This is from a well experienced 64 year old O.G Black man, music lover and audiophile. The Fluance Rt85n with the matching isolation platform, I think it is a very attractive package. I believe it sounds and performs as good as it looks.
The dust cover will only pick up resonance if it is open. A closed dust cover will actually reduce resonance even better than no cover, as vibration is reduced to the stylus. But, I also like the open look, so unless it’s closed while playing, it makes sense just to remove it.
I"ve had my RT85 several years now with no issues. The only thing I might add is there is no LTA. Not really a problem, just for information purposes. Would highly recommend. Great channel. Always look forward to your videos
That's what I got. RT85 in the Bamboo. I love it. It is the best table in the price range. I spent about 2 months of hardcore research. The 2m blue really sings!!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉 wouldn't really call it am entry level on the pure facts of the servo motor and no internal phonostage.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords So I got the vinyl vac to dip my toes into the vaccum scene. I must say it is awesome. It lowered the noise floor on all my used records. I thought they were clean before. Holy cow. So all in all I forsure great buy. Probably the single best records gear I have bought since the record roller. Vinyl vac it is a winner.
Loved my RT85 so much I bought a second one! Both Bamboo, I settled on an At-vm95ml on one and the At-vm95sh on the other. I also tried the Ortofon 2M Blue and the Nagaoka Mp-110 and passed on both of them. I'm very happy with my system rocking the Adcom Gfa-555 amp and my JBL A190 towers.
I LOVE my RT85... I call it my "RT'75" as I run a 1978 AudioTechnica LS 500 cartridge, (top of the line in 1978, got one new/old stock), and occasionally run other '70's carts, like one of my AT14sa's. Love that 70's feel. Utilize LP Gear stylus on all, ViVid line. I wish it had tone arm height adjustment but I just put a 2mm acrylic mad on the acrylic platter and took care of that, also can't tell its there. Anyway, great review!
The VTA is set for the installed cartridge. The Ortofon and Nagaoka are not technically interchangeable because of cartridge height and SRA. I have owned the RT85 for almost 3 years and haven't purchased anything other than Ortofon cartridges for that reason. At $500 it is going to have limitations. I wish I had bought the RT85N because of the compatibility with Nagaoka cartridges vs Ortofon. The folks at Fluance don't recommend a direct swap of these different brands.
Sorry but you said more blue is more trebly than the red? I’d heard the red is brighter than the blue, I thought blue was warmer… interesting. I have a RT83 as well and was really looking forward to the blue upgrade. What the benefit of the blue if I may ask?
The 85N is supposed to have a higher VTA because the height difference......... but so does a 120g record and a 180g record sooooo it is relative to your ears. So i may buy a 110 later but i doubt it. The 2m blue and bronze got me super happy
Great review! Sat down this morning with my first cup of coffee and enjoyed your calm demeanor and informative video. I bought a RT 85 with the blue cart about a year ago as my first turntable and have had excellent results. Simple to setup, I plugged it into the phono pre amp on my Denon AVR 3600h and it sounded great right out of the box.. later I added a ifi phono pre amp to chain and that really got me hooked on vinyl. A massive improvement to the sound stage and instruments separation for a relatively low cost. Looking forward to more reviews.
Hey Rick, a couple of things, also big difference between the RT85 and the RT85N is the VTA. Which is different for both of those Carts. I am running the RT85, I the Ortofon 2m Blue, grew up on judging a system by how well the cymbals sound. Plus at 68 hearing rolls off at 10K so a little more bright is not a bad thing for me. This is for my home office system, bought for retirement. It is all fluance equipment. I am running there PA10 preamp, which I think does a really good job, like you say, YMMV for personal taste. The AI61 ‘ s powered speakers, and the DB10 subwoofer. All this for around $1000, I am very happy with the system, does the job, for me very well. For me the big problem with the Nagaoka 110 $150 dollar cart, and the 2m blue is currently $185, so the RT85 is over all a better deal, unless you don’t like the blue. I also got the speakers and turntable in the bamboo finish. If only the made the turntable isolation stand in a bamboo finish. Once again, thanks really enjoy your channel.
Thanks Greg - and good callout on the VTA. That is true given the difference in cart heights. Hearing is strange isn't it? As I get older (I also have tinnitus) it's the highs that bother me and I am always looking for ways to roll off the treble.
The Schiit Mani is a good phono preamp. I do prefer straight tone arm, that said the tone arm on my present table is a curve. I love my present table. I agree I don't leave the dust cover on when playing record for the reason you mention. I enjoyed your review and like the things you said about tables in general. Thank you.
Got one. When not spinning records, I remove the belt from the motor spindle and let it rest on the platter which helps reduce overall tension. I like to think it will help with belt life.
That mic enhances your voice, I was drawn in by that in the first few seconds. Great content, first time the algorithm suggested your channel. Your review was surprisingly fresh, and mentioned things I might not have expected. Love your offer to assist if folks have questions!! Your take on the Ortofon Blue Vs. Naga was surprisingly non-biased and very helpful.
I love my RT85. I wasn't a fan of the 2M Blue, so I switched it out for an ATVM540ML/H and couldn't be happier. After the break-in period, it turned into a warm, smooth cart with little to no surface noise, rich bass, and improved highs. Definitely recommend it if you want to try another cart instead of the Blue.
I got the RT85 in 2020 to replace a Dual CS741Q that I had for 30+ years. It is a great deal especially considering the price of the included Ortofon Blue cartridge. The RT85 is the turntable that I recommend to friends and strangers. I sold it six months later and got a Mofi Studiodeck with a Mofi Ultratracker cartridge. I've since upgraded the cartridge to a Hana EL Moving Coil cartridge. Yup, I remove the dustcover on my Mofi deck when playing records and reinstall it when I'm done.
I prefer an "S" shaped tonearm simply because they take a straight headshell which is more predominant. I've always wondered if a straight arm could potentially be more prone to ringing dependent on the material, such as metal.
But what I can't figure out is why Fluance doesn't have an adjustable VTN. Once you get to either the 85 or the 85N you are stuck with that size of carts, so you have to refer to Fluance which carts will work with the turntable you decided on. If you get either turntable and later you want a different cart, you are limited to the carts that are on their list for that turntable. That means your test of swapping out the carts was in error because you were unable to adjust the VTN, the Blue is a taller cart then the Nag is so you would need to be able to adjust the VTN to move from one cart to the other. However, all reviews I heard is that the MP110 is a sweeter sounding cart than the Blue, there are flaws with both but the overall general perception is the MP110 is the better cart, even though the Blue is more expensive. The reason I decided not to get the Fluance is the lack of the VTN adjustment, unless someone can tell me that there is no need to adjust the VTN for any cart you can put on a turntable, I would like to hear why.
Have had my RT-85 for about 2 years - love it. I also keep the cover off when playing (I never put the hinges on it) and yes...blank record to set anti-skate.
Can I upgrade the Nogaoka MP-110 on my RT85N to the the MP-200,300 or 500?I know the VTA is set at the factory and the RT85 & RT85N have a different VTA setting so I need to stick with the Nagaoka brand. Thank you and great video.
I use Fluance’s PA 10 preamp with no issues at all. To sum it all up, I love all my Fluance turntables (I have 3 of them) and speakers. And no, I don’t work for Fluance. Well done video.
Excellent review. I like the MP110 so much I went up the line all the way to the MP500. The differences are small but audible the higher up you go with your cartridge. But then you have to upgrade the turntable and the phono stage….
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords small increments in sound quality….less surface noise as you go up the MP range. MP150 is the sweet spot. MP500 challenges my Dynavector 20x2L. The 500 is really close in sound quality.
I have the RT85N and absolutely love the MP-110 cartridge. In my system and room, it’s perfectly balanced and the bass extension is fantastic. I really like the Fluance, it is excellent quality at a very good price.
Hi Rick, enjoy your channel very much. I have a question to upgrade my turntable or just the cartridge. I currently have an over 10 year old Sony PS-LX250H which is fully automatic (which I like). I really enjoyed your review of the Fluance RT85, and I am considering upgrading to it or should I just upgrade my cartridge on my current turntable (if it can be changed). Your thought and recommendation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Craig
Hi Craig! I would suggest the Fluance over a cartridge upgrade - only due to the Sony being very much like the AT LP60. Great entry level turntable but I'm not sure you will get much more out of it other than replacing the stylus for a newer stock one (just not spending extra for a more expensive one). I hope that helps!
I've only heard good things about the Fluance TTs so I'm not surprised by your review. The tracking force scale you linked is very similar to the one I recently bought and it's much better than the cheaper ones costing around $12 or so. The isolation base looks interesting, but at $119 sounds a bit out of budget for some. Great review!
Save money! (because you're going to get a new cart sometime, anyway) Get it with the 2m Blue, and get a Nagaoka on a separate headshell if you want. Oddly enough, I did have to shim down a Nagaoka on their own headshell to get it to touch the record on mine. It was just hanging out about 1/2 cm from the disc.
I’ve had my RT 85 for about a year, considering the price of the cartridge alone, the unit is well built. Run that through my Marantz 2220b and Klipsch KG4 speakers. It’s a really warm sound.
Bought the RT85, upgraded from U-turn Basic.. Sounds a lot Livelier! Clarity and separations, such a joy to listen too with my Vintage receivers (sansui, pioneer and marantz) my only minor complaint is the tone arm, it feels a little delicate(?) guessed I'm used with U-turns robust tone arm.
I'me not sure if Rick would say it's a worthwhile thing to do, but I actually replaced the felt mat on my LP60X with an acrylic mat. I also swapped out the conical stylus it comes with for an elliptical. I guess these two modifications leaves me with an upgraded version of the 60X, yes or no? Whatever Rick's outlook is on upgrades like this to a beginner turntable, he'll know that a lot of turntables still have some capacity to burn coming out of the box, and the 60X is no exception to this. If the 60X is worth sticking with for the foreseeable future, as I think it is the way Rick's brother does, then it's worth it to make these two little upgrades to fulfil it's promise.
I only changed the belt on my 1987 Mission/Cambridge Audio once in about 20 years. When I brought it to my dealer (Brooks Berdan) for service 10 years *after that* the tech changed the belt and said the old one was stretched. I re-recorded some records to digital with the new cartridge + belt and (yikes!) I discovered that the older dubs of the same records were slow in comparison. Sometimes you can't tell until you hear things side by side. My turntable is AC synchronous (no speed adjustment).
