I went back and forth with a number of different tables including a Rega P1 or a Pro-Ject Debut. Fluency showed up later in the picture, but the RT85 ticked all of my boxes. Even though Fluance is a newer brand, lots of reviews recommended their products and any skepticism was quashed once I got my RT85.
I wanted a table with a nice cartridge, an auto-stop feature and an aesthetically pleasing one. I upgraded from a 13 year old AT-LP60 that was always giving me speed issues and subpar performance that didn’t bring any life into my vinyl. Now that I wanted to get back into my record collection, I decided a better table would make it more enjoyable.
PACKAGE
The table arrived in perfect shape. In fact, I opted for an open box model for a bit less and was sent one straight from Fluance. I have not noticed any damage or wear whatsoever. Some other open box items may have a blemish or two, but everything here was flawless and packaged like new. Lots of things were included - an easy setup guide, a bubble level, 45 adapter, rca cables and a ground wire, AND white gloves. I do recommend using the gloves to assemble everything - the table is quite prone to fingerprints and smudges. Once it is setup, you won’t have to touch more than the tonearm and the speed setting.
BUILD
The RT85 features (in my case) a walnut colored plinth and an acrylic platter that doesn’t require a mat. It’s hefty, but not too heavy to be burdensome - it’s great to have a little weight to it for its security on a table and to isolate the table as beat as possible. It has clean edges that give it a sleek and modern look. The removable dust cover is perfect for keeping the surface dust free when you’re not playing and it slides off and on with ease. The rubber feet are adjustable and cushion the table perfectly. With the included bubble level, you can quickly adjust the feet to achieve a perfect balance.
The tonearm balancing is easy to figure out and the included instructions guide you step by step through the process, which I highly recommend you read through a few times to get it exactly right. The table does require a phono preamp - if it had one built in, you’d be limited to the performance of an onboard preamp. Requiring a separate preamp gives you unlimited options for how you’d like your sound to be.
PERFORMANCE
The RT85 features an Ortofon 2M Blue, which in its own right is not only expensive but a heavy hitter. Considering that the price of the 2M blue is nearly half the price of the table, it is nice to see that Fluance didn’t cut any corners on the rest of table. Throwing on a new copy of John Mayer’s Where The Light Is, I was amazed at how quiet everything sounded right off the bat. Neon shone through, bright and detailed, but also a warmth that allowed for a full body presence. Guitar plucks and strums sounded expertly realistic and alive. Bass thumped deeply without being boomy or overwhelming. Including the sound of the audience, every audible characteristic had its own room to be heard on a wide but controlled and inviting soundstage. Even on older LPs where bass can be a bit underwhelming, it had plenty of life when played on the RT85.
The 2M blue captures plenty of detail and subtle nuances. I noticed a huge improvement from my last turntable, where music sounded flat and lifeless. I finally began to hear the differences that makes vinyl stand out. Music became much more engaging and lively, each part of a track being given its own space to cut through. While playing older records with quite a bit of wear, I do hear some “snap, crackle and pop”. It’s unavoidable in the world of vinyl, but the Fluance plays just fine through it and after a deep clean, records may have some surface noise but it disappears once the tracks begin and I can still hear the music with incredible clarity. In most cases, it’s the record and not the table anyway.
The RT85 performs quite accurately. It adjusts to wow and flutter automatically and I consistently had results within a few degrees of 33 1/3. I never notice any speed fluctuation and so far, everything I’ve played sounds perfectly normal and as I remember them. It can play 45s as well and includes the adapter. The tonearm is nice and light, but a little delicate so it’s important to lock it in when not being used and use care when queuing something up so that the stylus lands where it needs to. It’s important to keep your records clean, and in turn the table and stylus will function well. I use a carbon fiber brush to clean each side before playing and I drop the stylus in zerostat gel after every side.
The RT85 does have an auto stop feature that enables when the stylus has reached the end and nears two inches of the spindle. I find that it doesn’t work often for me, but that is typically because the record label reaches over two inches and then auto stop won’t engage. It’s not anything that bothers me too much.
