Why Is the Fluance RT-85 Turntable So Popular?
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- Опубликовано: 5 мар 2022
- Not a review, but my experience with owing a Fluance RT-85 Turntable.
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I have the RT85for over a year and love it. Playing through a PS Sprout 100, Wharfedale Evo 4.2 speakers and a REL T7 subwoofer. No bass problems. Good review.
Have had mine for over a year now and love it. They just came out with a bamboo plinth one looks killer. Also I had a problem with the damping mechanism I used the oil they recommended. It didn't solve the problem. Even though it was a bit over a year they told me to send it backthey sent me a new one no hassles. Great customer service.
I've had my RT-85 for a few weeks now and I can't express how much I love it!!
Me too, I have know idea what this guy is talking about. The 2m blue is amazing you can compare to an MP110.😂 needs to get his ears checked. Lol
Great video Bruce
Love the turn table I really appreciate your work
Great video Bruce
Thanks for sharing I really appreciate your work
I had an RT85 and about 3 years and absolutely LOVED it! I sold off my whole collection and gear about a year ago but if/when I get back into vinyl, I would pick the RT85 again in a heartbeat.
I’ve had my RT85 for over 2 years and love it! No issues with the power knob or any other piece breaking down or giving me issues in that time. (Knock on wood plinth)
It has the features of a $1,000+ turntable for $500. An acrylic platter and Ortiphon Blue! Love mine.
I have had mine just over a month, no issues with it. I agree with you completely on the tone arm latch and the indent for the 45 rpm adapter. I had the same experience on the bass when I first set mine up. I had purchased a weight to try, I was skeptical. But after playing the album and hearing little bass I decided to add the weight and listen again to see if I hear anything different. I was surprised when I heard the bass I didn’t hear initially. Somehow it does seem to make a difference, it seats the disc better on the platter for sure. Now if the bass improves as I break it in more, I will be quite happy with what I got.
If I could get some new feet for my old Sony direct drive, about 30 years old, I would have two turntables and could compare my old Audio Technica cartridge with a shibita stylus to the Ortofon. I’m like you, I wasn’t going to spend a lot for my first turntable in over 30 years. The Fluance is a good starting point. We live and learn and decide when and if to upgrade next time.
Have mine ordered, it should be here within a few days. Can't wait to get it set up and playing.
Enjoy
Why is it so popular? Cuz its AWESOME! I’ve had Many great turntables over the years and after buying this 2 years ago, This table is the best. Solid! Sounds much higher end than it’s cost! The Only con is the dust cover seems to get scratched just by looking at it, lol. But a treatment with Maguires Clear Plastic Cleaner solved that issue. I spin my Fluance Every single day and it still works as good as brand new! Haven’t had ANY issues whatsoever. The Ortifon blue needs to be broken in for at least 22 hours before max performance is achieved. And the sound just continues to get better and better even beyond the break in period. Very surprised by your bass criticism! The bass with my 2m blue Bangs for me! Super deep and tight bass. The blue is definitely not the culprit. I think your lack of bass may come from your other components and/or setup. For example: I’m positive that this table sounds best with an all analog receiver. No doubt! Had no problems with any components coming off the turntable either. I think that’s a one off issue with your power knob. I just pulled on mine after watching this and it ain’t budging! Fluance support is Awesome! So I know if I ever have a problem, Fluance has my back! Anyway Super turntable that performs WAY beyond its price point especially when connected to a solid analog stereo system. Digital anything would only spoil this tables sound. Ive tested this with my nice digital amp. Definitely different. Still good. Just not As good. I can’t recommend this table enough!
I agree, I don't get his 2m assessment. It is popular because when you get past all the rega1 and project fan boys. It blows all of them out of the water. For 500 bucks😂😂🎉😂😂 got to love it.
I have it. Sounds amazing. I recommend it.
Thank you, was just about to pull the trigger on a 300F. Definitely getting this one now.
Good choice!
It's nice to see comments from people who have owned this for quite a while and are still quite pleased with it.
bought the same TT in Bamboo cuz I didn't want to have a fingerprint magnet gloss finish. Agree 100% regarding the 2MBlue cart. Re-balanced a couple of times to see if the lack of bass was my balancing error but got the same results. I am running it while doing other chores to break it in further. All in all, for $500, very happy with the table and enjoying my records again after 25 year hiatus.
I think you should do a comparison with other turntables, but with the same cartridge installed.
That factors out the cartridge and reveals the differences made by the turntable itself.
If you're looking for a decent direct drive near the same pricepoint, the Reloop RP-7000MK2 is a good one.
Great video. Thanks so much. I am still looking, but I narrowed it down to this one too and the RT85 N. Unfortunately, the N is not currently available. Again, thanks so much for your insight.