That's what always makes me nervous - the inability to hear the difference until something like that happens. Probably why I always have an extra belt or two on hand and swap them out after a couple years (that and I'm a weird)
Great video Rick. Perfect for someone looking to move up from entry level. I own an RT85 but replaced the cart with an AT540ML for MM and an AT-OC9XML for MC. I enjoy your style. I need to learn to edit as well you. Thx.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords It sounds good. Honestly it is only marginally better than the VM540ML and my vintage AT125LC. I am still trying to sort out a pre-amp that sounds right to me. I currently use a Cambridge Alva Solo for MM and have a Schiit Mani that does ok'ish with MC. I have asked Cambridge if they would send me out an Alva Duo, but they are currently out of stock. I am also thinking about the Pro-ject Phono Box S2 Ultra. It's a process.
My Dad had a Nagaoka MP10 on his Oak turntable - anyone remember that one - back in the early 1980s - then he upgraded to an AR turntable with a Linn Basik tonearm and an AR P77 cartridge - I loved that one.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords I’m not sure: it was all the rage for a while I think. It got rave reviews in the hi-if press as a budget turntable. Thinking about it, the cartridge might have been a Nagaoka MP20.
Ha, i have that same Riverstone gauge. Cheap but works very well with the little attachment. I'm one of those old poor guys who still uses a Technics SL-J3, but i sure do love it 😁
Gotta say, I'm hardly a vinyl beginner, and I like my stuff to sound good, but...I really was impressed with the AT LP60 series. For what it is, it's a really good unit, and I do recommend it to friends who don't want to spend a lot of money and don't have any 78s taking up space. I remember a time when you couldn't get a "grown-up" turntable that didn't have FOUR speeds -- 78, 45, 33, and...16! My parents' Zenith console is a four-speed, I had a portable stacker as a kid (bought at a garage sale) that had four speeds, the big systems I saw on display at K Mart in the late '70s and early '80s all had four speeds, but at some point, 16 disappeared. Having said that, I've never personally encountered a record that plays back at 16. The pseudo-official word is that 16 2/3 is a playback speed meant for spoken word records. But....here's the thing...I've seen many RUclips videos in which someone demonstrates records that play back at 16 2/3 RPM, and they all had this in common: they were **music** records, not spoken word. And it seems those records were intended for store playback systems, which makes sense when you think about it -- twice the playing time per side as a 33 1/3, which means less flipping and changing. The sound was surprisingly decent. The cool thing about modern technology, though, is if you encounter a record that plays back at 16 and you don't have a turntable that has that speed, just digitally record the playback at 33 1/3 and use your favorite sound editor to slow it down 50%. I hear you about resonance...thing is, I always play my records with the dust cover on....because dust is a HUGE problem for me. Within seconds a perfectly clean record will be polka-dotted in dust. Crazy thing is my pretty good ears cannot detect a problem with the sound with the dust cover on, but if I'm recording something via the USB, I definitely hear a lot of rumbling if the dust cover is on, so when I do digital recordings of my "oddities" that never made it to any kind of digital medium (CD, download, etc.), I have to take the dust cover off; the built-in preamp that's tied to the USB is very sensitive to it. (My Sony receiver has a built-in phono stage so I turn the pre-amp off during regular listening.)
That all makes perfect sense. I am pretty sure our turntable had four speeds too when I was young, but I can't be 100% sure. I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of it in old family albums when I can have them dug out. Really curious about it since I spent so much time listening to it before I got my own - just can't remember the model (around '78-'82). Like you - I always recommend the LP60 for those new to the hobby who just want to see what it's like.
The single-sided record as alternative anti-skate test doesn’t work with every such record. The one I used had me in a panic as the tone arm flew towards the centre. I was convinced that the anti-skate was broken. My turntable was still in warranty. I initiated the warranty process. Something made me get a proper calibration disc before taking things any further. The tone arm stayed perfectly at the point I’d dropped it. It was so still, it was disturbing because I’d seen another YT video say that there should be a bit of a wobble. I adjusted the anti-skate and saw it begin to move, confirming that it was working perfectly. So, I’d warn folk not to panic if you can’t seem to prove your anti-skate is working using a single-sided record. Best to invest in a proper calibration disc. It shouldn’t cost any more than US$25. Hopefully you can pick one up for much less. I got the Mayrecords one which supports alignment on one side and the anti-skate check on the other.
Thanks Rick! I have this turntable with the Ortofon Blue cart. I have been very pleased. With my setup I don't find that it sounds bright. Maybe the tube amp makes the difference. Before this, I had a Denon DP300F and had the Nagaoka mp110 cart. To me, the Fluance was a nice upgrade. The only thing I would consider doing at this point is moving up the line in the Ortofon cartridge. I also use the Fluance phono stage which seems to do a decent job for me. My question is, what should be my next step above the 2m blue in the Ortofon line that would make a significant difference.
Hey Neil! The Bronze is a noticeable improvement over the blue. The Bronze to the Black isn't as drastic. I love the Black LVB250 but it wouldnt break my heart to go back to my Bronze if something were to happen to the Black. The Bronze revealed more detail than the Blue. It was noticeable.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords Thanks for the info! I was thinking in that direction. I'm really pretty satisfied with the blue, so I may wait until it has some wear, then upgrade to the bronze.
Would you recommend that over a similarly priced U-Turn? I know it doesn't have anti skate, but I believe the new arm is better and it's made in the US.
I'm a proponent of U-Turn's products. I would say this is comparable to the Orbit Special - and I do love the fact that they are made right here in New England. Their Orbit Theory is a step above.
When I started getting back into vinyl, I bought the AT LP60X and it was quite suitable, its a decent entry level turntable. There's only one option to upgrade the cartridge on Audio-Technica, which I bought and installed. However, I was using its Bluetooth feature and the music sounded like I had placed a towel over the Klipsch BT speakers. After a few months I upgraded to a NAD C588 turntable (just under $1k on sale). The speakers now are KEF LS50 Meta and a pair of B&W 600 series speakers. The NAD is pretty damn good, the only complaint that I have is, the counterweight is difficult to accurately dial in. If I want to listen to the Stones mono box set, its an easy switch from the Ortofon bronze to the Ortofon mono cart but it can take a bit of time and frustration to adjust for the weight difference. Other than that I'm pretty happy with my current setup (for now, LOL). Great video, thanks!
Nothing wrong with the LP60X really. I own it, the Bluetooth version like yourself. However, I did make two little upgrades to it by swapping out the conical stylus for an elliptical and replacing the felt mat with an acrylic. Any owner of this turntable should at least try a couple of upgrades like this before they splash out on anything more expensive, it's worth it to satisfy the curiosity.
Excellent review! I have an RT85 on my upstairs system and have been very happy with it. As far as 16 rpm goes... I have an old Dinah Shore 7" disc of hers. I forget how many songs are on it. A number of spoken word albums used to be produced at that speed.
Hey Rick, great video like usual. While I will stick to my Marantz TT-15S1 table with the Clearaudio tonearm and cart, I am more interested in the Fluance isolation platform. How does that compare to the Pangea wall isolation shelf you installed?
Hey there! No comparison actually. The wall shelf is hands down the best step I’ve taken to reduce resonance. The platform a step below (but definitely helps!).
I like this table as I own it. It has auto stop which is nice because I often listen to records at night with headphones on and almost always fall asleep 😴 💤. That being said, I would personally prefer a fully automatic turntable. It would be cool to see Fluance come out with a fully automatic turntable!
It's happened to me too, John. In one instance we had company and I had a record playing in the background. Cmpletely forgot and went to bed and woke up the next dasy to the platter still spinning!
Nice review! Re upgrades, Tarun over at the British Audiophile has this rule: if you upgrade, UPGRADE, meaning spend >3x as much as what you currently have. Otherwise, it is just another flavor of the same. With TTs that can get a bit complicated with all the different parts, but I think this is a good rule. -- Can you use a record brush on this TT without the motor stopping? That was one of the great annoyances with the Thorens 205 (I think) I once had (and got rid of). Record brush would stop the platter from turning because motor was so weak.
Hi Daniel! I'm not sure I agree with spending three times as much. A $1500 amp is probably going to give you a better bang for the buck than a $750 amp (and I'm sure there are exceptions). I suppose if we are talking low-end then yes, 3x as much makes sense (say a $150 amp, then you would want something in the $500 range). Anyway - yes on the brush! I always use a brush before lowering the stylus and it was fine - no slow down.
I am looking for a good quality semi automatic or automatic direct drive turntable preferably with an SME tonearm. I don't need or really want on-board bluetooth, wifi, usb, or an integrated preamp. My budget is $1000 but preferably less. Is there anything you would recommend. I currently have a AT LP5X and a Pioneer PL 707 and I need a third turntable and it must be semi or auto.
Hi John! If it needs to be semi or fully automatic you could look at Thorens. The TD102 is probably right around 1k and the TD101 a bit less. Right around the same price as the TD101 is the Dual 429 - another fully automatic.
Great Review - Love your videos! One additional thing that is different about the RT85 vs. RT85N - and this is on Fluance's site - but the tone arm is locked a little higher for its VTA to accommodate the larger Nagaoka Cartridge - however - in this line of carts - like the MP-110 and the 2M Blue - or even the 2M Bronze - its probably not that big of an issue.
Another nice informative video Rick that helps shed some positive and enlightening information for anyone looking to purchase a quality turntable at a decent and affordable price. Looks like a solid winner as far as design features and functionality is concerned. Great entry level table for sure or one that just might suffice as a one stop for one's valued record collection...thanks for reviewing
Great video! Have you tried installing your Ortofon Black on a Fluance turntable? Did it work? I have a Fluance and would like to install the black, but it doesn't seem totally clear if they're compatible. I'd be so grateful for your guidance on this. Many thanks
Hi Andrew! You could, but I don't think you'll get the full sound out of the black on the Fluance. I checked the resonance specs combining the cart and tonearm and it doesn't seem to be a good match (if the tonearm effective mass I found was accurate).