CONCLUSION
The RT85 is such an amazing upgrade for me. I’m hearing so much more from my vinyl and that’s convinced me it was worth it. I find myself using it on a daily basis and the ritual of playing records makes the entire experience quite enjoyable with a good turntable. This is an excellent table for anyone looking to make the jump from an entry level turntable to something more serious if you consider vinyl to be a passion and want to hear what it really offers. The excellent value and quality of the RT85 makes this stand out as an solid performer, even with stiff competition in this price range. I highly recommend it.
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This Item  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 |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $499.99 | -21% $198.00 List: $249.99 | -20% $279.00 List: $349.00 | $299.99 | $599.00 | $299.99 |
| Delivery | Get it Jan 3 - 8 | — | Get it as soon as Friday, Jan 5 | Get it Jan 3 - 8 | Get it as soon as Friday, Jan 5 | Get it Jan 3 - 8 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| For beginners | ||||||
| Giftable | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | Fluance Audio | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Fluance Audio | Huppins | Fluance Audio |
| power source | AC | Corded Electric | Corded Electric,Usb Cable | AC | Corded Electric | AC |
| connectivity tech | Wired | Wireless, Bluetooth | Wired | Wired | Wired | — |
| signal format | Analog | Digital | Analog | Digital | — | Analog |
| model name | — | PSLX310BT | AT-LP120XUSB-BK | — | Debut Carbon EVO | — |
| material | Wood | Plastic | Plastic | Wood | Alloy Steel | Plastic, Wood, Engineered Wood |
| weight | 16.76 pounds | 7.9 pounds | 17.5 pounds | 14.99 pounds | 13.2 pounds | 14.1 pounds |
| motor type | AC Motor | DC Motor | DC Motor | AC Motor | AC Motor | DC Motor |
Product Description
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Pure Analog PerformanceThe Reference turntable delivers a warm, uncompressed listening experience, allowing you to get lost in the music. With no electronics in the signal path, from stylus tip to the gold-plated RCA outputs, for an exceptionally pure sound. |
Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge for Spectacular AccuracyBeautiful playback from the nude elliptical 2M Blue cartridge featuring a rich, elegant, and natural sound. Adding greater dynamics and resolution, reproducing more detail while maintaining a flat frequency response for a pure sound without any coloration. |
Clarity in the Sound with the Acrylic PlatterThe high density and greater mass of the acrylic provide increased inertia to achieve a consistent speed, while damping unwanted vibrations by trapping and dissipating the energy. Acrylic has an analogous resonant frequency to vinyl records to aid in the cancellation of undesirable reverberations resulting in a 3-dimensional soundstage with improved bass definition, a richer midrange, and greater signal clarity. |
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Precision Playback with Motor Isolation and Speed ControlThe servo-controlled belt drive motor with speed regulating optical sensor, continuously measures and adjusts variances in linear velocity and acceleration within a few hundredths of a percent for a wow and flutter of 0.07%. The decoupling of the drive from the plinth suppresses motor vibrations and noise from reaching the stylus. This maintains accurate speed and significantly reduces rumble so your records sound perfect. |
Wood Plinth for Superior Resistance to VibrationsThe mass-loaded multi-layered MDF wood chassis inhibits the transfer of unwanted resonance through the system. The 3 rubber, spike-type adjustable isolation feet minimize surface contact under the turntable resulting in immunity to environmental vibrations, for greater low frequency signal pickup and improved imaging. |
What's IncludedRT85 Turntable, Dust Cover + Hinges, Bubble Level, Headshell with Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge, Counterweight, Acrylic Platter with Belt, 00-240V (50/60Hz) AC Power Adapter, 3ft RCA Cable, 2x 3ft Ground Wire, 45 Adaptor, Motor Pulley Cap, Cotton Gloves, User Manual, Lifetime Customer Support |
SPECIFICATIONS