For ME this turntable solved all of my issues with previous turntables: It has a lid that stays up on it's own, real leveling feet, can switch speeds with the front switch (instead of removing the platter and moving a belt on a pulley), and has Auto-Stop so you don't get the inner groove grinding if you forget to turn off the player, comes with an advanced cartridge instead of an el-cheepo AT cartridge, acrylic platter and removable head stock for easy cartridge switching. I don't need any more than this. This will me my last turntable. I have an Audio Technica and a NAD (Rega P2) to get rid of.
My ONLY complaint is so small it's hardly worth mentioning. OK I will... the Auto Off sometimes slows down while the music is still playing when playing 45 rpm singles if the music gets too close to the spindle. The first time that happened to me I thought I got a defective record.
I never use the tone arm hook, so I would just take it off if I could. The arm lifter is a little light weight, but I might prefer that to a big bulky mechanism. If you don't turn the switch to the OFF position after playing a record (and who would) , the platter starts moving while you return the arm to home position. Not a problem, just something to watch out for if you already have your fingers under the record to remove it. And 45's are hard to remove from the acrylic platter if you don't have long sharp fingernails. There needs to be a groove just under the lip of a 45 to get a finger under the record.
Thanks for the comment. I wish the auto stop would happen a bit quicker. How is the bass with your 2M Blue?
I agree, Daryl.
@@TheBoomerConsumer I get excellent deep bass with mine but although with that a lot of rumble from the plinth. I added a Bamboo Butcher Block isolation table and it helped decrease it.
@@TheBoomerConsumer The bass is adequate. I can only compare it with the other styluses I have used which might not be useful to you. My bass might also be affected by my Amp (Cambridge Audio 100w/ch) my DAC (Zen Dac Phono) speakers (ELAC with custom x-overs) and by my listening volume, so I'm in no position to critique the cartridge. I like it. There's nothing missing as far as I'm concerned. I would like to try the Nagaoka cartridge though to see if it sounds any different to my ears.
I bought this around a year ago as my first turntable (technically, I experimented with a vintage cabinet turntable a year previously, but it had so many issues I barely played any records before getting rid of it). I also got a Fosi amp and preamp and a couple of Sony SSCS3 speakers, and I'm *really* satisfied with my purchase. I kind of want to get an SACS9 subwoofer as well, but I don't really have any more space along the wall everything else is on to put it.
I got the RT-82 and eventually upgraded to the acrylic platter. Essentially making it an RT-85 with a different cartridge. I wasn't a fan of the Ortofon and it wasn't available with the Nagaoka when I was purchasing. (I currently run the AT95EN) I have been so very pleased with this turntable for the past 4 years. My only complaint is the piano black is a dust and fingerprint magnet.
Hey Kevin! Does the acrylic platter makes that much of a difference?
@@eudanielramos In the amount of static, yes. In the sound of the music. That will likely depend on your cartridge and other factors. I listen to a lot of rock and metal. The acrylic platter seems to clean up double bass pedals. Makes them more crisp, less muddy.
@@thatdamnsamsquanchhow does it run with the At95? I have the 85 and I am looking at trying the atvm95sh but I am worried about the tracking angle is this not that big of an issue? I appreciate any advice you can give me. While I love the 2m blue I just got it broken in and it has really opened up, but I would like to get some variety and try out tome less expensive cartridge options.
@@budsmoker4201120 No issues tracking. Its its been great. I really like the Audio Technica carts.They may not be perfect. The do at a bit of color to the sound, but in a good way.
I own the RT81, RT83 and RT85 and love all three. Terrific looks, sound and value for the money spent. I also own Fluance speakers which are also terrific.
Which Fluance speakers do you have? I’m thinking about their floor standers
@@TheBoomerConsumer I have their floor standing speakers in my living room and their signature series passive bookshelf speakers in my den. No complaints with either one. Like their turntables, they look good and sound great.
Do you hear much difference between the different platters?
@@jasonshaw2065 I do not but then, I’m not an audiophile. Both the rubber mat and acrylic work and sound well to me.
That has got to be the most beautiful plinth I have ever seen. LOVE the polished wood look. Wonder how much of a fingerprint magnet it is though?
I've had my RT84 for 2+ years now. It's same as RT85 but without the acrylic platter. I can't say how pleased I am with my TT... works right away, so hassle free. And the stunning thing for me is Fluance has not increased the prices of their turntable line.Just for kicks, I was looking at a high end Rega... It was $6695 about a little over year ago. Today, it's $7895 ! I highly doubt if the Rega is 15X better than Fluance ! I have since installed a HANA EL cartridge on the Fluance and it was a very easy process. I have also since upgraded my phono pre-amp to PSAudio's Phono stage and it's amazing.
P G - I am curious, is the HANA EL that much better than the ortofon blue? I cannot imagine my RT85 sounding better than it already does, but you got me curious if an upgrade like that is worth it. Thanks~!