Just ordered RT85N today since I'm familiar with MP-110. Bought Zen Air phono also. Will run it through my Yamaha A-S501 to KEF's Q350 and SVS SB1000Pro. I'm so excited because my current TT is a Sony PS-HX500 with MP-110 installed and my fav Aja sounds sooooo good. My expectations are so high about Fluance and I'm a little worried that I will not get much of improvements, but I hope I will.
Hi Max! From what you described I think you will be very happy with the Fluance. Let me know what you think when you receive it and have had a chance to listen.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords got Zen Air delivered today, hooked up to my Sony TT (while waiting for RT85N) and noticed a big improvement over the internal phono stage. Much more weight and clarity to it. It's a good news!
I had mani 2 before for a long period of time and i didn't like it to be honest, cheaply made, super bright led in front of your face and the most important it was noisy. And then it burned down few days ago, with a super bad chemical smell. So no more schiit in my life. But thanks it happened, because it forced me to upgrade my setup.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords Rick, i got my new turntable today in piano black! Set it up with the included white gloves, leveled, put 1.95 gramms vat and OMFG... What a step up from my previous tt! Fluance is the only purchase i made that exceeded my expectation, because my expectation are always high and usually i went a little sad with it. I feel it like a real premium product, beautifully crafted, with a bunch of cool features. Sounds INCREDIBLY good! Finally i can say that my vinyl sounds better than digital source and i'm extremely happy to admit that. The whole new world, just WOW. The tube preamp with Psvane's makes it more enjoyable. I can't stop listening to my records, got a goosebumps everytime.
Hi David ! Folks have used the 150 on a 110 cart, but from what I understand it's not recommended. The 100 and 110 are interchangeable, as are the 150 and 200. Going from the 110 to a 150 without using the 150 cart may result in a downgraded performance.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords cool, thanks for the reply. So basically that would entail swapping out the whole mp110 (which is awesome from what I hear) to the mp150. Would there be any changes be needed for VTA? From what I understand the MP110 has a non-standard cartridge height.. Maybe the 110 and 150 are the same height?
I swapped the 110 stylus for the MP-200 with no trouble at all. It’s a phenomenal upgrade without needing to re-align anything. Plug and play. Both styluses are the same height.
Hi there! Without knowing the exact model I would bet it has one built in. An easy way to check is to see if there are inputs in the back marked "Phono". If you see that then you can simply plug your turntable into it (assuming your turntable doesn't have a built in preamp that's turned on).
@6:47 I have been using the original belt that came with my turntable, for approximately 15 years. I hear no issues with playback. I have a spare belt. But I hear no issues with the original belt. My belt requires me to manually move it to a different rung (for lack of a better noun) on the turntable's pulley. The pulley is cone shaped. The smaller rung will turn the platter at 33⅓ RPM, and the larger rung will turn the platter at 45 RPM. So I do periodically pull on the belt to move it back and forth between the rungs, when playing records of different speeds. And the belt has good tension, after all of these years. Do some belts actually wear out after 2 or 3 years? Is it due to endless hours of use (I do not play records every day -- so perhaps that is why my belt is lasting so long)? Or is it a matter of varying quality of the belt's construction?
I bet it’s a mix of quality of the belt and the amount of playing time. The U-Turn in my review room also requires the belt to be moved to switch between speeds. I bought a few belts as I found d that the constant switching between the two did tend stretch the belt. If you haven’t heard any degradation then it probably speaks to the quality of the belt. As Dave at Vinyl Nirvana once told me “trust your ears”. I also think the 1000 hours often quoted by some manufacturers is to play it safe. Belts are usually inexpensive except with some vintage equipment where they may be hard to find. I know - long reply. Belt replacement is usually full of opinions.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords "Belts are usually inexpensive except with some vintage equipment where they may be hard to find." Perhaps 5 years after owning my turntable, I purchased a spare belt -- for peace of mind. That was probably around 2015. That belt (that special, glorified rubber band) cost me $50. It probably cost $75, or more, today. My belt is for a Clearaudio turntable. I do not know if that factors in to the price of a belt. I have no idea what other manufacturer's belts cost. Regardless, I suspect that it cost Clearaudio no more than $3 to manufacture that belt, and there is probably a $15 profit made by the audio store. And the audio store does not stock the belt. So perhaps there was a shipping cost, too, that factored in to the $50 price? Do you know how much your U-Turn's belt costs? ...Dave is correct.
I like your base traps putting cushions and pillows in a metal wired bin like that works great as a base tramp😉👍 probably be good cushions in the table as well
I have the Fluance acrylic platter because I heard it was good for a bass preference but boy does it pick up static. Sometimes I lift up a record to turn it over and I can feel the static rush over the hairs on my wrist. This is after treating the record with the zerostat 3. I try treating the platter with the zerostat in the hopes of keeping it under control.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords We’ve just been through an unusually humid period, coinciding with the incidences of this. It’s wasn’t supposed to get humid here for another two months.
I just setup the LPgear 3600LENSS on a Zupreme Head Shell I used a 1.5mm Hdpe Shim and about a 1.4 grams of weight. so the Vta height and weight are almost the same as the Mp-110. Sounds Great to me. Also have a Atvm95ml vta and weight matched Carbon fibre headshell, :) this one is my keeper. I also run a Mp-200 Like it very much, SO this these 4 carts Sound great in there own way. Flunace does not like to offer any help with changing out the Mp-110 But if you match VTA height &weight with mp-110 they all Work great.
Retired and needed a good hobby so I am tweaking a Hta-200 Daytona audio Tube Amp with Diy Studio monitor 2 ways Tango's And a tight 10" Sub. Budget LOFI 2.1-channel. @@TheJoyofVinylRecords I made my own tables for the RT85N and tube amp out of Black walnut I feel it help a lot . I get no outside tracking issues . and there building a huge 40-acre warehouse behind my Home. My whole house vibrates but the turntable rock solid.
I've never heard a Fluance TT but I imagine they aren't to shabby, however someone would have to take my Technics SL D3 with the AT VM95 ML cart, at gunpoint!
I would love to see a blindfold test with you and a few other people that would pick the best sounding setup. A RT81 with a $1,200 cartridge against a $1,200 table with a $300 cartridge. I just don't think having a table for over a thousand bucks is going to have as great as a impact as one that is much less (maybe used) as long as the less expensive has anti skate, tone arm height and leveling feet. Anyways, would be a fun watch.
Very nice video as always 😁 Is this Fluance record player comparable to the Audio Technica At LP 120? Or is the Fluance placed in the division above? I'm thinking about the AT player with the AT 95 SH cartridge and needle. Enjoy your weekend, and all the best from a sunny southern Norway 👏👍😁
Hi , Ole! Warming up here as well. Just came in from cutting down a few trees in the yard. I'd put this a step above the 120 (but not by a large margin). That's a good turntable as well. If you prefer direct drive over belt-driven I'd go with the 120.
Yeah that could be a good choice tt, I don't know I've had some issues about the arm people say its loose?? yours is not? Try this on your TD 160, get little balls of blu tack spread them around the table probably the Star of David, and put one in the lines that join the Star so 12 balls of blu tach in total 3 mm or so! then lay the acrylic mat agently on top. Let me know how you get on with that! of course you need to raise the arm to compensate but I wouldn't do that?? I don't think that's not a good idea in my findings, I know it's controversial and that's completely what people say you shouldn't do but it's wrong the arm doesn't need to be level but the cartridge has to be tilted to be level, so you're at your 90 to 92° face of the styli tip. so pack it out with some pieces of stiff card to compensate on the front edge of the cartridge. And do not mount I found this out recently do not mount your cartridge parallel level with the head shell or using one of those protractors, I don't think protractors are the right way to go overhang is a much more accurate way, and twist the cartridge in a bit a millimeter maybe a bit more. So if you had a straight line where the screws would be on the head shell what you can draw with a pen or pencil and that is your overhang to spindle reference for where the styli tip would be, there's a calculation on the internet for this if you don't know the overhang to the length of arm. So what your aiming for when you drawn your line that has to be at 90 degrees to the headshell holes the outer Bolt wants to be in front of the line and the inner Bolt to the back of the line, that means the tip will be at its perfect point and can ride the inner groove better. There is a tool for this expensive, Wally did some investigations into numerous cartridges at all price points and found that zmith was out by 78% and didn't matter on price of cartridge. buy this little twist you're putting in you should be correcting that zmith, I found it much more responsive better highs since I've done it have a bit more weight to them and separation.
I got the rt 84 in hopes I could try a lot of different cartridges. The limiting factor on this unit is the tone arm. Fluance doesn't recommend using any mc cartridges, eh whatever.
Vinyl platters, being made from pretty much the same material as vinyl lps, have resonances and vibratory qualities that are more in sync with each other; which is what you want. However, I say "more in sync" because even two things made of the same material have different vibratory qualities because of their different thickness and mass.Your average person who plays records, (not that most people know how to play records), don't know how to address something like that, or optimize and compensate for stuff like that. Being underappreciated, I'm not going to waste my time with long How To Do's. Another of the many things people do wrong is they try to get their phono cartridge to be perfectly parallel with the lp. When cutting from the studio tape to make the female part of the stamper, which is used to later make what is called the male part of the stamper; the cutter cuts the grooves at a slight angle as I understand it. If it cut the groove perfectly straight up and down, the material debris being displaced by the cutter plowing through the material, would keep getting in front of and in the way of the cutter. By cutting the groove at a slight angle, instead of straight up and down, the displaced material shavings go off to the side and out of the way of the cutterhead instead, where they have powerful vacuums that suck up the displaced plowed through material debris. For this reason styluses do not sit perfectly down into the groove. Instead, it's like trying to fit a V into one half of a W. It does fit into it sort of, but not at the perfect angle or geometry. The perfect angle does optimize sound quality, especially in terms of sweetness. Very few vinylphiles are aware of that, as some of us sticklers for detail are.We are sticklers because we can hear when things makes a very audible improvement. Records are a lot of problems compared to cd. Not only in optimizing playback, but in making them in the first place. There are many other things too. Listening to my new, even higher end cd player, already modded by myself of course, I take back anything I said about vinyl sounding better in a few ways over cd. Those ways are gone. I do realize that most people are never going to own cd playback as otherwordly good as what I have, and maybe they are better off buying vinyl if they can find it cheap, but make no mistake; on the best cd players, I don't hear anything that vinyl does better sonically. If you have an extensive vinyl collection, I'd keep upgrading turntable and cartridge. But if you are just getting into music, buying, vinyl is really looking like not the way to go, with so much price gouging. When people see these guys advertising stuff like Dark Side Of The Moon UHQRs from the 1980s on ebay and elsewhere, and pricing them near $3,000. People don't want to give their money to such a ___! They are often still unsold a year later. If the sound quality that I know cds are capable of, ever comes down to affordable cd players, vinyl people could be one new computer chip away from their lps being near obsolete. Those who invest in vinyl for monetary reasons, Betting on what they "believe" is vinyl's soniic superiority, might be as risky as betting your pay on the Daily Double at the race track.
