Fluance RT85N Review - Nagaoka MP-110 Makes the Deck Shine?
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- The RT85 sits at the top of Fluance's Referrence Series of turntables, which starts with the RT82 model and offers incremental upgrades at each step.
Originally, the RT85 shipped only with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge-a superb cartridge at its price point and one I've used for many years.
However, you can now order the popular RT85 with a pre-aligned Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge. Let's see how the RT85N measures up and how the MP-110 compares to the 2M Blue
Hear the MP-110/2M Blue Shootout over at my Patreon page:
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Years ago as I was just getting back into vinyl after 30 years, I purchased the RT81 by Fluance which had received good initial reviews and was shipped with the AT95E. After about a year I changed the cartridge for the Nagaoka MP110. It was like Night and Day. The Nag really works well with the Fluance and I have tried it on my Technics SL1100 and my Audio Technica AT-140LP and it was quite good on both. This is a cartridge that punches well above its weight...in the price range I have not been able to find one that sounded better.
Appreciate your review. I have the RT85 with the blue cartridge. Perhaps since I am a bit over 50 I personally like the blue with a little more high end. It helps me hear more detail without any sharpness at all. But I can see and appreciate why others might prefer the different cartridge. Also I have speakers that tend to be a bit more on the warmer side so the blue cartridge suits them better. Thanks again my friend. It was a pleasure to watch your thoughts about the cartridges. Take care.
Great stuff. Sounds about right: it all depends on the personal taste of the listener, and the context in terms of gear matched up with it. Both have pros and cons and it’s nice that this deck offers something different as Ortofon cartridges are so prevalent on new turntables; nice to have choice.
Thank you for the video review. This may be my favorite video yet.
Thank you for watching! I appreciate the kind words; so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Happy listening 🎶🎧
Nice video. I bought a RT-85 when I decided to get back into vinyl. This was before they offered the 85N. After watching several reviews about the Nagaoka and it's warmer sound, I decided to buy the cartridge and another head shell. At first I liked the Nagaoka and the "warmer, richer" sound. But after a while, especially on some of my older albums, I felt it sounded a little "muddy". So I have gone back to the 2M Blue for now. I'm going keep track of my albums and which stylus sounds better with them. If the recording is "shrilly", I'll use the 110. If it is "muddy", I'll use the blue.
Thanks for watching. Yes, this is quite common with older recordings due to the production style which is often warmer than some of today’s productions which can have more zing up top and sometimes more accentuated bass too. Having one “warm” option and a second “brighter” option can be useful. Enjoy! 🎶🎧
I have an old Technics SL-2900 turntable. I acquired a Nagaoka MP-110. It came mounted on a shell provided by the manufacturer. I installed it and did the required adjustments. However, the sound was awful, no matter how many times I readjusted it. Then I had and idea: I ordered a Technics shell similar to the original that comes with the SL-2900 and it worked. It matches perfectly the sound you described. I am 62 years old, and last year I thought I was going deaf of my left ear. I had it washed and voila! As soon as it was clean, I immediately noticed my right ear hearing was lower and more muffled. So I had it washed too. And now I prefer less treble and more details and nuance and the Nagaoka MP-110 is just perfect. I set the DSP equalizer of my stereo to get the best of it. Coincidentally or not it is also the best for my CD player.
Sounds like the headshell was creating a a miss-matched there somewhere! Enjoy!
After doing alot of research I went with the 85 with the 2m blue. I love it. In the states it is the best bang for buck. Less shipping and less middle men then rega or project. The blue is amazing after it blooms, but I love my bronze as well. It shines on the 85
Great stuff. Enjoy! Yes, the direct to consumer model isn’t very popular in the wider hifi industry if you catch me, but consumers love it
@@soundmatters I hear ya, bud. But when it comes to bang for buck for the average man, cutting out the middleman really helps. Great product, I plan to enjoy for years to come.
Love the 2m blue
Me too 🎶🎧
@@soundmattersAs per my other comment try the 2M black. OMG you’ll be happy.
