plan. Based on the reviews, it seems that there is a good chance that you will get one that works. I did not. And I am sorry I bought it.

I like it. Sound good, easy to use, looks pretty.

There is one issue, but Fluance think that most people listen to LPs then singles. There is no place for the adapter. They provided R.C.A. cables, ground wire (I have almost bought it on Amazon), single adapter. Fluance company is going beyond then some there companies.

This is a high quality turntable and a big upgrade from my previous setup. Be warned you need to ground the unit to your amplifier using the included ground wire or you will get a ground hum.

I didn’t realize all of the assembly necessary, I’ve never bought a turntable new before. But, with a bit of frustration, once I rechecked everything, including the gear cap for the belt, and put that in properly, the turntable worked silently like a charm! Cute little button level to precisely level the turntable for optimum sound. Wonderful for that pure analogue vinyl sound! Very happy with this purchase!

Copy of review for the 81 comparing both tables: I got this one for my bedroom and the 82 for my living room which is much bigger. I mainly got this one for the walnut color which was sold out in the 82 and I figured Id compare them this way. Slightly different rigs. This one has a Sony amp with old Pioneer 3 way speakers vs an onkyo with polk towers downstairs. Both rigs are excellent but slight advantage downstairs and Id say the om10 is a slightly better cart vs the at95 but all in all these turntables are amazing. I played the first 2 sides of deloused in the comatorium on both tables. Sounds are Bouncing around the room. Om10 slightly prettier at95 slightly livelier. Both of these tables are amazing. One of my favorite albums really coming to life right out of the box. Ive heard the at95 needs burn in time too so this really is a great cart. Both are beautiful tables and solid af. The walnut is definitely my favorite but the black is very classic and looks great. Im switching from project rpm and technics which were also nice tables but I honestly think these are the best sounding tables Ive ever had. Also upgraded both to acrylic mats. You will not be disappointed. Id say go with the om10 but really both sound amazing

I have the RT85. I bought this one for my adult daughter.