When audiophiles think of vibration, they should also think of one of those skull and crossbones symbols that they had on poison bottles. The slightest little adjustments make an audible difference, and it is so fun and rewarding to just turn your system off for a few minutes, get up from your couch and try something different, and a few mintes later there's this amazing improvement. The possibilities never run out and I know you can get closer to real live sound than the "experts" think, or would lead you to believe.
I have hundreds of CD'S, have the latest digital server/streamer with all my uncompressed CD files on it, it sounds great and very convenient. Being an "audiophile" is a full blown hobby for me, love upgrading equipment when possible, swapping around equipment, and enjoying discovering new music on Qobuz or Amazon HD. All that said, my biggest investment is in playing vinyl, nothing else is as engaging, how I clean, store, handle the physical format has an impact on the sound and I strive for the best. If you can't afford or don't want to pay the high cost of vinyl these days, that is completely sane and understandable, I'm selective and would rather buy fewer good pressings (old and new) than have more of mediocre ones. I hope records become more reasonable so more people can enjoy the medium. Some of my records sound better than the digital versions, but there are tradeoffs with surface noise sometimes and I can live with that. So I'm a proponent of both formats, both are great.
I used to be a staunch supporter of lps. I still have a medium size lp collection. I got into cd late, around 1994, did not like the sound of my first cd player. Nor did I like my later Nakmichi cd player, but was a fan of their cassette decks until I heard some Tandbergs. Not liking the sound of cds with the equipment I had back then, I went to cassettes, and started modifying cassette decks. I remember being so proud of myself when I got them to sound within at least shouting distance of reel to reel. Then I started modifying cd players and for the 1st time I heard potential in the sound. I now do 60+ step mods of cd players, and with my modded players I don't think anyone can tell that their sound is digital. My cd playback sound can't be far from state of the art players, even ones approaching 6 figures, thanks to my mods on players that are cheap to buy on the internet. Mostly the expense is my time. No one really knows how good cds are, as each time the state of the art in cd playback equipment advances, so does the resolution & revealed potential of cds. Maybe an over $10,000 Clearaudio Goldfinger phono cartridge would put vinyl lps back in the lead for me. But if so, I bet it would still be a close one. Can't afford phono cartridges like that, so I am so glad to have figured out how to get that level of sound quality on the cheap, using my know how from near 40 years of day after day experiments.
@@sidesup8286 That's pretty cool, I don't have the knowledge to mod a player, I'd imagine I'd be educated on how much better a CD could sound than mine do with my pedestrian player. Guess that's why I like vinyl, gives me something I can involve myself in without a lot of technical knowledge.
hey thats my turntable! I didnt know they were coming out with an isolation platform - looks to be identical to the TT body with the same feet? Was there a difference between using it and not using it? my only complaint with Fluance is I wish they came in a matte black. The finish on the piano black aint perfect (my first one was scuffed and had to be sent back) and prone to surface scratches in the clear coat so you've got to baby it.
I agree - I like matte as well. The platform did isolate the turntable. When I jumped without it the needle skipped. But I had to jump to make that happen. I did the same thing with the platform under it and it didn't skip. Not really the most scientific tests (maybe I jumped harder without it), but it does add a layer of absorption.
@@mat.b. No, to be honest. That was a HUGE difference and alot had to do with the room itself (as well as the type of turntable). The attic room didn't have the same issue. I also don't think this would have resolved the issue that the wall-mount did.
Setting the anti skate that way with a blank disc is a horrible idea! Doing it that way you will be way, way off! The factory recommends to set it at what ever the tracking force is! I set it by ear from the inner groove! The anti skate works with MODULATION, that right there tells you! 😊
Thanks Rick and this should be of particular interest to people setting out on the road to hifi financial ruin. But for entry level and early upgrades there are only 3 turntables you need to mention: Rega, Rega and Rega!! And for you colonials still struggling with English, that's Ree-ga, not Ray-ga!! PS sorry but I don't know how to add laughing emojis to my comments - sure you know I'm joking (maybe!)
I’m sorry Rick, as fascinating as this might be for those lucky enough to be able to affort slightly more expensive equipment, these kind of videos are not what made your channel a success in the first place. Please stay true to your original video content, which has always been a great mix of informal, informative and mostly pleasure for the sake of music enjoyment. Hifi reviews can be found everywhere, your channel deserves better. Cheers :)
With more people providing reviews, we have more information to help us make purchasing decisions -- especially when we respect or trust the reviewer's feedback. And that our host did a turntable review, does not mean that he will not continue making other helpful videos. The two different types of videos are not mutually exclusive -- he can (and likely will) do both. And like most hosts, he wants to grow his audience. Reviews will bring in more subscribers. I would have liked to hear our host's feedback on how that turntable sounded in his listening room. Perhaps that will be for another video? Or perhaps he gave it a listen, was not impressed, and did not want to leave such a review? Our host loves this subject. So how could he pass up an opportunity for a manufacturer to send him a turntable for a review. I think that it is safe to say that our host would like nothing better than for this to become a pattern -- for manufacturers to send him turntables, and phono-amps, etc, for him to review. But I hear you @thvsch8381. And I, too, do not want our host to change his platform to focus on only reviews. I doubt that he is planning to do that. As it pertains to reviews, I like to hear reviews on specific albums, and how they sound, accompanied by stamper codes, and any other information to help us make informed vinyl purchasing decisions. I have a hard time landing great sounding pressings (short of a site having such pressings, accompanied by a corresponding price tag). So anyone with a good ear, that can rate sound quality of specific pressings, I would find helpful. But it is a lot of work involved in the above.
This is from a well experienced 64 year old O.G Black man, music lover and audiophile. The Fluance Rt85n with the matching isolation platform, I think it is a very attractive package. I believe it sounds and performs as good as it looks.
Cheers William 🍺 Welcome to the channel!
The dust cover will only pick up resonance if it is open. A closed dust cover will actually reduce resonance even better than no cover, as vibration is reduced to the stylus. But, I also like the open look, so unless it’s closed while playing, it makes sense just to remove it.
I"ve had my RT85 several years now with no issues. The only thing I might add is there is no LTA.
Not really a problem, just for information purposes. Would highly recommend. Great channel.
Always look forward to your videos
I appreciate that, Don. 🍺🍺🍺
Yeah no VTA adjustments but any Goldring, AT, Ortofon, and many others all play nice. Besides VTA changes with almost every album you play.
@@budsmoker4201120 newspaper is a good leveler one to four sheets iron them out first under the mat
That's what I got. RT85 in the Bamboo. I love it. It is the best table in the price range. I spent about 2 months of hardcore research. The 2m blue really sings!!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉 wouldn't really call it am entry level on the pure facts of the servo motor and no internal phonostage.
I personally don't care for the mp110
The Bronze is still one of my favorites
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords I agree.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords So I got the vinyl vac to dip my toes into the vaccum scene. I must say it is awesome. It lowered the noise floor on all my used records. I thought they were clean before. Holy cow. So all in all I forsure great buy. Probably the single best records gear I have bought since the record roller. Vinyl vac it is a winner.
@@budsmoker4201120 That's great to hear about the vinyl vac!
Loved my RT85 so much I bought a second one! Both Bamboo, I settled on an At-vm95ml on one and the At-vm95sh on the other. I also tried the Ortofon 2M Blue and the Nagaoka Mp-110 and passed on both of them. I'm very happy with my system rocking the Adcom Gfa-555 amp and my JBL A190 towers.
That's awesome , Steve!
I LOVE my RT85... I call it my "RT'75" as I run a 1978 AudioTechnica LS 500 cartridge, (top of the line in 1978, got one new/old stock), and occasionally run other '70's carts, like one of my AT14sa's. Love that 70's feel. Utilize LP Gear stylus on all, ViVid line. I wish it had tone arm height adjustment but I just put a 2mm acrylic mad on the acrylic platter and took care of that, also can't tell its there. Anyway, great review!
Thanks Sean. Great idea with using the acrylic mat to compensate
The VTA is set for the installed cartridge. The Ortofon and Nagaoka are not technically interchangeable because of cartridge height and SRA. I have owned the RT85 for almost 3 years and haven't purchased anything other than Ortofon cartridges for that reason. At $500 it is going to have limitations.
I wish I had bought the RT85N because of the compatibility with Nagaoka cartridges vs Ortofon.
The folks at Fluance don't recommend a direct swap of these different brands.
Yep RT85 convert myself; could not be happier with the quality and performance at that price point. Read our minds Rick!
😂😂🍺
Great vid! RT83 owner here. Upgraded to Ortofon Blue. Yes, it is more trebly but seems to mellow with time.
I did notice that. Same with the Bronze. I always give it time to break in. And big THANK YOU for watching.
Sorry but you said more blue is more trebly than the red? I’d heard the red is brighter than the blue, I thought blue was warmer… interesting. I have a RT83 as well and was really looking forward to the blue upgrade. What the benefit of the blue if I may ask?
The 85N is supposed to have a higher VTA because the height difference......... but so does a 120g record and a 180g record sooooo it is relative to your ears. So i may buy a 110 later but i doubt it. The 2m blue and bronze got me super happy
Great review! Sat down this morning with my first cup of coffee and enjoyed your calm demeanor and informative video. I bought a RT 85 with the blue cart about a year ago as my first turntable and have had excellent results. Simple to setup, I plugged it into the phono pre amp on my Denon AVR 3600h and it sounded great right out of the box.. later I added a ifi phono pre amp to chain and that really got me hooked on vinyl. A massive improvement to the sound stage and instruments separation for a relatively low cost. Looking forward to more reviews.