I bought a Fluance RT80 shortly after it was released in 2016. A couple weeks ago it started spinning at 30 RPMs. It's possible that I need to re-solder the contacts on the motor to fix it but I was ready for an upgrade so I bought a Pro-ject T1. It came with an Ortofon OM5E cartridge and sounded great. Unfortunately, the built-in anti-skate on that turntable didn't work and the tonearm would occassionally jump out of the runout groove and onto the label of a record. The T1 also lacked auto-stop. I understand why superfluous electronics are undesirable in a turntable but auto-stop seems like something most people would want. Especially if they're prone to falling asleep after a few IPAs or have ADHD. I am going to order an RT85 and I'm glad to know it won't spin for 8 hours while I snooze on the couch. I'll probably order the RT85 with the Ortofon 2M Blue. I was impressed by the cheaper OM5E cartridge on the Pro-ject T1.
Some love auto stop, others don’t. The 2M Blue will be perfect if you liked the OM. Enjoy! 🎶🎧
Have the RT84 w/ Hana EL... Life is GOOD ! Had to get a cork mat to compensate for difference in heights of cartridges (was 2MBlue)
Cool! I’ve heard good things about the Hana. You can use shims to adjust the VTA on that since it’s shorter in height than the Ortofon. That way, if you ever upgrade to the acrylic platter, you’ll still benefit from the “coupling” effect of vinyl direct on acrylic 👍🎶🎧
@@soundmatters Where would the "SHIMS" be placed ? On the headshell ? That will also add weight ? The tonearm's height unfortunately, has zero height adjustments.
@@ptg01check me if I’m wrong on this, but I think the Hana likes some tonearm mass, so any added weight from the shims should not be a problem, and you would of course reset the counterweight to fit the Hana spec. I’ve been thinking about the Hana EL for my RT85 as well…don’t want to add cork over the acrylic. Will need to get good at measuring cart height and tracking angle I suspect..
Bought the Nagaoka for use on my Fluance turntable and no matter how much I adjusted azimuth and tracking force and leveling of the turntable, it never stayed in the grooves for longer than 30 seconds before jumping wildly. I spent around $100 on gadgets to adjust every aspect of my turntable and just never got it right. I ended up going back to my Audio Technica green shell and I’ve never looked back since.
Weird. That sounds like a faulty stylus to me. Very odd indeed. I like the Audio Technica stuff, and the new ones have very easy to upgrade styli. You can account for the shorter height on those with shims for VTA adjustment 👍 (if it’s a reference model, of course)
@@soundmatters No it's not weird for Fluance, they build the Fluance for one cart or the other, per Fluance manual, "The standard VTA for turntables is between 20° and 30°. Fluance turntables do not have an adjustable tonearm height so it is important to select a cartridge with a height close to the height of the original cartridge (17mm)." Also, for the RT85, "supported cartridge weight: 5.0 to 7.5 grams". Flaunce changed the height of the tone arm depending on which one of the two stylus options you selected originally, but this was done at the factory level, it cannot be changed once it leaves the factory.
With no VTA adjustment, the easiest thing to do, if you are anal, is to experiment with mats of different thicknesses or headshell shims.
This problem that he has is a resonance issue, not a VTA issue. This could be caused by too light of tracking, and or anti-skating issue, or it could be that the alignment is off, those 3 things need to be checked first. But before you start playing with those adjustments do this first: remove the cartridge and then put it back on, making sure it is on 100 percent correctly, then test it. Make sure your record is clean, but it sounds like you have been dealing with records for a while so I doubt your records are dirty. So first thing to do is to remove and replace the stylus to make sure it's installed correctly; then check the tracking force, then the skating issue, and then the alignment, but you will need an alignment gauge tool to do it correctly. All the instructions on how to do this stuff can be found on-line
It could also be due to a warped record, but I doubt that's the problem since you probably would see that record going up and down as it rotates. And since it didn't occur with the old stylus then I assume you didn't move the turntable to another location thus it's sitting flat on a hard surface as it was before.