@@scotthuggins7151 It is definitely better but it is not huge. I wanted to try out moving coils in baby steps without breaking the bank.... as well as get a much higher end phono pre-amp (by PSAudio). For my ears, the PSaAudio phono pre-amp was a huge improvement over the Schiit Mani, as it should be for the huge $$$ difference but the difference between 2MBlue and HanaEL was incremental... Happy to experiment without spending thousands of dollars for MC cartridges.
@@ptg01 I have an 85 and I would really like to try some new cartridges but I am worried about the tracking angle or as that not that big of a deal? Thanks for any help
I think as time goes by you may find that the 2m blue will continue to break in a produce a wonderful bass response. I own a 2m blue on my turntable and it is a real stunner for delivery of micro details and smooth sailing highs AND lows. But yes it did take maybe 30 hours of playing before it really opened up. I'd stay with it and don't waste another second thinking about the nag cartridge. The 2mblue is an amazing cartridge.
Yup. The bass started coming in on mine after 10 hours or so, and it was another 5-10 before the cart was fully settled. Awesome cartridge once fully run in. I like it enough that Ill be upgrading up the line to a Bronze at some point.
I listen to a lot of electrical music so bass extension/quality is really important to me. The blue gets it done.
EDIT: I should have mentioned that I use a Parks Audio Puffin for my pre, and I do have a little extra bass EQ'd in.
@@jkl0ps what pre amp do you use? The bass is really important and I am thinking of the Fluance rt85
what pre amp do you use? The bass is really important to me and currently have a AT LP60X and considering a Fluance rf85. I’m just starting into vinyl and the vinyl seems lacking in bass.
I am using the iFi ZEN phono preamp with my system.
@@adam_3673 Parks Audio Puffin with a couple ticks of "warmth" added, and bass boost turned on. Really nifty device.
The mp110 is what I went with on my fluance and even before everything was fully broken in I felt that the natural sound of that cartridge was incredible. It's smooth and easy and doesn't seem to give me ear fatigue at all. Not to mention the attention and detail in the mid range is hard to beat!
They are great. I put one on my Denon 65F
I bought the Fluance RT-85 several months ago..and don't have a problem with the bass sound..it certainly depends on several things..your amp and your speakers...I run a Kenwood KA-5500 55watt/chan amp into B&W DM6 speakers and also Fluance Signature Series book shelf speakers..lots of bass with either..my 84 year old ears love it all.
I love mine glad, I bought it.
neat and easy to use
@3:57 - the acrylic platter is STANDARD on the RT85, but it is available as an option for the RT84, RT83 and the RT82.
Bought one this week. I wanted a switchable cartridge and headshell option. Have a MH110H to fit as well. Might get a 2M Bronze in the future.
Sent mine back. The rear of the Ortofon Blue was actually dragging on the vinyl. When I reduced the weight the stylus wouldn't sit in the groove and sounded terrible. I might have got a lemon as I found numerous threads about the same issue with the Ortofon cart. No VTA available on the Fluence RT 85 to rectify this.
Also, I have NEVER got so much static from a TT than with this. When I changed a record, and the TT was mounted at chest height, the charge was astounding!!! I put my Michell and Rega back to test and no static...
Fluance prices are great because they sell without a middle-man (no dealers) and cut costs.
Looks great Yeah Ortofon can be a bit bright depending on what music you play.
Is there an adjustment port on the bottom in case the speed needs to be tweeked?
My bamboo RT85 has non of the issues you mentioned, only the adaptor holder, by I rarely spin a 7 inch 45. Only thing is that maybe I can't place an anti static arm on it, no space in close situation. I am going to try this soon.
I had the RT-85 and it’s worth every penny. Only thing is I also have a project debut esprit with the same 2m blue cartridge and it sounded slightly better than the Fluance. It was about $100 more than the Fluance too. If I had to I would buy the RT-85 again.
I just purchased the RT83 with the 2M red bonded elliptical stylus and an aluminum platter with a rubber mat.
I plan on upgrading to the 2M Blue in the future and have heard the break-in for the Blue is roughly 10 hours of playing time.
I noticed a similar break-in for my 2M Red. I'm not worried much about the difference in bass, because I can adjust my 2chan stereo receiver if needed.
I just bought it in the Bamboo finish. It replaced my 35 year old Technics SL QD33 direct drive automatic TT with the AT85E cartridge. It blows the old TT away!!!
I also have a Grado Prestige 3 Blue which rocks for a $125 cartridge. It is my spare until I wear out the 2M Blue. Grado actually has better specs than the Ortofon but it is on a p mount adapter since my old TT was a p mount. It brought life to the old TT but the TT gave up the ghost a week after installing the new cartridge.
Same thing happened to my power dial, came not properly aligned with the markings and came off in my hand. I just super glued it with a plastic superglue and aligned the marking properly and am happy with it.
This should not be happening. Thank goodness for super glue🙂
Same thing happened to me on day two.
I bought the RT-83 last year and I adore it. My only regret? I didn't get the RT-85 and the acrylic platter!
@ 6:51 and the glued knob truely hand made heaven for those audio-fools.