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Turntable Specifications Drive System: Belt Drive Motor: DC Motor with Servo Controller Analyzes motor speed 500 times/sec Motor Isolation: Under-mounted 7-point silicone isolation with decoupling isolation ring Speed: 33 1/3 RPM, 45 RPM (78 RPM - No) Speed Variation: 0.10% Wow and Flutter: 0.07% Signal to noise ratio (weighted): 76 dB |
Platter: Acrylic Height of Platter: 0.62 inches (16mm) Auto-Stop: Yes Turntable Mat: Not required Cabinet Specifications Material: High Gloss MDF Dust Cover: Yes (Tinted) Power Specification Input: 100 – 240 V AC (50/60 Hz) Output: 12 V / 500 mA |
Consumption: 1.5 W Cartridge Specifications Type: Moving Magnet (MM) Cartridge Model: Ortofon 2M Blue Frequency Range: 20 - 25,000 Hz (-3 dB) Channel Separation: 25dB at 1kHz Channel Balance: 1.5dB @ 1kHz Load Impedance/Capacitance: 47k Ohms / 150 - 300 pF Vertical Tracking Angle: 20° (Non-Adjustable) |
Output Specifications Connector: RCA (Gold-plated) Preamp: No - Separate Phono Preamp Required Phono Output: 5.5 mV Ground Terminal: Yes General Specifications Unit Dimensions 5.5 x 16.5 x 13.75 inches / 14.0 x 41.9 x 34.9 cm (HxWxD) Unit Weight: 16.76 lbs (7.6 kg) |
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| Fluance RT80 Classic High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable | Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable | Fluance RT82 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable | Fluance RT83 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable | Fluance RT84 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable | Fluance RT85 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable | |
| Finish | Piano Black | Piano Black / Walnut / Piano White | Piano Black / Walnut / Bamboo / Piano White | Piano Black / Walnut / Bamboo / Piano White | Piano Black / Walnut / Bamboo / Piano White | Piano Black / Walnut / Bamboo / Piano White |
| Cartridge | ATN91 | ATN95E | OM10 | 2MRED | 2MBLUE | 2MBLUE |
| Platter Type | Aluminum Felt Mat | Aluminum Rubber Mat | Aluminum Rubber Mat | Aluminum Rubber Mat | Aluminum Rubber Mat | Acrylic |
| Built-In Preamp | ✓ | ✓ |
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Please try again later.Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2021
I wanted a table with a nice cartridge, an auto-stop feature and an aesthetically pleasing one. I upgraded from a 13 year old AT-LP60 that was always giving me speed issues and subpar performance that didn’t bring any life into my vinyl. Now that I wanted to get back into my record collection, I decided a better table would make it more enjoyable.
PACKAGE
The table arrived in perfect shape. In fact, I opted for an open box model for a bit less and was sent one straight from Fluance. I have not noticed any damage or wear whatsoever. Some other open box items may have a blemish or two, but everything here was flawless and packaged like new. Lots of things were included - an easy setup guide, a bubble level, 45 adapter, rca cables and a ground wire, AND white gloves. I do recommend using the gloves to assemble everything - the table is quite prone to fingerprints and smudges. Once it is setup, you won’t have to touch more than the tonearm and the speed setting.
BUILD
The RT85 features (in my case) a walnut colored plinth and an acrylic platter that doesn’t require a mat. It’s hefty, but not too heavy to be burdensome - it’s great to have a little weight to it for its security on a table and to isolate the table as beat as possible. It has clean edges that give it a sleek and modern look. The removable dust cover is perfect for keeping the surface dust free when you’re not playing and it slides off and on with ease. The rubber feet are adjustable and cushion the table perfectly. With the included bubble level, you can quickly adjust the feet to achieve a perfect balance.
The tonearm balancing is easy to figure out and the included instructions guide you step by step through the process, which I highly recommend you read through a few times to get it exactly right. The table does require a phono preamp - if it had one built in, you’d be limited to the performance of an onboard preamp. Requiring a separate preamp gives you unlimited options for how you’d like your sound to be.