Thank you Paul 🍺.The iFi comes up quite a bit. I'd like to check them out.
Hey Rick, a couple of things, also big difference between the RT85 and the RT85N is the VTA. Which is different for both of those Carts. I am running the RT85, I the Ortofon 2m Blue, grew up on judging a system by how well the cymbals sound. Plus at 68 hearing rolls off at 10K so a little more bright is not a bad thing for me. This is for my home office system, bought for retirement. It is all fluance equipment. I am running there PA10 preamp, which I think does a really good job, like you say, YMMV for personal taste. The AI61 ‘ s powered speakers, and the DB10 subwoofer. All this for around $1000, I am very happy with the system, does the job, for me very well. For me the big problem with the Nagaoka 110 $150 dollar cart, and the 2m blue is currently $185, so the RT85 is over all a better deal, unless you don’t like the blue. I also got the speakers and turntable in the bamboo finish. If only the made the turntable isolation stand in a bamboo finish. Once again, thanks really enjoy your channel.
Thanks Greg - and good callout on the VTA. That is true given the difference in cart heights.
Hearing is strange isn't it? As I get older (I also have tinnitus) it's the highs that bother me and I am always looking for ways to roll off the treble.
The Schiit Mani is a good phono preamp. I do prefer straight tone arm, that said the tone arm on my present table is a curve. I love my present table. I agree I don't leave the dust cover on when playing record for the reason you mention. I enjoyed your review and like the things you said about tables in general.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chuck! I am really hoping to check out the Schiit Mani.
Got one. When not spinning records, I remove the belt from the motor spindle and let it rest on the platter which helps reduce overall tension. I like to think it will help with belt life.
That's a really good idea. Especially if it sits for an extended period of time.
Great idea, I will start doing that with mine
That mic enhances your voice, I was drawn in by that in the first few seconds. Great content, first time the algorithm suggested your channel. Your review was surprisingly fresh, and mentioned things I might not have expected. Love your offer to assist if folks have questions!! Your take on the Ortofon Blue Vs. Naga was surprisingly non-biased and very helpful.
Thank you so much!!!!
I love my RT85. I wasn't a fan of the 2M Blue, so I switched it out for an ATVM540ML/H and couldn't be happier. After the break-in period, it turned into a warm, smooth cart with little to no surface noise, rich bass, and improved highs.
Definitely recommend it if you want to try another cart instead of the Blue.
It's definitely a great sounded stylus - and it's a microline!
I got the RT85 in 2020 to replace a Dual CS741Q that I had for 30+ years. It is a great deal especially considering the price of the included Ortofon Blue cartridge. The RT85 is the turntable that I recommend to friends and strangers. I sold it six months later and got a Mofi Studiodeck with a Mofi Ultratracker cartridge. I've since upgraded the cartridge to a Hana EL Moving Coil cartridge. Yup, I remove the dustcover on my Mofi deck when playing records and reinstall it when I'm done.
I think the Hana may be my next cartridge. Still contemplating that.
I am very pleased with my Fluance turntable I've had for two years. I should go ahead and acquire a new belt now.
I bought three for my Thorens because I'm so afraid they will stop making them for the TD160 someday.
I prefer an "S" shaped tonearm simply because they take a straight headshell which is more predominant. I've always wondered if a straight arm could potentially be more prone to ringing dependent on the material, such as metal.
That's a great question, Chris
But what I can't figure out is why Fluance doesn't have an adjustable VTN. Once you get to either the 85 or the 85N you are stuck with that size of carts, so you have to refer to Fluance which carts will work with the turntable you decided on. If you get either turntable and later you want a different cart, you are limited to the carts that are on their list for that turntable. That means your test of swapping out the carts was in error because you were unable to adjust the VTN, the Blue is a taller cart then the Nag is so you would need to be able to adjust the VTN to move from one cart to the other.
However, all reviews I heard is that the MP110 is a sweeter sounding cart than the Blue, there are flaws with both but the overall general perception is the MP110 is the better cart, even though the Blue is more expensive.
The reason I decided not to get the Fluance is the lack of the VTN adjustment, unless someone can tell me that there is no need to adjust the VTN for any cart you can put on a turntable, I would like to hear why.
Have had my RT-85 for about 2 years - love it. I also keep the cover off when playing (I never put the hinges on it) and yes...blank record to set anti-skate.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one. Thanks Fred!
Can I upgrade the Nogaoka MP-110 on my RT85N to the the MP-200,300 or 500?I know the VTA is set at the factory and the RT85 & RT85N have a different VTA setting so I need to stick with the Nagaoka brand.
Thank you and great video.
I believe you can upgrade to the 300 but not further with that cart body.
I use Fluance’s PA 10 preamp with no issues at all. To sum it all up, I love all my Fluance turntables (I have 3 of them) and speakers. And no, I don’t work for Fluance. Well done video.
That's good to know about the preamp. Thanks David!
Excellent review. I like the MP110 so much I went up the line all the way to the MP500. The differences are small but audible the higher up you go with your cartridge. But then you have to upgrade the turntable and the phono stage….
What did you hear as you moved up to the MP500? Love to hear how different carts affect playback.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords small increments in sound quality….less surface noise as you go up the MP range. MP150 is the sweet spot. MP500 challenges my Dynavector 20x2L. The 500 is really close in sound quality.
I have the RT85N and absolutely love the MP-110 cartridge. In my system and room, it’s perfectly balanced and the bass extension is fantastic. I really like the Fluance, it is excellent quality at a very good price.
It is and you’re not alone. Everyone I’ve heard from who owns one enjoys it. 🍻
Hi Rick, enjoy your channel very much. I have a question to upgrade my turntable or just the cartridge. I currently have an over 10 year old Sony PS-LX250H which is fully automatic (which I like). I really enjoyed your review of the Fluance RT85, and I am considering upgrading to it or should I just upgrade my cartridge on my current turntable (if it can be changed). Your thought and recommendation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Craig
Hi Craig! I would suggest the Fluance over a cartridge upgrade - only due to the Sony being very much like the AT LP60. Great entry level turntable but I'm not sure you will get much more out of it other than replacing the stylus for a newer stock one (just not spending extra for a more expensive one). I hope that helps!
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords Yes, thank you so much for the quick response.
I've only heard good things about the Fluance TTs so I'm not surprised by your review. The tracking force scale you linked is very similar to the one I recently bought and it's much better than the cheaper ones costing around $12 or so. The isolation base looks interesting, but at $119 sounds a bit out of budget for some. Great review!
Or a cheaper version get a large bamboo!! chopping board and an inch in diameter balls of blue tack will do just as well how much is that 20 $ ?
I have 2 other gauges (cheaper ones) and this one is the one that works the best in my humble opinion.
I currently have the Ortofon Blue but very curious about the bronze. Is the bronze more warm than the blue or the same tonal wise?
It is warmer and more detailed than the blue. It’s a definite step up.
Thanks for the reply! That’ll be my next move then 👍
Save money! (because you're going to get a new cart sometime, anyway) Get it with the 2m Blue, and get a Nagaoka on a separate headshell if you want. Oddly enough, I did have to shim down a Nagaoka on their own headshell to get it to touch the record on mine. It was just hanging out about 1/2 cm from the disc.
Absolutely love my Fluance RT85 / fantastic quality & value for the $$ / plays & sounds great - I tell everyone about it.
It's a great option. I was pleased with it
I’ve had my RT 85 for about a year, considering the price of the cartridge alone, the unit is well built. Run that through my Marantz 2220b and Klipsch KG4 speakers. It’s a really warm sound.
Great setup William!
Bought the RT85, upgraded from U-turn Basic.. Sounds a lot Livelier! Clarity and separations, such a joy to listen too with my Vintage receivers (sansui, pioneer and marantz) my only minor complaint is the tone arm, it feels a little delicate(?) guessed I'm used with U-turns robust tone arm.
Great to hear that you're enjoying it!
I'me not sure if Rick would say it's a worthwhile thing to do, but I actually replaced the felt mat on my LP60X with an acrylic mat. I also swapped out the conical stylus it comes with for an elliptical. I guess these two modifications leaves me with an upgraded version of the 60X, yes or no? Whatever Rick's outlook is on upgrades like this to a beginner turntable, he'll know that a lot of turntables still have some capacity to burn coming out of the box, and the 60X is no exception to this. If the 60X is worth sticking with for the foreseeable future, as I think it is the way Rick's brother does, then it's worth it to make these two little upgrades to fulfil it's promise.
Hi Andy - I'm a big fan of acrylic mats 🍺
I only changed the belt on my 1987 Mission/Cambridge Audio once in about 20 years. When I brought it to my dealer (Brooks Berdan) for service 10 years *after that* the tech changed the belt and said the old one was stretched. I re-recorded some records to digital with the new cartridge + belt and (yikes!) I discovered that the older dubs of the same records were slow in comparison. Sometimes you can't tell until you hear things side by side. My turntable is AC synchronous (no speed adjustment).
That's what always makes me nervous - the inability to hear the difference until something like that happens. Probably why I always have an extra belt or two on hand and swap them out after a couple years (that and I'm a weird)
Great video Rick. Perfect for someone looking to move up from entry level. I own an RT85 but replaced the cart with an AT540ML for MM and an AT-OC9XML for MC. I enjoy your style. I need to learn to edit as well you. Thx.
Cheers! How does the AT-OC9XML sound with it?
Awesome upgrades I bet they sing
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords It sounds good. Honestly it is only marginally better than the VM540ML and my vintage AT125LC. I am still trying to sort out a pre-amp that sounds right to me. I currently use a Cambridge Alva Solo for MM and have a Schiit Mani that does ok'ish with MC. I have asked Cambridge if they would send me out an Alva Duo, but they are currently out of stock. I am also thinking about the Pro-ject Phono Box S2 Ultra. It's a process.
@@budsmoker4201120 It does. I am still trying to find the right pre-amp. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi It really is a process!
My Dad had a Nagaoka MP10 on his Oak turntable - anyone remember that one - back in the early 1980s - then he upgraded to an AR turntable with a Linn Basik tonearm and an AR P77 cartridge - I loved that one.