My MP 110 runs perfectly on my RT 82.
great video
I prefer the Nagaoka's warmer sound.
I know many who do ✌🏻👌🎶🎧
NAGAOKA Cartridge MP-300 👍
Just got back into vinyl records having been an 80's teen, and back then always preferred records to tapes and listened to all my music on my step dad's turn table, when I could, the one in my bedroom was a SANYO something or other and was adequate but not great.
I currently have a vintage Aiwa PX-E850 that I bought for cheap on e-Bay to get my records back on a deck.
It's great, the best feature being it's auto play and stop feature, BUT it's become increasingly obvious that the onboard PreAmp is pants and the fact that the best stylus I can get for it is basically an AT3600L with a carbon cantilever arm, just isn't cutting it for me.
Use a seperate Preamp, I hear you say, well I would, I even bought a cheap Behringer PP444 preamp for it, BUT there is no ground connector on the deck and the hum is unbearable.
I have decided to pull the trigger on a Fluance Turn Table but my budget is limited.
I first thought that I should get the RT81+, BUT then I noticed that for the same price I can get the RT82 with a better motor, the OM10 Cartridge and stylus, the upgraded motor and the upgraded adjustable isolation feet.
Decision made!
The RT82 it is then.
I am waiting a week before I order it, as I said my budget is tight, BUT I cannot wait to try the new deck out when it arrives.
I have watched many videos here on RUclips made by various Audiophile uploaders and I just wanted to say that you are among the best of them in my humble opinion, @Sound Matters, so thank you for your informative and easy to watch uploads, you have helped me a lot.
You've earned a Sub 👍
Hey! I hop you enjoy the RT-82 - it's a good move as you can upgrade the platter at a latter date and bring it closer to the RT-85. There's a nice upgrade path there. Thank you so much for the kind words about the channel, I really appreciate it. Happy spinning!
A big plus for swap-able head-shells! It is possible to get shims to increase the relative height of certain cartridges, but going the other way doesn't seem to be possible. Auto-stop is a nice feature as well. Back in the days of the autochanger, there were pretty strictly adhered to standards about where the cut-off point was. I wonder if these are forgotten in the 'second age of vinyl'.
Thanks Michael. I have heard of spacers at the tonearm side for some Rega models. I’m fairly sure in this case it’s not a thing though sadly. Good call on the headshell shims 👌🎶🎧
The 'Auto-stop' on my RT82 (upgraded platter) is severely lacking in 'stop'. Numerous 45/33 plates tried...I think it has about 0.0007% success rate.
I own a Fluance RT80 and about 300 records. A modest collection by some standards but I've never encountered a record that stopped early due to the auto-stop feature. If I had I wouldn't consider that to be more important than the many, many nights when I passed out listening to an album and the auto-stop prevented my RT80 from spinning unimpeded for 8 hours. Which is 16,000 revolutions at 33-1/3 RPMs.
@@TheRealKaner That's unfortunate. I have an RT80 and I've never encountered an issue with auto-stop.
@kgeo753 fixed it. The switch was disconnected...poor QC.
Just as well, I spent 16 years as a repair technician
Haha! 😂 When first looked at your ON AIR. Sign, I thought it said GWAR, a band whom I loved seeing live until the untimely passing of their front man Oderus Urungus aka Dave Brockie. Damn, do I miss that guy.
Anyway, about your fantastic review of the Nagoka MP-110. Over the years, I’ve owned the 110 and even the 509, but it seems like the sweet spot is the MP-200, imo at least, but they of course sound different depending on one’s system, and if you’ve got speakers with a relaxed sound or a more detailed one. They’re amazing sounding carts and truly special, especially considering their price.
Thanks for the review. I’ve recommended Fluance to a bunch of my friends looking to buy a quality turntable without breaking the bank.
Haha! Glad I could play a part in triggering some nostalgia for you there. Thanks for watching 🎶🎧
Great video!
Thanks! Happy listening 🎶🎧
I can highly recommend the ATVM540ML. It is so much better than both the MP-100 or 2M Blue.