PERFORMANCE
The RT85 features an Ortofon 2M Blue, which in its own right is not only expensive but a heavy hitter. Considering that the price of the 2M blue is nearly half the price of the table, it is nice to see that Fluance didn’t cut any corners on the rest of table. Throwing on a new copy of John Mayer’s Where The Light Is, I was amazed at how quiet everything sounded right off the bat. Neon shone through, bright and detailed, but also a warmth that allowed for a full body presence. Guitar plucks and strums sounded expertly realistic and alive. Bass thumped deeply without being boomy or overwhelming. Including the sound of the audience, every audible characteristic had its own room to be heard on a wide but controlled and inviting soundstage. Even on older LPs where bass can be a bit underwhelming, it had plenty of life when played on the RT85.
The 2M blue captures plenty of detail and subtle nuances. I noticed a huge improvement from my last turntable, where music sounded flat and lifeless. I finally began to hear the differences that makes vinyl stand out. Music became much more engaging and lively, each part of a track being given its own space to cut through. While playing older records with quite a bit of wear, I do hear some “snap, crackle and pop”. It’s unavoidable in the world of vinyl, but the Fluance plays just fine through it and after a deep clean, records may have some surface noise but it disappears once the tracks begin and I can still hear the music with incredible clarity. In most cases, it’s the record and not the table anyway.
The RT85 performs quite accurately. It adjusts to wow and flutter automatically and I consistently had results within a few degrees of 33 1/3. I never notice any speed fluctuation and so far, everything I’ve played sounds perfectly normal and as I remember them. It can play 45s as well and includes the adapter. The tonearm is nice and light, but a little delicate so it’s important to lock it in when not being used and use care when queuing something up so that the stylus lands where it needs to. It’s important to keep your records clean, and in turn the table and stylus will function well. I use a carbon fiber brush to clean each side before playing and I drop the stylus in zerostat gel after every side.
The RT85 does have an auto stop feature that enables when the stylus has reached the end and nears two inches of the spindle. I find that it doesn’t work often for me, but that is typically because the record label reaches over two inches and then auto stop won’t engage. It’s not anything that bothers me too much.
CONCLUSION
The RT85 is such an amazing upgrade for me. I’m hearing so much more from my vinyl and that’s convinced me it was worth it. I find myself using it on a daily basis and the ritual of playing records makes the entire experience quite enjoyable with a good turntable. This is an excellent table for anyone looking to make the jump from an entry level turntable to something more serious if you consider vinyl to be a passion and want to hear what it really offers. The excellent value and quality of the RT85 makes this stand out as an solid performer, even with stiff competition in this price range. I highly recommend it.
Color: WalnutVerified Purchase
Phenomenal upgrade if you’re serious about vinyl
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2021
I went back and forth with a number of different tables including a Rega P1 or a Pro-Ject Debut. Fluency showed up later in the picture, but the RT85 ticked all of my boxes. Even though Fluance is a newer brand, lots of reviews recommended their products and any skepticism was quashed once I got my RT85.Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2021
I wanted a table with a nice cartridge, an auto-stop feature and an aesthetically pleasing one. I upgraded from a 13 year old AT-LP60 that was always giving me speed issues and subpar performance that didn’t bring any life into my vinyl. Now that I wanted to get back into my record collection, I decided a better table would make it more enjoyable.
PACKAGE
The table arrived in perfect shape. In fact, I opted for an open box model for a bit less and was sent one straight from Fluance. I have not noticed any damage or wear whatsoever. Some other open box items may have a blemish or two, but everything here was flawless and packaged like new. Lots of things were included - an easy setup guide, a bubble level, 45 adapter, rca cables and a ground wire, AND white gloves. I do recommend using the gloves to assemble everything - the table is quite prone to fingerprints and smudges. Once it is setup, you won’t have to touch more than the tonearm and the speed setting.
BUILD
The RT85 features (in my case) a walnut colored plinth and an acrylic platter that doesn’t require a mat. It’s hefty, but not too heavy to be burdensome - it’s great to have a little weight to it for its security on a table and to isolate the table as beat as possible. It has clean edges that give it a sleek and modern look. The removable dust cover is perfect for keeping the surface dust free when you’re not playing and it slides off and on with ease. The rubber feet are adjustable and cushion the table perfectly. With the included bubble level, you can quickly adjust the feet to achieve a perfect balance.