AR turntables are great. I'm not familiar with the Oak though. Was that the brand?
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords I’m not sure: it was all the rage for a while I think. It got rave reviews in the hi-if press as a budget turntable. Thinking about it, the cartridge might have been a Nagaoka MP20.
Ha, i have that same Riverstone gauge. Cheap but works very well with the little attachment. I'm one of those old poor guys who still uses a Technics SL-J3, but i sure do love it 😁
And that's really what it's all about 🍺
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords Yes indeed 🎵
Gotta say, I'm hardly a vinyl beginner, and I like my stuff to sound good, but...I really was impressed with the AT LP60 series. For what it is, it's a really good unit, and I do recommend it to friends who don't want to spend a lot of money and don't have any 78s taking up space.
I remember a time when you couldn't get a "grown-up" turntable that didn't have FOUR speeds -- 78, 45, 33, and...16! My parents' Zenith console is a four-speed, I had a portable stacker as a kid (bought at a garage sale) that had four speeds, the big systems I saw on display at K Mart in the late '70s and early '80s all had four speeds, but at some point, 16 disappeared. Having said that, I've never personally encountered a record that plays back at 16. The pseudo-official word is that 16 2/3 is a playback speed meant for spoken word records. But....here's the thing...I've seen many RUclips videos in which someone demonstrates records that play back at 16 2/3 RPM, and they all had this in common: they were **music** records, not spoken word. And it seems those records were intended for store playback systems, which makes sense when you think about it -- twice the playing time per side as a 33 1/3, which means less flipping and changing. The sound was surprisingly decent.
The cool thing about modern technology, though, is if you encounter a record that plays back at 16 and you don't have a turntable that has that speed, just digitally record the playback at 33 1/3 and use your favorite sound editor to slow it down 50%.
I hear you about resonance...thing is, I always play my records with the dust cover on....because dust is a HUGE problem for me. Within seconds a perfectly clean record will be polka-dotted in dust. Crazy thing is my pretty good ears cannot detect a problem with the sound with the dust cover on, but if I'm recording something via the USB, I definitely hear a lot of rumbling if the dust cover is on, so when I do digital recordings of my "oddities" that never made it to any kind of digital medium (CD, download, etc.), I have to take the dust cover off; the built-in preamp that's tied to the USB is very sensitive to it. (My Sony receiver has a built-in phono stage so I turn the pre-amp off during regular listening.)
That all makes perfect sense. I am pretty sure our turntable had four speeds too when I was young, but I can't be 100% sure. I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of it in old family albums when I can have them dug out. Really curious about it since I spent so much time listening to it before I got my own - just can't remember the model (around '78-'82).
Like you - I always recommend the LP60 for those new to the hobby who just want to see what it's like.
The single-sided record as alternative anti-skate test doesn’t work with every such record. The one I used had me in a panic as the tone arm flew towards the centre. I was convinced that the anti-skate was broken. My turntable was still in warranty. I initiated the warranty process.
Something made me get a proper calibration disc before taking things any further. The tone arm stayed perfectly at the point I’d dropped it. It was so still, it was disturbing because I’d seen another YT video say that there should be a bit of a wobble. I adjusted the anti-skate and saw it begin to move, confirming that it was working perfectly.
So, I’d warn folk not to panic if you can’t seem to prove your anti-skate is working using a single-sided record. Best to invest in a proper calibration disc. It shouldn’t cost any more than US$25. Hopefully you can pick one up for much less. I got the Mayrecords one which supports alignment on one side and the anti-skate check on the other.
I’ll check that out! I’m doing a video next week on WallyTools for similar adjustments. I definitely want to check out the Mayrecord you mentioned
Thanks Rick! I have this turntable with the Ortofon Blue cart. I have been very pleased. With my setup I don't find that it sounds bright. Maybe the tube amp makes the difference. Before this, I had a Denon DP300F and had the Nagaoka mp110 cart. To me, the Fluance was a nice upgrade. The only thing I would consider doing at this point is moving up the line in the Ortofon cartridge. I also use the Fluance phono stage which seems to do a decent job for me. My question is, what should be my next step above the 2m blue in the Ortofon line that would make a significant difference.
Hey Neil! The Bronze is a noticeable improvement over the blue. The Bronze to the Black isn't as drastic. I love the Black LVB250 but it wouldnt break my heart to go back to my Bronze if something were to happen to the Black.
The Bronze revealed more detail than the Blue. It was noticeable.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords
Thanks for the info! I was thinking in that direction. I'm really pretty satisfied with the blue, so I may wait until it has some wear, then upgrade to the bronze.
Would you recommend that over a similarly priced U-Turn? I know it doesn't have anti skate, but I believe the new arm is better and it's made in the US.
I'm a proponent of U-Turn's products. I would say this is comparable to the Orbit Special - and I do love the fact that they are made right here in New England. Their Orbit Theory is a step above.
When I started getting back into vinyl, I bought the AT LP60X and it was quite suitable, its a decent entry level turntable. There's only one option to upgrade the cartridge on Audio-Technica, which I bought and installed. However, I was using its Bluetooth feature and the music sounded like I had placed a towel over the Klipsch BT speakers. After a few months I upgraded to a NAD C588 turntable (just under $1k on sale). The speakers now are KEF LS50 Meta and a pair of B&W 600 series speakers. The NAD is pretty damn good, the only complaint that I have is, the counterweight is difficult to accurately dial in. If I want to listen to the Stones mono box set, its an easy switch from the Ortofon bronze to the Ortofon mono cart but it can take a bit of time and frustration to adjust for the weight difference. Other than that I'm pretty happy with my current setup (for now, LOL). Great video, thanks!
I've heard the KEFs are incredible.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords Yes they are... with the right amp!
Nothing wrong with the LP60X really. I own it, the Bluetooth version like yourself. However, I did make two little upgrades to it by swapping out the conical stylus for an elliptical and replacing the felt mat with an acrylic. Any owner of this turntable should at least try a couple of upgrades like this before they splash out on anything more expensive, it's worth it to satisfy the curiosity.
Excellent review! I have an RT85 on my upstairs system and have been very happy with it. As far as 16 rpm goes... I have an old Dinah Shore 7" disc of hers. I forget how many songs are on it. A number of spoken word albums used to be produced at that speed.
Wow - Dinah Shore - now there's a blast from the past!
16 RPM discs were generally transcription discs for radio and books for the blind.
Thanks, Danny!
As a former haver of an older Dual with 16RPM, it's a wonderful combo with early ambient discs!
As a former haver of an older Dual with 16RPM, it's a wonderful combo with early ambient discs!
I just got the RT82. Great so far. Difference is the 85 has different cartridge and platter.
Thrilled to hear that. Congrats!
Hey Rick, great video like usual. While I will stick to my Marantz TT-15S1 table with the Clearaudio tonearm and cart, I am more interested in the Fluance isolation platform. How does that compare to the Pangea wall isolation shelf you installed?
Hey there! No comparison actually. The wall shelf is hands down the best step I’ve taken to reduce resonance. The platform a step below (but definitely helps!).
I like this table as I own it. It has auto stop which is nice because I often listen to records at night with headphones on and almost always fall asleep 😴 💤. That being said, I would personally prefer a fully automatic turntable. It would be cool to see Fluance come out with a fully automatic turntable!
It's happened to me too, John. In one instance we had company and I had a record playing in the background. Cmpletely forgot and went to bed and woke up the next dasy to the platter still spinning!
Nice review! Re upgrades, Tarun over at the British Audiophile has this rule: if you upgrade, UPGRADE, meaning spend >3x as much as what you currently have. Otherwise, it is just another flavor of the same. With TTs that can get a bit complicated with all the different parts, but I think this is a good rule. -- Can you use a record brush on this TT without the motor stopping? That was one of the great annoyances with the Thorens 205 (I think) I once had (and got rid of). Record brush would stop the platter from turning because motor was so weak.
Hi Daniel! I'm not sure I agree with spending three times as much. A $1500 amp is probably going to give you a better bang for the buck than a $750 amp (and I'm sure there are exceptions). I suppose if we are talking low-end then yes, 3x as much makes sense (say a $150 amp, then you would want something in the $500 range).
Anyway - yes on the brush! I always use a brush before lowering the stylus and it was fine - no slow down.
Ion Max LP turntable is a great turntable too, i've had mine for a long while and i love it
And that's what matters!
I am looking for a good quality semi automatic or automatic direct drive turntable preferably with an SME tonearm. I don't need or really want on-board bluetooth, wifi, usb, or an integrated preamp. My budget is $1000 but preferably less. Is there anything you would recommend. I currently have a AT LP5X and a Pioneer PL 707 and I need a third turntable and it must be semi or auto.
Hi John! If it needs to be semi or fully automatic you could look at Thorens. The TD102 is probably right around 1k and the TD101 a bit less. Right around the same price as the TD101 is the Dual 429 - another fully automatic.
Great Review - Love your videos! One additional thing that is different about the RT85 vs. RT85N - and this is on Fluance's site - but the tone arm is locked a little higher for its VTA to accommodate the larger Nagaoka Cartridge - however - in this line of carts - like the MP-110 and the 2M Blue - or even the 2M Bronze - its probably not that big of an issue.
True. I was happy with how the blue sounded. It was a nice surprise when I found the MP110 comparable
Hi Rick , I know Rega use a felt mat which works well with a glass platter , not sure if it would work with this unit.
I'm sure it would. I no longer have a felt mat here to check it with though.
Another nice informative video Rick that helps shed some positive and enlightening information for anyone looking to purchase a quality turntable at a decent and affordable price. Looks like a solid winner as far as design features and functionality is concerned. Great entry level table for sure or one that just might suffice as a one stop for one's valued record collection...thanks for reviewing
I appreciate that Louis! 🍺🍺🍺
Great video! Have you tried installing your Ortofon Black on a Fluance turntable? Did it work? I have a Fluance and would like to install the black, but it doesn't seem totally clear if they're compatible.
I'd be so grateful for your guidance on this. Many thanks
Hi Andrew! You could, but I don't think you'll get the full sound out of the black on the Fluance. I checked the resonance specs combining the cart and tonearm and it doesn't seem to be a good match (if the tonearm effective mass I found was accurate).