I have the ATVM95SH. Pretty much the same, but a Shibata instead of Microlinear profile stylus.
It’s a superb cart.
Both yours and mine are a superb match in particular for a Technics 1200.
A few folks have said this. One to add to my list and check out. I nearly bought a turntable that came pre-fitted with one a few years ago actually
I'm currently using AT 440mla myself. I'm not a fan of Ortofon's MM carts. Ortofon shines the best in their MC units but a much greater expense. Nagaoka carts are a good value for what they are but I think AT are about the best overall in any budget.
@@metoo5159 Me too! Lol. I agree. Thx.
Yes! Most definitely. Even the ATVM95ML performs better than the 2M Blue and, it costs less.
I see an El-P Vinyl, I like the video, it's simple!
To improve fidelity even further than the MP11O, get the Audio Technica AT-VM95SH cartridge! At $199, It's an absolute bargain!
Great! Yes, I’ve heard good things about that cartridge 🎶🎧👍
@@flauschiger_fuchs I didn't get those results on any of my turntables but that's just my opinion. The MP110 is great but just didn't do it for me.
@@flauschiger_fuchs the induced magnet moving iron cartridges all seem to have a wonderful sound stage. It's why I've been hanging on to my Stanton 681 ( also 680s and a L747S since then ) since 1978 . Almost bought a Nagaoka MP-110 a while back. but I needed a TP4 p-mount for my Technics SL-7 linear tracking close"n"play. So I stuck with Stanton (L747S) . Yeah I was curious about a comparison. I believe the Stanton will be neutral compared to the Nagaoka. The Stanton is no slouch ... thay neutrality is also why it was a broadcast standard. Every thing played sounds just as the recording engineers intended. It is a shame that they can't be bought as a new cartridges. thankfully there are some good aftermarket styli available. If
Can the MP-110 on the RT85N be upgraded to the MP-200,MP-300 or the MP-500?
Since the VTA is setup a little different I plan to stay with the Nagaoka as the measurement of the body is the same.
Thank you,great video.
Mark. Can I make a suggestion to you. Get a 2M Black. The difference between the 2M Blue is mindlblowing on my Logic dm101, SME3009 tonearm. I have been using the black for years (way to many hours over the 1000 suggested) but it needs replacing so thought I’d try the blue for like £130. Even my worn black stylus absolutely walks all over the blue brand new. Dig deep and do the upgrade you will be staggered!
On a 250.00 dollar rig. Daft you are
Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't heard the 2M Black yet, but may need to do an A/B based on what you've said here. Thanks for watching and happy spinning!
I have both the 2M Blue and 2M Black. The Black is 4 times more expensive but only 5 percent better. If I had to do it over, I would NOT get the 2M Black - I would go with the Nagaoka MP150 which is a good enough upgrade for only $300.
I would love to try the MP110 but I consider it too expensive for a bonded elliptical
Ultimately, the 2M Blue and MP110 are both great for the price.
I have listened to both carts for hours on an RT85. To my ears the Nag is muddy and lacks detail and “airiness” and also does not produce crisp bass. The blue is clear, detailed and bass sounds like bass and symbols sound like symbols etc.. the only owner I would recommend the Nag for would be someone who is very sensitive to high freq sounds and lacks any type of tone control or eq in their system or someone who has dirty/scratched vinyl and can’t be bothered to clean it. Despite the removable headshell the two carts are not interchangeable of course, without some shims and faffing…
Theyre both elliptical not microline, right? I'll probably stick with my ATvm95ml
Correct 🎶🎧
Reading the specs tells us the Nagaoka stylus is bonded whereas the Ortofon (blue) is nude elliptical. Is there an alternative stylus for the Nagaoka cart available?
The MP-150 is nude elliptical, but I can't see any confirmation that any of the styli are interchangeable. Shame really.
@@soundmatters Thanks. I think the differences are very small - they're all good bits of kit.