I've owned my 82 for 2 years now. I upgraded to the 2M red after 6 months and recently bought the acrylic platter. Im extremely happy with it. I check the plinth level, tone arm weight and platter speed periodically and its always dead on. Yes, the piano black is a finger magnet. My only complaint is the smoke grey cover. I would have liked to seen a crystal clear cover that allows you to see the beauty underneath. Nice review.
What’s the problem with the auto stop? You mention it at the beginning and either I missed the answer later or that part was skipped?
AWESOME 👌 👏 👍 REVIEW..
Got one but platter was scraping , sent it back . Maybe was damaged but box looked fine,so who knows. Old Technics 1600mk2 still playing for me. Built like a tank
I agree with your assessment, Bruce.
I've owned my Fluance RT85 since March of 2019, and I'm quite fond of it. It's clean-looking, and its performance is amazing for a turntable costing less than $500. I'd prefer a sturdier lift arm and a damper to prevent the tone-arm from bouncing, but these are just tiny nits.
I previously owned a direct-drive Audio Technica LP120-USB. For me, it was horrible. I could hear cogging noises from its direct-drive motor during soft music passages and between tracks. It was especially apparent when listening with headphones. The cogging noise is caused by the direct-drive motor pulsing itself to maintain the platter's momentum.
I contacted A-T about this, but my complaints fell on deaf ears. Their response was that this model was designed for DJs, so it didn't matter. WHAT? REALLY?
I'll continue to buy their cartridges, but there won't be any of their turntables landing on my doorstep. EVER.
Closing on a more positive note: Fluance pre-aligns the cartridges on the tone arms of ALL of their turntables. I've checked the alignment myself, and it was spot-on. Kudos to Fluance for this little extra touch.
DISCLAIMER: I do not represent Fluance in any way. I'm just a delighted customer.
#fluance #RT85
you can sell things alot cheaper when its sold directly from the manufacturer, i have one its been a great turntable so far, dont love the 3 feet or dampening. I have mine on a wall mounted shelf and it plays great
You can connect them to powered speakers if the powered speakers have a built in phono pre amp, which most do.
Hey Bruce, did you find the 2M blue to settle in a and warm up a bit? If not, Grado cartridge’s are much warmer and relaxed on the top. The trick is to find a model that moves you that direction, without going to far. Cartridges are just like speakers, they are sonically all over the place.
Yes it has, but I still may change it
For some great turntable reviews and advice on set-up, etc., my go-to is Michael Fremmer’s The Tracking Angle channel.
I suggest the ortofon concorde needle. IMHO, it's better than the ortofon blue with no inner groove issues and it has the bass
Interestingly, the AT-LP120 series was not mentioned, of which a DD with Quartz lock and a cartridge that can pop in a ML or SH version as upgrade and the price tag was about 100 clams less. Of the two decks, AT and Fluance, both have high build quality. The AT is definitely the reference to beat, but the Fluance adjustable legs, 2M Blue and more stylish and organic looks won me over. The AT deck does have one feature I like, the height adjustable tone arm. As far as the weight goes, both have sufficient weight to fight the resonance and both have accurate speed.
The power knob is not an issue for me since majority of Vintage gear the knob can be remove when repair is needed. And the tone arm lock, personally I didn’t feel like it’s flimsy. The Ortofon Blue, is indeed sounded a bit more analytical but from many comments, it will open up after 40 hours or so playing, why I can’t comment on it ‘cause I popped in a Shure M97xE and it stays, my Ortofon has low low mileage so I can’t tell if it indeed opened up… or not. All said, I would say it RT-85 will give any deck under 1000 or even 1200 a run for the money with the exception of AT-LP120. Now above 1200, there is always music hall, Mofi and all that but I would prefer the new Marantz TT15S1 because of the aesthetic, that deck is just a piece of art. To qualify my thoughts, I have a few vintage Technics decks that are still working well. Cheers!
I have had my RT-85 for 2 years and never an issue with Bass from the 2M Blue, I get growling deep bass that hits hard. Perhaps it is an issue with your phono stage not sure what you are using? I do agree that the tonearm lock and cueing lever feel like cheap plastic and thus make the user experience feel cheap. Luckily I have had nothing break on mine with heavy use. I have the piano black plinth witch shows dust and is also susceptible to rumble. I don’t have a rumble filter on my phono stage so I put the TT in an IKEA bamboo cutting board and it helps a lot.
Let me start off by saying I’ve had this turntable for about two months and it’s great I also have an audio technic a LP 50 which is right around the same price point This turntable is much better the order fine too and blue can be sensitive based upon the type of free if you
I didn't like the Ortofon 2m blue cartridge either. I agree that it has a lack of bass and can be a bit ear piercing at times. I'm a big fan of Grado cartridges and went with the Grado Prestige Blue. Much better than the Ortofon (IMO) and half the price. An added bonus is all Prestige series cartridges have interchangeable styli making it really affordable to upgrade.
