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 - Piano Black

I’ve had the Fluance RT85 now for a week, I went for the piano black one. I wanted something to upgrade and replace my very old (1981) Technics SLB-210 that works fine and sounds OK. I liked the look of the specs for the Fluance RT85, the simplicity and raw features seem to offer a lot for the money when compared to many others that seemed to come with all the snake oil I didn’t want! But it wasn’t available in the UK so I was looking at a few options including the, Sony PSHX 500, the Project Classics and Debut Carbon, and the Technics SL1500B. I’d decided that if the RT85 became available I’d go for that, otherwise I’d step up to the Technics SL1500B in April but consider upgrading the stylus to the Ortofon 2M Blue (as on the RT85). Packaging and unboxing: The product box arrived within a larger Amazon box with a good amount of packing material. Product box showed no signs of any transportation damage and was confirmed while unboxing the turntable. Everything in the box was there and well packed and protected in perfect condition. As others have noted the inclusion of a pair of cotton gloves is a nice thought. Assembly: Set-up instructions are very clear and simple to follow but I did have trouble following the instructions for the tone arm balancing. Balancing the tone arm was the most time consuming bit, I fiddled and tried to do it for a while following the instructions but just couldn’t get it right. Fortunately, I’d also ordered a Stylus Force Scale so as soon as I made use of that the balancing was done and set to the recommended 1.8g in no time. The included phono leads seem to be a decent quality and they are shorter than the Cambridge ones I was intending to use so I used those into my Project Phono Box USB V. The turntable sits high on its three legs, well feet, and it’s nice and stable. I didn’t even need to make any adjustments to level it, popped the supplied mini bubble level on the deck and it was already spot on! Play and Sound: Well it’s a step-up in the gramophone stakes, makes me think of an old “Not the Nine O’Clock News” sketch so I might be heading to upgrade my speakers and amp et-up too. No sign of any vibrations getting through to the tone arm and pick-up from the motor or bits of kit in the rack. The old Technics did introduce some motor noise and a bit of artefact on the left channel into the mix that were evident when recording using Audacity. Neither are evident with the Fluance, no addition of anything that’s not on the vinyl, the sprung feet, MDF, acrylic platter, and external power source all doing their job well. The dusk cover doesn’t have soft close but it’s not problem to close it gently while the tonearm drops slowly onto the vinyl which is so gentle you’ll only notice it has actually made any contact when the music starts. Keep a hold of the dust cover when opening it though, it will want spring open if you don’t. When the music does start you will not be disappointed, it’s clear and clean and I’m hearing little details I’ve not heard before. It handles all the vinyl I’ve thrown it’s way so far, and it’s been fed a variety, even my very old and well payed Tubular Bells which has lots of clicks and crackles seemed to actually play better on the Fluance, perhaps the Blue doesn’t pick up as much of the surface noise. I can’t detect any issues across the range, it seems very precise from the highs to the base, percussion on the Police LPs sounds really precise and sharp. I’ve got this really annoying whisper in my head though… Turn me up…. Turn me up… it’s so tempting but I don’t think the neighbours will appreciate it too much! Although next up might be ELO and Out of the Blue so that could all change, no one could have an issue with that. At the end of the record the auto stop feature is nice, occasionally it’s stopped the turntable before I’ve got to it. All my vinyl gets a good rub down with a velvet brush before dropping the tone arm. The dive motor does seem to have less grunt than my old Technics (which is probably comparable to the torque of a Land Rover Defender given that it’s ripped the brush from my hand more than once!), it’s not going to pull the brush from your fingers and slows to a stop if you apply too much pressure. As I tend to just let the brush rest with very light pressure to hold it in place, I don’t think this is going to be an issue for me. Overall: The Fluance is a very good package and I believe offers very good value for money in terms of components/features and performance. It does have some small deficiencies; the dustcover hinges could be better with a softer close action and not spring open as you lift the cover up, the drive motor could have a bit more torque, and the queuing arm could be a bit longer and substantial. However, for me these are very minor things and don’t detract from the actual music experience. If I was going to buy again, would I buy the Fluance RT85? Yes I would. By the way yes ELO’s Out of the Blue (1977 original) did play very well and did get turned up! Next up Queen Live Killers or Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon.