I own the RT85 with the ortofon blue cartridge. When I purchased it 2 years ago I bought another Fluance head-shell with the intent of maybe purchasing the MP-110 down the road. I would like to do so but after your video it sounds like it would not be set up properly. What's your take on this. Thanks!
You can do it, but they have tweaked the VTA to better suit the Nagaoka in this case (optimising the stylus taking angle in the process).
You can shim the Nagaoka down about a CM and it’ll work just fine.
Curious about your opinion on U-Turn turntables.
I asked them about a year ago if they could send a demo unit. They look great, but sadly the demo unit has never happened
So how would the MP 300 sound on an RT85 Fluance??
I like the idea of a detachable headshell but if you can't adjust the tone arm height for different carts what's the point?this needs to be addressed !!! Then i would definitely consider buying.
I agree it would be nice to see adjustable VTA on this model 🎶🎧
It's nice to have a turn without all the fuss of adjusting every little thing.
Plus before the RT85N I aleady has a preloaded Nagaoka, it plays and sounds great.
Shims are a thing.
If you’re in the UK - which sounds like it by your accent - please can you advise on an imminent problem I’m facing with my Fluance RT85, please? I’ve had one for four years and I’m certain the belt will need replacing very soon, however, going to the Fluance site, a replacement belt is £17 (reasonable) but adding in the cheapest shipping option, it comes to £110! I don’t have any Canadian friends to ask to purchase on my behalf and also can’t find what could be a compatible belt here in the UK… any thoughts? This could be an issue that many will face sooner or later.
Hmm. Yes, that is quite the issue regarding intentional shipping. I will ask the guys at Fluance if they have a solution. I’ll come back to you ASAP.
@@soundmatters Thank you so much.
Is Fluance sold on Amazon UK? Might be able to get one delivered cheaply if that's the case.
try sound deal 888 on the Bay of E. Fluance equivalent belts for much less carriage costs.
@@TheRealKaner Hallelujah! Fluance RT83 >> belt for circa £22 - you’re a ⭐️
Fluance and people who review their products (and don’t live in Canada) need to note the outrageous cost of shipping a small weight item like this internationally… or at least start selling over here.
I decided to buy the uTurn Theory turntable with the Ortofon Bronze. I belive it was about $1,200. USD. I really like this turntable and cartridge combination. My last turntable was made by a US company called SOTA or State of the Art and it was a much more expensive turntable and wortth every penny. It had 30 lbs of lead birdshot in the plinth to keep vibrations to a minimum. I had this turntable back in the late 1980s.-'90s. I can't remember the cartridge. SOTA sttill makes TT from about $1200 and up and the high end uses a unique vacuum system. Check SOTA out.
Thanks I'll check it out. The uTurn stuff looks good. Sadly, I'd have to use a special step down transformer to make one run in the UK due to their power supplies.
No. My opinion is no, it isn't a better choice..... not for most. The Nagaoka is too mid-centric and loses some of the detail you get with the Blue. The Blue can be bright, but if it's too much for you, you can dial down the treble to suit you...... but you can't add what isn't available. Most modern receivers or amplifiers have limited tone controls (if they have any at all), and the Blue tends to have a very slight "dip" in the mids, which sounds marvelous in all but the loudest volume settings. The Nagaoka seems designed for the most finicky of listeners, while the Blue is better suited for the masses.
So, the Nagaoka doesn't sound bad enough for you
Didn't care for my Fluance (or ProJect, MusicMan,Uturn...). Are they still doing 3 stabilizing feet? Dont care for Ortofon. I find the high end to be fatiguing (actually prefer their OM carts). I did enjoy the Nagaoka very much until my cleaning lady destroyed it. Thanks for the vid.
Thanks for watching. It’s all very subjective. Yea, it’s 3 feet, which does make levelling the deck very easy. Sorry to hear about the Nagaoka damage! 🎶🎧
Hard to get along with?
But how does it sound? This video was an advert 😂
Awesome
NO it doesnt !!Blue is wayyy better hand down for both sound and longevity !
Comparison is paywalled??! 😡
thumbing down for paywalling the comparison.
these should be called Effluance...