Can you connect this to a speaker system like the Andover spin base?
The U-Turn Orbit does have an optional cue lever. I just bought an Orbit with an acrylic platter, pre-amp, cue lever, and an Ortofon 2M Red for less than $470.
I am not discounting your review at all, just pointing out the cue lever is available on the Orbit.
Yes, but I really don’t think a cue lever should be an option.
The only reason I have stayed away from the Orbit is the tonearm....so generic and cheap looking!
@@TheBoomerConsumer
Correct you shouldn't have to pay to have a cue lever come with your turntable. It's ridiculous.
One of the main reasons I didn't choose them and the plinth looks cheap. You also had to pay for the higher end U Turn tables to get more features
Does anyone know how the RT85 performs with a mono cartridge? I am thinking of setting up a secondary turntable to use predominately with a mono (Ortofon) cartridge. This is to save me swapping between stereo/mono cartridges every time I want to play a mono album. Thank you in advance.
How do i have to see this turntable soundwise next to my Dual 1209 with a Shure M75 type d cartridge and elleptical black diamond stylus?
I have the 80 and it's the best Turntable I've owned yet.
They passively telling you the cart is way more important than the table itself. Best value in tt today by far. Thanks. I have a Mitsubishi lt22 from 83. Fully,fully auto direct dr.with repeat. Never did anything to it in 39 years except changed cart 24 times. It weights 30lbs linear tracking also.cost 350 in 83 no cart. Thanks.
Yoooooo The Boomer Consumer; enjoyed the vid and agree on almost all points, especially the frigging dust cover; thought I was gonna crack it. I found the bass to be fine but I ran this through my bottom of the line Denon avr from about 6-7 years ago, maybe, but I did purchase the Fluance pre-amp and my woofer is a 10” Polk Audio with a control on the rear and a control on the avr. Played through “aux “ input and sounded damn good for surround sound speakers.
After spinning a few records, and admittedly fumbling with the tone arm a few times resulting in some screeches, I’m getting some resonance? Clicking? Clipping sounds,? Please tell me I didn’t screw up the headshell or needle already lol. Maybe I’ll try re-adjusting the level of the set … again … but screw each of the three feet all the way in and starting over. I’m using a torpedo level and a damn head lamp.
Because it's just plain cool man!!
Indeed
Please keep comments civil. Comments with links will be removed. Comments that add to the discussion are welcome. I also want to add that the auto stop feature takes around 30 seconds to engage. That is too long in my opinion.
Im looking for a decent turntable but out of all the reviews theres always something wrong the user dowsnt like so I pass and move on to the next. Sometimes I wonder if I should just get a cheaper one and be done.
Beats most SACD sounds?
I did the exact same looking around at all the same turntables that this review did, and I also came to the same conclusion concerning the Fluance RT85, but I will opt for the RT85-N, I think the Nag MP110 stylus is better for my type of music I listen too. Apparently, the Nag MP110 has the older warmer sound that is tailored for classic rock music, whereas the 2m Blue is a brighter sounding cart, and of all the carts under $200, the Nag was the only one that passed all the tracks on a test record without distorting.
The reason all these turntable manufacturers can offer $200 some odd dollar carts is because they buy them in bulk from whomever and probably don't pay more than $50 for a cart! It's the same reason why you can buy a bicycle for $1800 but the components if purchased individually would cost $1,200, plus another $350 for the wheels, the component and wheel makers give a major price cut to bicycle manufacturers, and the bicycle makers still clear a nice profit, as does the bike shop that sells the bike.
One thing that everyone has to keep in mind is that budget turntables will skimp in some areas, but at least Fluance doesn't skimp in the sound quality, motor quality, or platter quality, and they use a wider flat style belt that lasts longer than other turntables that use the skinny round belts.
Since I need to keep the price down to below $500 I'm willing to sacrifice some minor cheap plastic parts, or a knob coming off, no 45 adapter keeper which I don't play 45s anyways so it will just go into a drawer, but I don't want to sacrifice the sound quality, and all the reviews I could find the vast majority liked the sound quality of the RT85 over any of the others.
The bass is fine. Probably has more to do with your speakers.
Anyway, this is my first turntable. I haven’t listened to a record since circa 1985.
When I got this, I was astonished by how good it sounded. The key is finding clean records. The rest is history.
Why do so many TTs have problems with the lids? Seems like an easy engineering problem to fix. I'm kind of in the market for one, and remember my old 1980s Dual had that problem, and read reviews of new TTs and vintage ones too, where the lids crack.
Why is this TT so popular? VALUE to PRICE ratio. You get a LOT of value for your $. Add to that the sheer beauty of the unit and it's very hard to beat. With the advent of the Nagaoka 110 cartridge you can now own two distinct, high performance cartridges (easily switchable) for variable listening depending on type of music, mood and/or speaker system combinations. Fluance, imo, hit a home run with this table and have forced their competitors to 'put-up or shut-up' in the highly competitive turntable market. We love ours and are very happy we bought it.