I’ve had a Rega P1 for a while (connected to a vintage NAD 3020i amp) and even though it was a terrific starting point to get back into high quality vinyl playback, I soon had an itch to move up the audio ladder so it was off to the Interweb and YouTube. After many, many hours of research, I decided that the Fluance RT85 would be the next logical move. Tons of good reviews from consumers and experts alike plus everyone mentioned the “bang for your buck” it offered. Fluance’s Reference Series starts with the RT82 to their current flagship RT85. Each model has the same plinth and tonearm but upgrades the cartridge and / or the platter as you move up the chain. This means that you can purchase the basic model and have an upgrade path to the RT85. It’s comforting to know you can start with the model to suit your budget and move on when and if you feel the need to do so. I was initially thinking of buying the RT84 which is the same as the RT85 but with an aluminium platter as opposed to the acrylic but as there was only a £50 difference and I noticed the upgraded platter would be more than that alone, I decided to treat myself. For all models, buying the next one up is cheaper than upgrading later. Components: The RT85 has the aforementioned acrylic platter - weighing in at 3lbs - which, by all accounts, is something you’d find on turntables way more costly than this and because of the material it’s made from there’s no need for a mat - you simply place your record directly on it. Very noteworthy is that the RT85 (and RT84 for that matter) has the highly rated Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge and stylus included. Check to see how much that is and you’ll see what incredible value this package is. The cartridge is pre-attached and aligned to a headshell which slips on to the S-shaped tonearm. Also included are a set of good quality RCA leads, a grounding cable, a power supply (d’uh, obviously) and even a small bubblr level for ensuring any adjustments you make are spot on. The plinth is a heavyweight MDF and the smoked dust cover has a nice feel to it. Oh, they’ve even thrown in some cotton gloves so you don’t get any skin oil on the belt when you attach to the motor. Finally, the speed is selectable on the on/ off control knob without the need to lift off the platter and move the belt manually (hallelujah!). Setup: The manual clearly guides you step-by-step so it’s a breeze and even I managed it in about 15 minutes. Pop on the platter and pull the belt that’s already round it to the pulley; screw in the head shell to the tone arm; attach the counter-weight and turn until the arm floats horizontally. You then turn the weight dial to correspond to the recommended setting for your stylus (1.8gm for the 2M Blue) and turn the anti-skating wheel to be the same. It’s worth saying that once I’d done that, I thought I’d check it with a stylus scale - to my absolute surprise, the scale showed exactly 1.8gm! Finally, you connect the RCA leads, the grounding cable and the power supply. Done! Operation: Switch the on/off knob to 33 or 45, move the tonearm towards the platter and it will start to spin. There’s an auto stop feature which is on by default but you can turn it off (slide switch on the back) if you don’t want it. The platter will continue to spin for about 20 seconds or so once it reaches the run out groove - ideal if you want to hear the lock groove sound on Sgt. Pepper’s but just not forever. I like the feature as occasionally I’ve fallen asleep and the stylus is being worn down playing nothing. The cueing lever drops the tonearm very gently on to your disc but, and this is the only negative I’ve found, the lever does feel a bit plasticky and cheap. A pity since the rest of the unit is so well built and high quality. No matter, it’s only a cueing lever. Sound Quality: Okay, this all means nothing if it sounds dreadful. Now bear in mind that I’ve only had this for a day and the stylus would take circa 50 hours to run in so this is just an initial impression. In a word, wow! It sounds fantastic and will only get better. The soundstage is wide, deep and rich (albeit a little brighter than the Rega). The Ortofon Blue is revealing detail in records that I’ve not heard before and I can’t wait to listen to my collection all over again. Looks: Bloody gorgeous in my opinion. I went for the walnut veneer and combined with the acrylic platter it‘s stunning. Have a look at my photos if you need proof. Conclusion: I can’t believe what Fluance have produced for the price they’re asking. You may not know the name but, believe me, they will become more popular as the word spreads on how good their turntables are. Highly recommended. If you found this review helpful, please click the button. Cheers!

Spent some time researching which TT to buy and decided on this Fluance. Really well made, arrived packaged very well indeed. Easy set up, cart was aligned out if the box (checked with protractor). Very nice finish and quality, feels solid and well built. Sound quality is excellent and I only expect it to improve as the stylus beds in. Recommended.