Just ordered RT85N today since I'm familiar with MP-110. Bought Zen Air phono also. Will run it through my Yamaha A-S501 to KEF's Q350 and SVS SB1000Pro. I'm so excited because my current TT is a Sony PS-HX500 with MP-110 installed and my fav Aja sounds sooooo good. My expectations are so high about Fluance and I'm a little worried that I will not get much of improvements, but I hope I will.
Hi Max! From what you described I think you will be very happy with the Fluance. Let me know what you think when you receive it and have had a chance to listen.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords got Zen Air delivered today, hooked up to my Sony TT (while waiting for RT85N) and noticed a big improvement over the internal phono stage. Much more weight and clarity to it. It's a good news!
I had mani 2 before for a long period of time and i didn't like it to be honest, cheaply made, super bright led in front of your face and the most important it was noisy. And then it burned down few days ago, with a super bad chemical smell. So no more schiit in my life. But thanks it happened, because it forced me to upgrade my setup.
@@MaxKnoxwille Great to hear about the Zen Air! I'm actually reviewing their Zen Phono 3 on the next video, Cool company.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords Rick, i got my new turntable today in piano black! Set it up with the included white gloves, leveled, put 1.95 gramms vat and OMFG... What a step up from my previous tt! Fluance is the only purchase i made that exceeded my expectation, because my expectation are always high and usually i went a little sad with it. I feel it like a real premium product, beautifully crafted, with a bunch of cool features. Sounds INCREDIBLY good! Finally i can say that my vinyl sounds better than digital source and i'm extremely happy to admit that. The whole new world, just WOW. The tube preamp with Psvane's makes it more enjoyable. I can't stop listening to my records, got a goosebumps everytime.
Have you measured the speed stability and the wow/flutter?
I typically do but don’t recall on that one. It’s been a few months.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords wow/flutter is a basic spec for a turntable and if that turntable costs around 500 dollars it better have 0.08 w/f or below
Is there an upgrade path to the MP-150 by changing the stylus, or do you need to swap out the whole cart?
Hi David ! Folks have used the 150 on a 110 cart, but from what I understand it's not recommended. The 100 and 110 are interchangeable, as are the 150 and 200. Going from the 110 to a 150 without using the 150 cart may result in a downgraded performance.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords cool, thanks for the reply. So basically that would entail swapping out the whole mp110 (which is awesome from what I hear) to the mp150. Would there be any changes be needed for VTA? From what I understand the MP110 has a non-standard cartridge height.. Maybe the 110 and 150 are the same height?
@@davidadamus177 I believe they are - just built slightly different.
I swapped the 110 stylus for the MP-200 with no trouble at all. It’s a phenomenal upgrade without needing to re-align anything. Plug and play. Both styluses are the same height.
I have a Yamaha stereo receiver. Do I need the pre amp ?
Hi there! Without knowing the exact model I would bet it has one built in. An easy way to check is to see if there are inputs in the back marked "Phono". If you see that then you can simply plug your turntable into it (assuming your turntable doesn't have a built in preamp that's turned on).
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords yes has phono . Thanks
@6:47
I have been using the original belt that came with my turntable, for approximately 15 years. I hear no issues with playback.
I have a spare belt. But I hear no issues with the original belt.
My belt requires me to manually move it to a different rung (for lack of a better noun) on the turntable's pulley.
The pulley is cone shaped. The smaller rung will turn the platter at 33⅓ RPM, and the larger rung will turn the platter at 45 RPM.
So I do periodically pull on the belt to move it back and forth between the rungs, when playing records of different speeds. And the belt has good tension, after all of these years.
Do some belts actually wear out after 2 or 3 years?
Is it due to endless hours of use (I do not play records every day -- so perhaps that is why my belt is lasting so long)?
Or is it a matter of varying quality of the belt's construction?
I bet it’s a mix of quality of the belt and the amount of playing time. The U-Turn in my review room also requires the belt to be moved to switch between speeds. I bought a few belts as I found d that the constant switching between the two did tend stretch the belt.
If you haven’t heard any degradation then it probably speaks to the quality of the belt. As Dave at Vinyl Nirvana once told me “trust your ears”.
I also think the 1000 hours often quoted by some manufacturers is to play it safe. Belts are usually inexpensive except with some vintage equipment where they may be hard to find.
I know - long reply. Belt replacement is usually full of opinions.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords "Belts are usually inexpensive except with some vintage equipment where they may be hard to find."
Perhaps 5 years after owning my turntable, I purchased a spare belt -- for peace of mind. That was probably around 2015.
That belt (that special, glorified rubber band) cost me $50. It probably cost $75, or more, today.
My belt is for a Clearaudio turntable. I do not know if that factors in to the price of a belt. I have no idea what other manufacturer's belts cost.
Regardless, I suspect that it cost Clearaudio no more than $3 to manufacture that belt, and there is probably a $15 profit made by the audio store. And the audio store does not stock the belt. So perhaps there was a shipping cost, too, that factored in to the $50 price?
Do you know how much your U-Turn's belt costs?
...Dave is correct.
@@NoEgg4u U-Turn's replacement belts are currently $9
I like your base traps putting cushions and pillows in a metal wired bin like that works great as a base tramp😉👍
probably be good cushions in the table as well
My wife is brilliant when it comes to things like that. 😂
I have the Fluance acrylic platter because I heard it was good for a bass preference but boy does it pick up static. Sometimes I lift up a record to turn it over and I can feel the static rush over the hairs on my wrist. This is after treating the record with the zerostat 3. I try treating the platter with the zerostat in the hopes of keeping it under control.
Interesting. Especially with acrylic. Are you in a humid climate?
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords We’ve just been through an unusually humid period, coinciding with the incidences of this. It’s wasn’t supposed to get humid here for another two months.
@@mcnaugha It's actually been the same here this week (New England)
I need the dust cover on at all times. I have a cat who loves a spinning disc 😆
😂😂 I bet it's mesmerizing
This may be my next turn table, its right in my budget and I think it will sound perfect!
If you do, let me know what you think.
My grandson showed me this turntable. He wants it for Christmas. I may be buying 2 of them
Nice!
I just setup the LPgear 3600LENSS on a Zupreme Head Shell I used a 1.5mm Hdpe Shim and about a 1.4 grams of weight. so the Vta height and weight are almost the same as the Mp-110. Sounds Great to me. Also have a Atvm95ml vta and weight matched Carbon fibre headshell, :) this one is my keeper. I also run a Mp-200 Like it very much, SO this these 4 carts Sound great in there own way. Flunace does not like to offer any help with changing out the Mp-110 But if you match VTA height &weight with mp-110 they all Work great.
Sounds like you are all over it!
Retired and needed a good hobby so I am tweaking a Hta-200 Daytona audio Tube Amp with Diy Studio monitor 2 ways Tango's And a tight 10" Sub. Budget LOFI 2.1-channel.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords I made my own tables for the RT85N and tube amp out of Black walnut I feel it help a lot . I get no outside tracking issues . and there building a huge 40-acre warehouse behind my Home. My whole house vibrates but the turntable rock solid.
I've never heard a Fluance TT but I imagine they aren't to shabby, however someone would have to take my Technics SL D3 with the AT VM95 ML cart, at gunpoint!
Isn't at VM95ML Awesome with my Old ears and the vm95ml make sweet Music.@@robertwoodward9231
@@robertwoodward9231 😂😂😂😂
Hi Rick, this is really a very interesting unit in the highly competitive market of $500 class turntables, thank you for the great review! 🙂
Welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
You don't need to get a tracking force gauge..... just use your cocaine scale.
I would love to see a blindfold test with you and a few other people that would pick the best sounding setup. A RT81 with a $1,200 cartridge against a $1,200 table with a $300 cartridge. I just don't think having a table for over a thousand bucks is going to have as great as a impact as one that is much less (maybe used) as long as the less expensive has anti skate, tone arm height and leveling feet. Anyways, would be a fun watch.
That would be a very good test. Almost like a blind wine testing.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords True!
Very nice video as always 😁 Is this Fluance record player comparable to the Audio Technica At LP 120? Or is the Fluance placed in the division above? I'm thinking about the AT player with the AT 95 SH cartridge and needle. Enjoy your weekend, and all the best from a sunny southern Norway 👏👍😁
Hi , Ole! Warming up here as well. Just came in from cutting down a few trees in the yard.
I'd put this a step above the 120 (but not by a large margin). That's a good turntable as well. If you prefer direct drive over belt-driven I'd go with the 120.
Yeah that could be a good choice tt, I don't know I've had some issues about the arm people say its loose?? yours is not?
Try this on your TD 160, get little balls of blu tack spread them around the table probably the Star of David, and put one in the lines that join the Star so 12 balls of blu tach in total 3 mm or so! then lay the acrylic mat agently on top.
Let me know how you get on with that!
of course you need to raise the arm to compensate but I wouldn't do that?? I don't think that's not a good idea in my findings, I know it's controversial and that's completely what people say you shouldn't do but it's wrong the arm doesn't need to be level but the cartridge has to be tilted to be level, so you're at your 90 to 92° face of the styli tip. so pack it out with some pieces of stiff card to compensate on the front edge of the cartridge. And do not mount I found this out recently do not mount your cartridge parallel level with the head shell or using one of those protractors, I don't think protractors are the right way to go overhang is a much more accurate way, and twist the cartridge in a bit a millimeter maybe a bit more. So if you had a straight line where the screws would be on the head shell what you can draw with a pen or pencil and that is your overhang to spindle reference for where the styli tip would be, there's a calculation on the internet for this if you don't know the overhang to the length of arm. So what your aiming for when you drawn your line that has to be at 90 degrees to the headshell holes the outer Bolt wants to be in front of the line and the inner Bolt to the back of the line, that means the tip will be at its perfect point and can ride the inner groove better. There is a tool for this expensive, Wally did some investigations into numerous cartridges at all price points and found that zmith was out by 78% and didn't matter on price of cartridge. buy this little twist you're putting in you should be correcting that zmith, I found it much more responsive better highs since I've done it have a bit more weight to them and separation.
No wobbling on this one. I had no problems with it. Solid little unit. Have to send it back next week.
I had the Fluance for two months and I'd say it's OK, but adding a few 100 bucks and buying a used Rega was big upgrade.