The tonearm balancing is easy to figure out and the included instructions guide you step by step through the process, which I highly recommend you read through a few times to get it exactly right. The table does require a phono preamp - if it had one built in, you’d be limited to the performance of an onboard preamp. Requiring a separate preamp gives you unlimited options for how you’d like your sound to be.
PERFORMANCE
The RT85 features an Ortofon 2M Blue, which in its own right is not only expensive but a heavy hitter. Considering that the price of the 2M blue is nearly half the price of the table, it is nice to see that Fluance didn’t cut any corners on the rest of table. Throwing on a new copy of John Mayer’s Where The Light Is, I was amazed at how quiet everything sounded right off the bat. Neon shone through, bright and detailed, but also a warmth that allowed for a full body presence. Guitar plucks and strums sounded expertly realistic and alive. Bass thumped deeply without being boomy or overwhelming. Including the sound of the audience, every audible characteristic had its own room to be heard on a wide but controlled and inviting soundstage. Even on older LPs where bass can be a bit underwhelming, it had plenty of life when played on the RT85.
The 2M blue captures plenty of detail and subtle nuances. I noticed a huge improvement from my last turntable, where music sounded flat and lifeless. I finally began to hear the differences that makes vinyl stand out. Music became much more engaging and lively, each part of a track being given its own space to cut through. While playing older records with quite a bit of wear, I do hear some “snap, crackle and pop”. It’s unavoidable in the world of vinyl, but the Fluance plays just fine through it and after a deep clean, records may have some surface noise but it disappears once the tracks begin and I can still hear the music with incredible clarity. In most cases, it’s the record and not the table anyway.
The RT85 performs quite accurately. It adjusts to wow and flutter automatically and I consistently had results within a few degrees of 33 1/3. I never notice any speed fluctuation and so far, everything I’ve played sounds perfectly normal and as I remember them. It can play 45s as well and includes the adapter. The tonearm is nice and light, but a little delicate so it’s important to lock it in when not being used and use care when queuing something up so that the stylus lands where it needs to. It’s important to keep your records clean, and in turn the table and stylus will function well. I use a carbon fiber brush to clean each side before playing and I drop the stylus in zerostat gel after every side.
The RT85 does have an auto stop feature that enables when the stylus has reached the end and nears two inches of the spindle. I find that it doesn’t work often for me, but that is typically because the record label reaches over two inches and then auto stop won’t engage. It’s not anything that bothers me too much.
CONCLUSION
The RT85 is such an amazing upgrade for me. I’m hearing so much more from my vinyl and that’s convinced me it was worth it. I find myself using it on a daily basis and the ritual of playing records makes the entire experience quite enjoyable with a good turntable. This is an excellent table for anyone looking to make the jump from an entry level turntable to something more serious if you consider vinyl to be a passion and want to hear what it really offers. The excellent value and quality of the RT85 makes this stand out as an solid performer, even with stiff competition in this price range. I highly recommend it.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2022
Color: BambooVerified Purchase
TL;DR: The RT85 is a fantastic turntable, the absolute best overall package for the money! BUY IT!
Detailed review:
Assembly and setup:
In my opinion, assembling the turntable is very basic and simple, however, if you've never done this before, I HIGHLY recommend you watch some videos on balancing the tone-arm and understanding the anti-skating weight. Doing this wrong WILL absolutely damage or DESTROY your beautiful 2M Blue cartridge's stylus.
I highly recommend buying a digital scale to measure the tracking force of your 2M Blue cartridge (1.8g) I did it manually as described by the manual and even though I was VERY careful with how much I turned the weight dial, it measured 1.85g on my digital scale when I verified it, so I ended up using the digital scale to fine-tune the manual effort! Probably not a big deal, but something to keep in mind.
Also, get yourself a protractor and measure the alignment of your cartridge! Mine was spot on from the factory, but you should never assume this to be true! Wrong alignment can degrade sound quality and damage your stylus.