Outstanding turntable in every aspect, built to last & solid as a tank! .... The quality is evident in every part, even packaging and the little white gloves included (a touch of class). Hooked up the phono stage and it came to life surprisingly fast, and as per my measures, with accurate speed & notably quite. So far, very pleased with the purchase and I think it was right call (for me) not to go for the 85N. The only draw back is that I noted the bass lacked presence & definition! I think this is mainly for the Ortofon 2m Blue, which is a fantastic stylus except of the Bass issue that I am planning to address with my Yamaha subwoofer.... can't wait! Highly recommended for everyone

Looks great, works well, sounds good- but a bit to bright, for my taste (M2 blue?), still need to verify the head alignment. For 700$ (include TAX in IL) its still good deal. What i didn't like - the dust cover hinges are a bit squawking and not smooth, and the support legs do not isolate from any resonance.

I bought a Audio Technica AT60 a few years ago so I could listen to my old vinyl albums from the 70's & 80's and it was ok at the time and suited my budget as I had to buy an amplifier and speakers at the same time. For the last year or so I'd been looking for an upgrade having read various reports on how much better something like a Rega Planer, CS Dual or Pro-Ject was than the turntable I had. After doing a lot of research and changing my mind several times I settled on the Fluance RT series. Initially I was a bit worried as all of this manufacturers competitors are readily available from UK retailers whilst Fluance are only available either direct from the manufacturer in Canada (shipping, VAT & import costs!!!) or Amazon - but the reviews kept saying Fluance. I was going to save up and settle for the RT84 as the RT85 was out of my budget and the only major difference between the two models is the turntable platter, they both have the all important 2M Blue cartridge at a price Pro-Ject couldn't match. I'm no "audiophile" but all the reviews I read recommended the 2M Blue over the 2M Red cartridge if it was within the budget. I was extremely lucky to get a Fluance RT85 on Amazon's Prime deal for less than an RT84 would have cost me. The turntable arrives well packed and is easy to put together - the only slightly difficult bit is the tight fitting dust cover for the drivebelt motor. All I can say is this turntable produces simply stunning sounds. I'm hearing instruments, sounds and tones I've never heard before on albums I've had for 40+ years. It's like hearing my record collection for the first time. The stylus takes about 20-30hrs playing time to "run in" and gets better as it plays. The base is solid, the acrylic platter heavy, I've read reports where people have moaned about the finish of the colour on the MDF - mine is Piano white and looks brilliant - but it's the sound that is important and if this thing looked like a lump of rough wood I'd still have it. I got it at a bargain price but if you asked me is it worth the normal retail price (£499.00) the answer is yes, just buy it!

ONE OF THE BEST PURCHASES IVE EVER MADE.... sounds great no issues on set up balanced the tone arm plugged in the wires to the Fluance Ai61 speakers and I was off...impressed by the sound of these speakers and the blue ortofon is perfect still breaking it in but sounds really good well packed and clomes with gloves ideal for those unboxing videos I hate lol anyway but it all here the RT85 is the top level table in the range up till now and i hope to get many years of use out of it

I've had a few decent decks in my time, and currently have a Roksan Radius. Just decided to replace my faithful Ariston RD80SL on my second system, with a Roksan Attessa, RRP £999. Maybe it was faulty, but I had a number of issues with it, wobble, rumble, hum, easily losing anti skate and stylus force settings (with almost every LP play). Returned! Didn't fancy anything else in my local hifi shops and had seen this RT85 on numerous online reviews, so took a chance, knowing I could easily return it if not suitable. Set up was extremely easy (unlike the Attessa!), even comes with all cables & accessories, including white gloves for set up. And extremely useful adjustable large Sorbothane feet to level and isolate. Sounds excellent, very detailed and no discernible noise from anywhere, speed/off select dial and a useful semi auto feature that turns the motor on when lifting the cartridge to the record and stops after 30 seconds at the end of play to save stylus wear .... which can be turned off for normal manual operation. Heavy plinth, heavy acrylic platter, hinged dust cover and a decent cartridge included. So well worth half the cost of the Roksan (although that's now less than half price.... and not worth that)! Maybe the arm lever and clip appear a bit flimsy, but should last OK with care. Very well packaged too! For those without a separate pre amp or amp with phono stage.... you'll need one. Good in my book, no unnecessary electronics and cost of such! So all considered, this would suit both experienced and novice vinyl collectors.