I always recommend the Rega for someone with a bit extra to spend.
I Love my RT85!!! Great review
Thanks Andy!
There are a lot of turntables under $500 with adjustable counterweight and antiskate.
Nice !
Always looking out for deals 😎
Cheers, Carmine 🍺🍺🍺
I got the rt 84 in hopes I could try a lot of different cartridges. The limiting factor on this unit is the tone arm. Fluance doesn't recommend using any mc cartridges, eh whatever.
Agree - the one limitation that jumps out
You can just got to match up right.
I am still using my technics sl-d2 from the seventies. If it ain't broke dont fix it.
Good choice. Fluance has a good reputation in the VC. I almost spent that much on RSD ouch 🤕
I so easily could have spent that at RSD. As it was I spent more than I;d planned
Vinyl platters, being made from pretty much the same material as vinyl lps, have resonances and vibratory qualities that are more in sync with each other; which is what you want. However, I say "more in sync" because even two things made of the same material have different vibratory qualities because of their different thickness and mass.Your average person who plays records, (not that most people know how to play records), don't know how to address something like that, or optimize and compensate for stuff like that. Being underappreciated, I'm not going to waste my time with long How To Do's. Another of the many things people do wrong is they try to get their phono cartridge to be perfectly parallel with the lp. When cutting from the studio tape to make the female part of the stamper, which is used to later make what is called the male part of the stamper; the cutter cuts the grooves at a slight angle as I understand it. If it cut the groove perfectly straight up and down, the material debris being displaced by the cutter plowing through the material, would keep getting in front of and in the way of the cutter. By cutting the groove at a slight angle, instead of straight up and down, the displaced material shavings go off to the side and out of the way of the cutterhead instead, where they have powerful vacuums that suck up the displaced plowed through material debris. For this reason styluses do not sit perfectly down into the groove. Instead, it's like trying to fit a V into one half of a W. It does fit into it sort of, but not at the perfect angle or geometry. The perfect angle does optimize sound quality, especially in terms of sweetness. Very few vinylphiles are aware of that, as some of us sticklers for detail are.We are sticklers because we can hear when things makes a very audible improvement. Records are a lot of problems compared to cd. Not only in optimizing playback, but in making them in the first place. There are many other things too.
Listening to my new, even higher end cd player, already modded by myself of course, I take back anything I said about vinyl sounding better in a few ways over cd. Those ways are gone. I do realize that most people are never going to own cd playback as otherwordly good as what I have, and maybe they are better off buying vinyl if they can find it cheap, but make no mistake; on the best cd players, I don't hear anything that vinyl does better sonically. If you have an extensive vinyl collection, I'd keep upgrading turntable and cartridge. But if you are just getting into music, buying, vinyl is really looking like not the way to go, with so much price gouging. When people see these guys advertising stuff like Dark Side Of The Moon UHQRs from the 1980s on ebay and elsewhere, and pricing them near $3,000. People don't want to give their money to such a ___! They are often still unsold a year later. If the sound quality that I know cds are capable of, ever comes down to affordable cd players, vinyl people could be one new computer chip away from their lps being near obsolete. Those who invest in vinyl for monetary reasons, Betting on what they "believe" is vinyl's soniic superiority, might be as risky as betting your pay on the Daily Double at the race track.
I would really love to build a teleportation device to hear the system you've built. Every time you mention it I wish I could hear it. 🍺
When audiophiles think of vibration, they should also think of one of those skull and crossbones symbols that they had on poison bottles. The slightest little adjustments make an audible difference, and it is so fun and rewarding to just turn your system off for a few minutes, get up from your couch and try something different, and a few mintes later there's this amazing improvement. The possibilities never run out and I know you can get closer to real live sound than the "experts" think, or would lead you to believe.
I have hundreds of CD'S, have the latest digital server/streamer with all my uncompressed CD files on it, it sounds great and very convenient.
Being an "audiophile" is a full blown hobby for me, love upgrading equipment when possible, swapping around equipment, and enjoying discovering new music on Qobuz or Amazon HD.
All that said, my biggest investment is in playing vinyl, nothing else is as engaging, how I clean, store, handle the physical format has an impact on the sound and I strive for the best.
If you can't afford or don't want to pay the high cost of vinyl these days, that is completely sane and understandable, I'm selective and would rather buy fewer good pressings (old and new) than have more of mediocre ones.
I hope records become more reasonable so more people can enjoy the medium.
Some of my records sound better than the digital versions, but there are tradeoffs with surface noise sometimes and I can live with that. So I'm a proponent of both formats, both are great.
I used to be a staunch supporter of lps. I still have a medium size lp collection. I got into cd late, around 1994, did not like the sound of my first cd player. Nor did I like my later Nakmichi cd player, but was a fan of their cassette decks until I heard some Tandbergs. Not liking the sound of cds with the equipment I had back then, I went to cassettes, and started modifying cassette decks. I remember being so proud of myself when I got them to sound within at least shouting distance of reel to reel. Then I started modifying cd players and for the 1st time I heard potential in the sound. I now do 60+ step mods of cd players, and with my modded players I don't think anyone can tell that their sound is digital. My cd playback sound can't be far from state of the art players, even ones approaching 6 figures, thanks to my mods on players that are cheap to buy on the internet. Mostly the expense is my time. No one really knows how good cds are, as each time the state of the art in cd playback equipment advances, so does the resolution & revealed potential of cds. Maybe an over $10,000 Clearaudio Goldfinger phono cartridge would put vinyl lps back in the lead for me. But if so, I bet it would still be a close one. Can't afford phono cartridges like that, so I am so glad to have figured out how to get that level of sound quality on the cheap, using my know how from near 40 years of day after day experiments.
@@sidesup8286 That's pretty cool, I don't have the knowledge to mod a player, I'd imagine I'd be educated on how much better a CD could sound than mine do with my pedestrian player.
Guess that's why I like vinyl, gives me something I can involve myself in without a lot of technical knowledge.
Good review. I appreciate it.
Thanks David- as always!
Great review. Love the channel 👍
Thanks Rick!
hey thats my turntable! I didnt know they were coming out with an isolation platform - looks to be identical to the TT body with the same feet? Was there a difference between using it and not using it?
my only complaint with Fluance is I wish they came in a matte black. The finish on the piano black aint perfect (my first one was scuffed and had to be sent back) and prone to surface scratches in the clear coat so you've got to baby it.
I agree - I like matte as well.
The platform did isolate the turntable. When I jumped without it the needle skipped. But I had to jump to make that happen. I did the same thing with the platform under it and it didn't skip. Not really the most scientific tests (maybe I jumped harder without it), but it does add a layer of absorption.
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords did you find there was a musical difference, like when you added that wall mount?
@@mat.b. No, to be honest. That was a HUGE difference and alot had to do with the room itself (as well as the type of turntable). The attic room didn't have the same issue. I also don't think this would have resolved the issue that the wall-mount did.
16 rpm records were for children’s music and spoken word. All those yellow records from my 50s and 60s childhood were 16 rpm.
Interesting. I didn't those children records from that time were 16rpm.
Great turntable and a very well done video. I'm still a Rega lover though... Natch.😉😂
Jim🏴🙂
Rega is my top recommendation for those that hover around $1000. Great turntable
@@TheJoyofVinylRecords it sure is. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Best wishes from Scotland.
Jim🏴🙂
700 Canadian, If you wait till Christmas you get the Phono Pre Amp Free. That's what i did last Christmas.
😂😂😂perfect plan
Setting the anti skate that way with a blank disc is a horrible idea! Doing it that way you will be way, way off! The factory recommends to set it at what ever the tracking force is! I set it by ear from the inner groove! The anti skate works with MODULATION, that right there tells you! 😊
Learned that! You’re right. Started using the Wallyskater
Thanks Rick and this should be of particular interest to people setting out on the road to hifi financial ruin.
But for entry level and early upgrades there are only 3 turntables you need to mention: Rega, Rega and Rega!!
And for you colonials still struggling with English, that's Ree-ga, not Ray-ga!!
PS sorry but I don't know how to add laughing emojis to my comments - sure you know I'm joking (maybe!)
I love that I'm still a "colonial". 😂😂😂. And you're so right about the financial ruin part Keir!
Fully automatic or don't bother
I’m sorry Rick, as fascinating as this might be for those lucky enough to be able to affort slightly more expensive equipment, these kind of videos are not what made your channel a success in the first place. Please stay true to your original video content, which has always been a great mix of informal, informative and mostly pleasure for the sake of music enjoyment. Hifi reviews can be found everywhere, your channel deserves better. Cheers :)
I disagree, I love seeing different posts & if that includes a product review, I will still enjoy.
With more people providing reviews, we have more information to help us make purchasing decisions -- especially when we respect or trust the reviewer's feedback.
And that our host did a turntable review, does not mean that he will not continue making other helpful videos. The two different types of videos are not mutually exclusive -- he can (and likely will) do both.
And like most hosts, he wants to grow his audience. Reviews will bring in more subscribers.
I would have liked to hear our host's feedback on how that turntable sounded in his listening room. Perhaps that will be for another video? Or perhaps he gave it a listen, was not impressed, and did not want to leave such a review?
Our host loves this subject. So how could he pass up an opportunity for a manufacturer to send him a turntable for a review. I think that it is safe to say that our host would like nothing better than for this to become a pattern -- for manufacturers to send him turntables, and phono-amps, etc, for him to review.
But I hear you @thvsch8381. And I, too, do not want our host to change his platform to focus on only reviews. I doubt that he is planning to do that.
As it pertains to reviews, I like to hear reviews on specific albums, and how they sound, accompanied by stamper codes, and any other information to help us make informed vinyl purchasing decisions. I have a hard time landing great sounding pressings (short of a site having such pressings, accompanied by a corresponding price tag). So anyone with a good ear, that can rate sound quality of specific pressings, I would find helpful. But it is a lot of work involved in the above.
Rather a USA made U turn than a China table.
Love U-Turn. I have their custom orbit in my review room.
The tonearm and cueing lever are total crap!! The numbers on the counter weight are barely legible! Awful turntable
First! Great video!
Cheers!
Not a deal! A CD player is a much better proposition 👍
Cheers David 🍺