Leveling the turntable takes time, so be patient! I recommend you fully assemble the turntable and hook it up to your HiFi before you level it in its final resting location.
What I LOVE:
The sound quality of the 2M Blue cartridge is fantastic! Its really bright and flat, no extra bass and no weird sound curves. Its a beautiful listening experience with a well distributed sound-stage.
The bamboo plinth (my specific model) is fantastic - its NOT glossy, its matte! I really didn't want a glossy model since they are fingerprint magnets! My turntable isn't a show-queen, I intend to use it daily! A glossy one will just look terrible after handling it all day AND its easier to scratch up (especially micro-scratches).
Acrylic platter is awesome! No mat required. It sounds good, feels good, and looks really good too! It offers plenty of potential for custom LED lighting and what not.
The dust cover hinges are really nice! They are actually spring-loaded - its very easy to operate and feels solid (unlike other turntables I've used in the past).
What I don't really like:
Semi-auto mode is kind of weird, I like the fact that it will stop a record from spinning if you forget to turn it off. However, just make sure you understand this! Always lift the stylus using the cue lever BEFORE handling the tone-arm! If you fail to do this, you will scratch your records and or possibly destroy your stylus. I noticed that with semi-auto mode, the platter will spin again momentarily while you move the tone-arm back to its resting position after it has automatically stopped. It will also NOT start spinning until the tone-arm is positioned over the record (even if you have already selected a playback speed). All these layers of logic add complexity to the usability and the steps required to operate the table. If you're used to fully manual turntables, you could find yourself doing something out of order and damaging your stylus by mistake, so just try to understand the operational flow of the RT85 in semi-auto mode. OR, you can turn this whole feature off completely.
I'm not a huge fan of the cue-lever on the RT85. It feels kind of cheap and its weirdly positioned. I wish they would have made it more pronounced and distanced it a little bit from the rest of the tone-arm assembly.
I'm also not a huge fan of the tone-arm locking mechanism, it works ... but just doesn't feel as premium as the rest of the turntable.
Lastly, and this may be nit-picking ... the 2M Blue stylus cover is a little difficult to put back once removed. Its easy to remove it off of the cartridge, but a bit hard to put back on. Be careful here, one wrong move and you'll end up jamming the stylus cover into the stylus and ruining it!
Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase! Highly recommended table for the money - you will not find a better deal IMHO than the RT85 at this price-point.
NOTE: the record weight pictured in my review is purchased separately.
Detailed review:
Assembly and setup:
In my opinion, assembling the turntable is very basic and simple, however, if you've never done this before, I HIGHLY recommend you watch some videos on balancing the tone-arm and understanding the anti-skating weight. Doing this wrong WILL absolutely damage or DESTROY your beautiful 2M Blue cartridge's stylus.
I highly recommend buying a digital scale to measure the tracking force of your 2M Blue cartridge (1.8g) I did it manually as described by the manual and even though I was VERY careful with how much I turned the weight dial, it measured 1.85g on my digital scale when I verified it, so I ended up using the digital scale to fine-tune the manual effort! Probably not a big deal, but something to keep in mind.
Also, get yourself a protractor and measure the alignment of your cartridge! Mine was spot on from the factory, but you should never assume this to be true! Wrong alignment can degrade sound quality and damage your stylus.
Leveling the turntable takes time, so be patient! I recommend you fully assemble the turntable and hook it up to your HiFi before you level it in its final resting location.
What I LOVE:
The sound quality of the 2M Blue cartridge is fantastic! Its really bright and flat, no extra bass and no weird sound curves. Its a beautiful listening experience with a well distributed sound-stage.
The bamboo plinth (my specific model) is fantastic - its NOT glossy, its matte! I really didn't want a glossy model since they are fingerprint magnets! My turntable isn't a show-queen, I intend to use it daily! A glossy one will just look terrible after handling it all day AND its easier to scratch up (especially micro-scratches).
Acrylic platter is awesome! No mat required. It sounds good, feels good, and looks really good too! It offers plenty of potential for custom LED lighting and what not.