I'm Looking For Someome Who
Can Tell Me How To Remaster Records
To Digital Audio. Cause I Recorded
A Blue Ribbon Country Album.
& I Played It Back On My Laptop &
Tablet Over My Stereo & I Didnt Get
That Extra Volum That Digital Puts Out.
So What Do You Think I Need To Do?
All the manual setup with your turntable, along with the high price is why I shied away from a model like the Fluance.
Since it was my first record player since I was a kid in the 1980's I went with an automatic option, the Audio technica AT-LPGO-BT (WAL-MART version of the AT-LP60XBT). It is less expensive and it shows, compared to yours. But that starter brings me back into the world of vinyl with a balance of value, ease of use, and sound quality.
Same! Will upgrade in a year or so.
because it's a great turntable. 👍
Well, in short, they put the kitchen sink into it, or so to say… the only thing that it didn’t come with was the tonearm height adjustment, or you can’t adjust the racking angle. Even that can be solved somewhat by using a platter mat with different thickness. There you have it, a good looking deck with all the practical high end features and it sounds great. If that’s no enough, add a MC cartridge or cartridge Micro Line stylus or shibata stylus to kick it up another notch without breaking the bank.
I saw some RUclips reviewers using 2k plus TT to compare with the RT-82 to 85 line. I was thinking come on reviewers, be real.
I would like to know if the tone arm has the capability for VTA adjustment. Can anyone tell this ??
No VTA adjustment on it
I love the ortofon blue. To much base destortes
What is MDF?
Medium-density fiberboard
It’s belt driven? For that amount of money I would have expected direct drive.
I believe the on/off knob is indicative of the general overall build quality of these tables. They may look nice and my 85 has been trouble free so far but I don’t expect it to last a long time. I’ll spend more on it’s replacement.
$499= a decent turntable, not a fantastic high end turntable, so you need to come to expect some short comings.
Im sure Ortofon and Fluance made a special deal to outfit these tables with all of their products. Red, blue, whatever...but they certainly made it worthwhile for a selling feature. Brilliant marketing.
I would buy one, no problem. I had a Technics SL1200 and gave it to my youngest son. Now I'm missing playing my vinyl. Time to get some new gear.
Looks great but I don't want a belt driven turntable
I had the Fluance RT85 which replaced a Dual CS741Q. It's an awesome turntable for $500! However after 6 months I sold it and upgraded to a Mofi StudioDeck with a Mofi UltraTracker cartridge. I also bought a Lounge Audio LCR Silver phono preamp. I kept my LPs and have over 450 LPs and still buy new records. I also buy CDs 😎
The 2m blue is awesome. It takes about 20 hours to open up. Nagakao sucks in my opinion, I just don't get all the love for the mp110 it is not even in the same ball park of the 2m blue
Overall it's an okay turntable, but that's probably as far as I would go with it. The visual aesthetic proves more impressive than actually using it.
The entire tonearm mechanism feels super cheap. The tonearm lever, stand and safety latch actually feels like something you'd find on a cheapo plastic portable record player like a Crosley. Maybe I got a bad one, but that's my honest opinion. There's a lot of slack in the lever, it bounces the arm if you lift it too quickly and the tonearm safety latch feels like its going to break off every time I use it. The counter weight is to dark to see the numbers to set the tonearm.
Yes that latch feels super cheap. Don't have the issue with slack. You can definitely tell it was built for a certain price point.
The 2M blue needs about 20 hours of break in. This turntable is the best bang for the buck!
Cartridges do need a break in period.
True
Is thar real wood or synthetic material?
It’s MDF which is a wood composite. Very solid.
Do you think the Fluance is better than a Technics d202, almost new?
Not to familiar with the 202, but from what I can tell it's a vintage circa 1980 or so turntable. I decided new over vintage for a warranty, and of course the good stuff like the acrylic platter and 2M Blue. The vintage gear has too many variables, unless you know the person selling it and the history.
If the Technics is in good shape, it is superior to the Fluance. I don't know if it's motor quality or lousy bearings, but the entry Fluance models state a whopping .2% wow and flutter rating, and the "upscale" models are .07%. Entry level belt drive tables usually come in at .05% for all the major brands of the 70's and 80's, and most of the Direct Drive models will be .025%. The RT85 does come with a decent cartridge, but it's not really a value play in that regard either. If you can pick up a Technics table from someone who doesn't interpret vintage as meaning "worth more than it cost new 40 yrs ago" , that would leave you 300 to $350 left of the price of the RT85 to buy a cartridge - which will always be the most important element for sound quality. Audio Technica models usually mate well with the Technics J arms, and there are MicroLine and Shibata models within those prices, and in one series, below $200. I would most recommend the early/pre-quartz locked era of Tech. models (i.e. no Q in model #) that use a servo for speed control (verifiable at vinyl engine). The parts are pretty generic in the servo circuits and can be generally be repaired, whereas the later models use chips that are long gone - though thankfully generally reliable. The Fluance has a tonearm length that isn't too short, and the acrylic platters are nice (but should have a threaded spindle to secure the LP for dampening), but there isn't anything special about them. When looking at the old tables, make sure there is some pliability to the mat. Old rubber can dry out, especially if sun was coming through a window and hitting the table; that too impacts dampening. Other than that, Tech models prior to digital controls being used are usually are a deoxit-ing of the speed pots away from working just fine.
