Fluance RT85 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable Record Player with Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge, Acrylic Platter, Speed Control Motor, High Mass MDF Wood Plinth, Vibration Isolation Feet - Walnut

I have been collecting and listening to vinyl for about 4 years and was using a vintage Sanyo turn table I got for cheap from a co worker. Over $100 later to get it working and replace the cartridge it sounded pretty good. At least, thats what I thought until I recently upgraded to the Fluance RT85. I conducted a listening test with a friend with Kind of Blue by Miles Davis with the old TT vs the Fluance and it was like night and day. Sound stage is wide and lush, output at a great level with my Cambridge CP-1 bass resonates with a depth I havent heard outside of a club, and the sheer amount of information and detail is astounding. It literally was like taking a heavy wool cloth off of the speakers between the two. The turntable was fairly easy to set up, although a bit time consuming and nerve-wracking when you have to balance the tone arm and apply the correct tracking force. Instructions were clear and helpful and once I finished the ten steps it played like a dream without any issue. The cartridge on this is a beast and tracks with no issue so far including on fairly warped records. The acrylic platter is gorgeous, heavy and doesnt require a slip mat, and the black piano finish is great! Included gloves can help reduce smudges and cat hair collecting for those who are OCD about the aesthetic of their TT, which with this Fluance is overall simple, yet sophisticated. I am listening to records again that I previously thought sounded dull/lacking in a whole new light with this. Worth every penny as this is an investment that I see lasting a long time; it is built like a tank from what I can tell. Im grinning with every different record I put on and am addicted to vinyl once again. Overall, I am completely satisfied with this purchase and would make it again in a heartbeat. Skip the cheaper versions of this model and go for the fully upgraded one. You wont regret it :)

My husband was very happy with his first test runs. The sound is great.

Nice looking turntable works fine. first turntable was DOA I returned it and reordered second one was good. I wished it have a few more features but its over all good buy.

Solid

I haven’t had a turntable since my Technics direct drive from 40 years ago. When it went bad recently I looked for an upgrade/replacement. I couldn’t be more happy with my choice. I love the acrylic platter, for both function and aesthetics, and the lack of wow and flutter with good sound to noise ratio. The sounds is warm, crisp, detailed and better than I remembered my vinyl from the days of the 70s and 80s. A great value as are all the turntables Fluance offers. Simplistic in design and operation but that adds to the overall enjoyment in my opinion. I’m thoroughly immersed in my vinyl collection again!

The Fluance RT85 is a massive step up from my previous turntable (the AT-LP60), in terms of both sound quality and quality of construction. The combination of the Ortofon Blue cartridge, the acrylic platter, and the overall precision and craftsmanship of the unit is really hard to overstate. This is a beautiful, beautiful turntable with very little coloration to the sound. Once properly grounded, it is dead quiet with no discernible noise or distortion at all. Set-up was easy. If you take your time and follow the instruction manual carefully, you honestly can’t go wrong. I had also watched some tutorials on YouTube in preparation for it’s arrival, so I already had a pretty good sense of how to set it up. Like most higher-end turntables, the RT85 does not have a built in preamp (which prevents any added coloration to the signal), so a separate purchase may be necessary if you don’t already own a stand alone phono preamp. Despite the added cost this is actually a plus, since it gives you complete control over how to shape the signal. The sound of the Fluance RT85 is pristine and accurate. The servo motor speed is constantly monitored and corrected for accuracy, so there’s no need to fine-tune the speed adjustments. The cartridge, which comes pre-aligned, reproduces a full soundstage with a wide, flat frequency response and incredible detail. I have the auto-stop disabled, so I can’t review this feature- but it’s nice to know it’s there, if I should ever need to use it. It would truly be hard to imagine a more elegant turntable, even at two or three times the cost. It simply steps out of the way and lets you appreciate the original quality of your LP’s and 45’s, without adding or subtracting anything from the sound. If you are looking to make the leap into a reasonably affordable, reference quality turntable, the Fluance RT85 is the perfect way to take your appreciation of vinyl into the audiophile realm. Five stars for both sound quality and craftsmanship!

just hooked up my turn table, sounds awesome, have klipch speakers, and a harmon kardon 730, so clear, i think i just fell in love, if you are looking for an awesome turn table this is it, had a rega turntable for 40 years, it went bad, got this turn table and am totally happy. give this one a try, you wont regret it

This is my 4 month review. I decided to hold off and put this baby through its paces before putting my 2 cents in. In a nutshell, after owning many low and high-end tables over my 40 years of vinyl-love, this one is the absolute sweet spot to me. Sub $500, there is no better deal or higher quality TT for the money. You get a 2M Blue, super high-end acrylic platter, top-notch quality plinth, quality everything else, and a partridge in a pear tree. As I said on the tag line....if youre looking for a TT and want epic quality for the money without breaking the bank, but are unsure what to get, just pull the trigger man. You wont regret it.

If you are looking for a TT in this price range, and you’re going back and forth among options, I will encourage you to stop looking and buy the RT85, even if it takes a while to get delivered. This is the best TT you can get ~$500, if you are going for new and not vintage. This thing is built for ppl with audiophile leanings. 3 lb acrylic platter, beautiful gloss finish, speed switch, and, most importantly, the Ortofon 2M BLUE cartridge included (those usually go for ~$250 separately). All of these features seem more high end than the price suggests. No unnecessary parts, so in that sense, pretty minimal and not distracted. The only thing that may hold u up is the belt drive. Some say this is less reliable than a direct drive, but this TT has a servo motor that checks the speed 500/sec. The speed on my table is always spot on so far. The plinth seems solid. The dust cover is a little annoying to install, but you can get it with patience. The sound coming out of this thing through my ART DJ PRE II preamp and active speakers is so crisp and realistic. I feel like I’m in a room full of performers. The instruments are separated well. All in all, amazing purchase. Get it. And if something goes wrong, the customer service at Fluance will be pretty accommodating.

Customer service was very helpful with any questions I had regarding the product. Great turntable in my opinion.