The dust cover hinges are really nice! They are actually spring-loaded - its very easy to operate and feels solid (unlike other turntables I've used in the past).
What I don't really like:
Semi-auto mode is kind of weird, I like the fact that it will stop a record from spinning if you forget to turn it off. However, just make sure you understand this! Always lift the stylus using the cue lever BEFORE handling the tone-arm! If you fail to do this, you will scratch your records and or possibly destroy your stylus. I noticed that with semi-auto mode, the platter will spin again momentarily while you move the tone-arm back to its resting position after it has automatically stopped. It will also NOT start spinning until the tone-arm is positioned over the record (even if you have already selected a playback speed). All these layers of logic add complexity to the usability and the steps required to operate the table. If you're used to fully manual turntables, you could find yourself doing something out of order and damaging your stylus by mistake, so just try to understand the operational flow of the RT85 in semi-auto mode. OR, you can turn this whole feature off completely.
I'm not a huge fan of the cue-lever on the RT85. It feels kind of cheap and its weirdly positioned. I wish they would have made it more pronounced and distanced it a little bit from the rest of the tone-arm assembly.
I'm also not a huge fan of the tone-arm locking mechanism, it works ... but just doesn't feel as premium as the rest of the turntable.
Lastly, and this may be nit-picking ... the 2M Blue stylus cover is a little difficult to put back once removed. Its easy to remove it off of the cartridge, but a bit hard to put back on. Be careful here, one wrong move and you'll end up jamming the stylus cover into the stylus and ruining it!
Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase! Highly recommended table for the money - you will not find a better deal IMHO than the RT85 at this price-point.
NOTE: the record weight pictured in my review is purchased separately.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Alejandro P.
Prometer no empobrece...
Reviewed in Mexico on September 13, 2023Color: WalnutVerified Purchase
Robert Leblanc
very good turntable and excellent cartridge
Reviewed in Canada on August 1, 2023Color: Piano BlackVerified Purchase
Ruben Huitron
Lo que esperaba
Reviewed in Mexico on January 15, 2022Color: Piano BlackVerified Purchase
Thorsten Haag
Überragend ausgestattet und fantastisch verarbeitet!
Reviewed in Germany on January 21, 2023Color: Piano BlackVerified Purchase
Thorsten Haag
Reviewed in Germany on January 21, 2023
Ich benutze meinen bisherigen Audio-Technica AT-VM95SH Tonabnehmer weiter. Komfortabel da sich die Headshell dank des Bajonettverschlusses ganz easy wechseln läßt. Aber auch mit dem Ortofon 2m blue läßt sich wunderbar Musik hören. Das 2m blue ist sehr dynamisch und macht Spaß, genau wie der ganze Plattenspieler. Der Motor kann dank seiner Technik die gewählte Geschwindigkeit sehr gut halten. Ich habe bei meinem Gerät mit semi-wissenschaftlichen Methoden 33,5 und 45,2 U/min ermittelt. Damit liegt die Geschwindigkeit im vom Hersteller angegebenen Toleranzbereich.
Die glänzend schwarze Oberfläche des Korpus sieht wunderbar aus. Einziger Wermutstropfen, jedes Staubkorn und jeder Fussel ist deutlich sichtbar. Die mitgelieferten Baumwollhandschuhe verhindern wenigstens Fingerabdrücke. Zweites Manko ist die Tatsache, daß ein Netzteil beiliegt das man nicht in eine deutsche Steckdose stecken kann. Zumindest nicht ohne rohe Gewalt und dann ist es hin. Klar, die Geräte wurden nicht für den deutschen Markt produziert und so muß man diesen Makel in Kauf nehmen. Aber adäquater Ersatz ist für einen kleinen Obolus bei Amazon zu bekommen. Alternativ nutzt man das mitgelieferte Netzteil mit einem Reisestecker.