@@joeg3763 The problem with DD turntables, and that means all the Technics TT up to the 1200 series, is cogging, which is the speeding up and slowing down of the platter. As the whole thing turns, one part of the motor swings past the coil (or pole), and gets a boost. Before it reaches the next coil (or pole) it slows down. The 1200 series uses a better motor, and their more expensive series of TT's, the 1200 MK7,the 1200 G, 1500C, the SL 1000, and the SP 10R use even better motors that presumably eliminate cogging. But with the cheap 202 you're going to hear it as compared to cheaper belt drives. Which is why cheaper belt drives at $500 such as the Fluance, the Rega's, MMF's, and such are far better sounding than equally priced DD's.
@@helgar791 cogging is a popular myth perpetrated by belt drive turntables as an advantage of their rubber band design. The truth is that the platter inertia of Denon and Technics DDs nullify whatever cogging that occurs. Significant cogging would show up in wow and flutter measurements and Technics DD drive wow and flutter specs are much better than even expensive belt drive decks. Cogging is similar to digital stair stepping myths, growing out of English Lit majors trying to understand physics.
@@dougmacmillan1712 Because cogging or torque ripple occurs within the platter itself it is difficult to measure as wow and flutter, but it's easy to hear its effects. Do yourself a favor for once and compare a cheap DD to a cheap belt drive, then get back to me. Now, Technics use of a coreless drive in their expensive TT's eliminates that effect, and they are very good TT's indeed.
I'm constantly amused by just how many folks buy a Fluance at any level from the 82 to the 85 and almost immediately change out the included Ortofon cartridge....I honestly find the entire lineup from them to be detailed but fairly soul-less, there's so much better out there for the same or less money. I guess Ortofon has managed to strike up some great OEM deals with the under $500 turntable manufacturers to include their cartridges as standard equipment, it can't possibly be because they are really the best for their cost, they really aren't IMHO.
While it is a pretty decent entry level turntable,but my PS-X6 from 1978 dances circles around it quality and soundwise.
Anyway,because ppl aint stupid is the reason why this turntable is so popular. Its smack in the middle between far east plastic
garbage and heavily overpriced "high end". And it comes with a decent cartridge too,which is in the same price class as the first
cartridge upgrade for many.
Should of bought a audio-technica AT-LP 120XUSB ...
As for preamps for the phono input, I prefer a tube preamp, the sound quality is greatly improved just by using this type of amplifier feeding into a modern solid state amp. Is there anyone out there who might know where I can obtain a new belt for a Technics SL-2B or at least the proper circumference and width of the belt?
DON'T USE THE ACRYLIC PLATTER WITHOUT A MAT!!
I bought the 82 then upgraded the platter to the acrylic but the I found that the acrylic platter is a thinner than the aluminium platter with rubber slip mat. This is a big deal because there is no adjustment for the height of the tone arm. Older thinner records are then in danger of being danced all over by the stylus. So I use the rubber mat from my old aluminium platter and now it's the right height.
The 82 is the best deal since on the same OM 10 stylus can be upgraded to a 20 or 30 and not have to change cartridge body (which are essentially the same as the blue and black stylus). With 2m red you can only go up to a blue stylus.
My main cart is a Grado with 8mz stylus and it's the best I've ever owned. That being said, DON'T USE THE ACRYLIC PLATTER WITHOUT A MAT!
I've had the RT85 for 2 years. 99% of my records are between 40 and 50 years old and I have never had one problem playing them on the acrylic platter.
I had the opposite. I still prefer a felt mat but when I put it on the acrylic TT the plastic stylus 100% dragged on the record. WTF! Fluence admit there is no variation on the and it's permanently set to 20 degrees. I think there's a few badduns out there with the massive increase in production.
Still tempted to try another considering Amazon's generous returns policy.
Turn the belt round Sometimes it makes a big difference!
Really? That’s a new one to me. Maybe I’ll give it a try
If you do please let me know what it does.thanks Peter.
If this is good enough for Vince Gilligan then it is good enough for me.