Just another marketing company putting their name on some Taiwan-made 'private label' guff; I'm not saying it's bad - Audio Technica have a deck made from near identical parts, if you get my drift - but in a niche industry it's nice to back companies that actually engineer and innovate. As for the 2M Blue, I wouldn't touch it with yours.
Why should that matter? The Fluance RT85 has better specs than the U-Turn built here in America.
Even when jumping up about $300 more for the Audio-Technica AT-LP7 the Fluance has better specs.
And the Fluance 85 has better specs than the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO.
You are going to be hard-pressed to find a turntable better than the Fluance RT85 for under $1,000 in terms of sound reproduction.
@@Rekmeyata Provenance of no interest to you? How about supporting bricks-n-mortar dealers? Ok, your call. Given the choice, I'll support businesses nearer to home, and I think THAT matters.
RT-85 better spec'd than that Pro-Ject? Fact or opinion? C'mon, convince me. Let's hear it! btw, I have no skin in that game.
Better sound under a grand? Easily done where I live (outside the US).
@@Rekmeyata Well well well, some months down the line, Mark reveals during his Rega P2 review that there is play in the arm bearings on his Fluance... what were you saying about better specs?
I'd take a Pro-Ject (or a Rega, or a U-Turn) over that mass-produced, far-east tat any day.
@@rich.e So you know one person that had a problem, I guess if one person had a problem with Toyota that would make Toyota junk cars? I've scoured the internet for problems with the Fluance RT85 and I can't find any, they had some problems with their turntables when they first came out, but since then got the issues ironed out. And Fluance are not made in China, they are made in Taiwan, and Asian manufacturers are stepping up their game by a lot because they want and need our business.
The U-Turn is made in America, but their Special turntable does not have a replaceable headshell, nor are the specs as good, the U-Turn does not have auto stop so the record will just keep spinning and wearing out the needle, and the U-Turn does not have an anti-skate adjustment, that's just plain weird. They also use poorly designed flimsy hinges for their covers.
The Rega Planar 2 has poorer specs than the Fluance, the Rega wow and flutter is 0.2 while the Fluance is 0.07. The Rega uses HDF for the plinth while the Fluance uses the denser MDF material known for better vibration dampening. The Rega lacks anti-skate adjustment as well, it lacks adjustable feet that the Fluance has, plus it's another turntable without a headshell!
I can't find a poor review concerning the Fluance RT85. The only turntable in that price range that competes with the Fluance RT85 is the Pioneer PLX-1000 but it does not come with a cartridge, but it is very heavy at 30 pounds.
@@Rekmeyata I didn't say Fluance were made in China; my first post (above) states Taiwan, which is just 100 miles across the sea in any case. There's plenty of decent products made in both countries but my concern some are built down to a price, as could be the case here. And just because you can't find info about Fluance hardware issues, it doesn't mean they aren't out there.
Rega use lightweight plinth materials (and heavy platters) as part of their core design philosophy; that's just the way they do it. One material isn't necessarily better than the other, implementation is the key.
And yes, Mark's faulty tonearm bearing is from a sample of one, yet you've highlighted a Rega deck as having a speed issue... itself a sample of one.
The tonearm on the U-turn Special has anti skate built in, according to their specs, so wrong there.
Latest Rega tonearms have an anti-skate slider as with the RB220 on the P2 and earlier versions had it built in; wrong again.
Specs, specs, specs, eh?
Removable headshells I can see the benefit of although I don't often swap cartridges; similarly auto arm lift might suit some but I'd rather that money be put into the turntable elsewhere, like improving the arm bearings for instance.
So I don't know if you're deliberately lying, making it up as you go to back up what you think is true, or just trolling me, but if your hearing is on the same level as your turntable spec knowledge you're not going to notice those wonky bearings anyway, so you're all set.
Your ignorance of Rega is ASTOUNDING. Their turntables are not flimsy because they are thin. They are made of a more rigid material. Please DO YOUR HOMEWORK before before spouting SHITE
Junk