Mein persönliches Fazit: Ich möchte den Fluance RT85 nicht missen. Es ist ein toller Plattenspieler und klingt, in Verbindung mit meinem Tonabnehmer, genau so wie ich es erwartet habe. Aber auch mit dem mitgelieferten Ortofon 2m blue ist der Sound stattlich. Die Verarbeitungsqualität ist top und der Autostop am Ende der Platte ein sehr gutes Feature dessen Nutzen bei mir nicht zu gering ausfällt. Ich bin nicht der Typ der immer sofort aufspringt wenn die Musik aufhört. Insgesamt komme ich zu dem Schluß, daß ich den Fluance RT85 immer wieder kaufen würde, so zufrieden bin ich mit ihm. Definitiv ein Star unter den Plattenspielern in diesem Preissegment.
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CWS
Toller Plattenspieler mit Acrylteller, Außenläufer und Ortofon 2M Blue
Reviewed in Germany on September 24, 2021Color: WalnutVerified Purchase
CWS
Reviewed in Germany on September 24, 2021
Die drei Füße sind gedämpft und laufen spitz zu um Resonanzen zu vermeiden. Die Ausrichtung ist mit der mitgelieferten Libelle/Wasserwaage einfach, da nur drei Füße. Das Gesamtgewicht beträgt knapp 8 kg.
Der Motor läuft für mich unhörbar und treibt den äußeren Riemen an. Die Geschwindigkeit wird mittels Schalter eingestellt. Eine Elektronik überwacht die konstante Geschwindigkeit (angeblich 500x in der Sekunde). Der Tonarm ist aus Alu. Der Plattenteller aus durchsichtigem Acryl und wiegt alleine über 1 kg. Die Haube ist leicht schwarz getönt. Der Schalter für die Geschwindigkeit ist aus schwarz eloxiertem gebürstem Metall. Ebenso auch die Abdeckung für den Motor. Das Antriebsrad ist ebenfalls aus gebürstetem Metall. Sehr chick: Im Außenring des Drehknopfs ist eine kleine weiße LED enthalten, die zeigt, dass der Plattenspieler angeschaltet ist. Es liegen sogar ein hochwertiges Audiokabel, ein Erdungskabel, eine Wasserwaage und weiße Handschuhe bei. Der Tonabnehmer ist vorausgerichtet. In der (englischen) Anleitung steht der notwendige Anpressdruck und das Anti-Skating und ist auch für Einsteiger erklärt, wie man den Tonarm einstellt. Mitgliefert wird ein Netzteil mit UK-Netzstecker. Alternativ zu einem UK-Adapter kann man auch anderweitiges Netzteil mit 12V und 0,5A (6W) und innen plus/außen minus verwenden, wie es beispielsweise hier angeboten wird: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01M1DR19X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Klanglich gefällt mir der Plattenspieler im Zusammenhang mit einem Marantz PM8005 (eingebauter MM-Vorverstärker) und B&W CM9. Ein Vorverstärker ist im Plattenspieler nicht eingebaut.
Bzgl. des Auto-Stops: Es dauert eine Weile in der Auslaufrille, bis der Plattenteller tatsächlich stehen bleibt. Der Tonarm wird jedoch nicht angehoben. Beim Zurückschwenken dreht der Plattenteller wieder an. Bei angeschaltetem Auto-Stop springt zusätzlich der Motor erst an, wenn man den Tonarm aus der Halterung bewegt. Wenn der Auto-Stop-Schalter ausgeschaltet ist, startet der Motor direkt nach dem Drehen des Schalters auf 33 bzw. 45, unabhängig vom Tonarm.
Ich habe Walnuss bestellt, auf dem Karton steht Walnuss aber drinnen war Bambus (siehe Foto), was (derzeit) so bei Amazon garnicht angeboten wird. Jetzt muss ich mir noch überlegen, ob ich damit leben kann oder nicht... das Bambus ist matt lackiert während Walnuss glänzend lackiert ist. Ich bin kein Bambus Fan, aber da der Tonarm komplett in (matt) schwarz gehalten ist bildet es einen guten Kontrast zur hellen Chassis. Das matte Holz passt auch gut zum Acryl-Teller.
Ein Umtausch könnte ohne Rücksendungskosten vollzogen werden. Auch hierfür 5 Sterne für Amazon!
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