Just saw this vid did an excellent review on this TT it is a nice looking TT but for 499.99 too much its manual and I can bet it is not made in canada but china for a manual it should be cheaper I would not pay more than 250.00 for it if I wanted one I love the piano finish on it but with the knob coming apart like that and the plastic clip for tone arm it makes me think I have seen a lot of these reviews for this TT people seem to love it but I can never go to manual ever especailly when paying a lot of money for a manual and on the cartridge I seen a lot of people give great reviews on this cartridge and a lot of people say it lacks in bass I don't thinlk of myself an expert in audio equipment but I have been using them for years but I use an equalizer cause I have noticed that some carts are different it is what I learned reading audio mags as a young man in the 70's and a lot of todays records and from the past all mixed in the studio by the engineer a lot of records I have had some were high on the bass and treble some were lacking in it I like my music to sound almost like I was there and an equalizer can improve the sound you can brin g up the vocals of a singer yet hear music I do not understand with all this fancy expensive turntables and cart that nobody ever heard of an equalizer 'a lot of todays audio equipment is not like in the 70's they lack in bass and are very high in the treble and I believe that someone on a vid reviewed ths same TT but I believe it was this model or other brand of Fluance but when he took it apart to see what was inside all I saw was a little motor the electronic board wires and lots of space and the fiber board that made the main body of TT and to pay 499.99 someone is making money I have a pro-ject debut 3 before the carbon fiber tonearm came out at the time it was out it was cheaper than this model I paid half for it cause amazon had a sale but the body of this TT is solid piece of wood partical but solid motor is way bigger than this model has and the outputs are also outside on this unit it is the only manual I will ever have and was not made in china no disrespect to anybody or you who bought this TT but all that money you are paying for the name in my opinion and you think the name tag on it would be better looking it looks like a cheap plastic tag that is glued on I would prefer a metal tag it would give it that nice look to me anyway like I said no disrespect to owners of this TT or to you if I did offend then I appologize deeply !!!!! JRo
Run-on sentence much?
Returned mine. Its an "expensive" platter and cartridge on a $100 table. Every sku in the line is exactly the same except for the platter and cartridge. What does that tell you? The tone arm, the most important part imo, is poobutt plastic crap. Wanted to see how it compared to my Planar 2, not even close. But hey to each his own, if you like yours thats all that matters
Your planar 2 has a $30 cartridge
@@adventuresofjandk exactly and it sounds way better. Damn i didn't even think to make that point, thanks man
@@damienlahoz lol
Hmmmmm still prefer my two 20 years old Technics 1210 (MK2 modell from the 90s). Dont like the look of the fluance turntables.
The o.59% wow and flutter, shown is absolutely NOT acceptable, unless your phone was not centered on the platter.
Spoiler alert... he does not put a vinyl on the player. Informative video though.
Hi Ashley, I didn't see the point of putting a record on it for this particular video
A "vinyl". LOL
@@TheBoomerConsumer I think you just bought it to look at!🤣🤣🤣
@@mikeberg5003 I cannot BELIEVE he didn’t put not 1….single….vinyl 😂
Why would he?
The RtT85 does have it's positives : Tonearm effective length isn't too short. Acrylic platters are nice (though not unique among modern options, and they are better when the LP can be clamped). Ortofon Blue isn't a bare bones entry cartridge often seen when supplied with a table. Flat belts hold up much better than the thin, round belts often used by brands with acrylic platters, and they don't need to be talc-ed. BUT : .07% wow and flutter is high by any standard (and it's .2% on the entry models - yikes) and certainly calls into question their calling it a "reference" turntable. I would also argue that it's not ideal to be forced into a choice of cartridge buying together as there are better styli out there at what is represented by the Ort Blue's price point (i.e Audio Tech.). As I noted in a question posted below - there are options, many or most of which may be better.
come on dude at least put your choice AT THE EXACT PRICE or below the 499 of the rt85 that beats it? Please dont come in with a rega p2 or something that is way more expensive.
So what is better for the price? You forget to list any.
@@adventuresofjandk he just talking out his a$$.
I still feel having to do something as crude as swapping belts for speeds is way to archaic for something that costs $500, belt should be hidden and there should be a speed switch like all tables USED TO HAVE, if they can do it on a $50 CHEAPIE turntable they can surely do it on a $500 turntable
You don’t need to swap belts for speed control. There is a switch for 33 and 45 on the unit.
Dang youre right, many times as ive looked at Fluance I should have remembered that Fluance is the exception here, im so used to seeing exposed belt tables requiring the belt swap I let that exception fly right over me--!! II cant explain also my aversion to exposed belts, id rather not have the belt exposed I just dont see the engineering need for this "feature" -- but I stand corrected on my glaring error-!! LOL Ive been considering an RT81 but I read where the 80 and 81 dont have the electronic speed controlled motor the rest of the line has, I guess for now ill be happy with my vintage Harman Kardon T40 from the early 80's - it still works very well but I worry because most internal and vital parts are completely unavailable after all these decades.
I stand corrected, I should have seen that the switch was right in the open-duh-! I made the mistake of taking it for granted as most exposed belt tables require a belt swap and that seems pretty cheesy to me on something costing hundreds of dollars