Fluance RT81 Turntable Review
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- čas přidán 9. 04. 2020
- A lifestyle turntable positioned at a budget turntable price, this ‘semi-automatic’ is reviewed by Paul Rigby
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THE VINYL WALL
Wondered what the vinyl is sitting on the shelves behind me? Here's a list in full. I've included links in case you'd like to purchase too. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I try to find the pressings I show here but, if I cannot find those, I'll try to source something close. Thank you.
Cocteau Twins - The Pink Opaque
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USA - amzn.to/3e0NFH3
Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla
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USA - amzn.to/3aRyRsn
A to Austr - A to Austr
UK - amzn.to/2xUx5YQ
USA - amzn.to/2RkiFYT
Focus - Mother Focus
UK - amzn.to/2XjzTcG
USA - amzn.to/2XiwNWw
Nat King Cole - The Touch of Your Lips
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USA - amzn.to/2Rko1Dm
CREDITS
Old Bossa by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: www.twinmusicom.org/
REFERENCE
Dual MTR-75 turntable
Lenco L-3808 turntable
Trichord Dino phono amplifier
Rega Brio-R amplifier
Spendor S3/5R speakers
Tellurium Q cabling
Blue Horizon Professional Rack System
Harmonic Resolution Systems Noise Reduction Components
All vinyl was cleaned using an Audio Desk’s Ultrasonic Pro Vinyl Cleaner - Věda a technologie
This is my first real turntable. I've had it for almost a year now and I'm very happy with it. It's easy to set up and maintain it also sounds fantastic.
I heard about some RPM issues on amazon reviews...have you had to deal with any of these
@@Cataphract1236 nothing too bad. I downloaded an RPM app on my phone and I think in 2 years I’ve adjusted the belt twice.
Are you using the preamp on the fluance?
I have an RT-81. I eventually upgraded to a Schitt Mani external phono preamp. I then upgraded to an AT 540ML cartridge and I'm really satisfied with the sound quality. It's a great budget table that can provide terrific sound and the ability to improve as funds allow.
Lol, it's called schitt... I'm sorry
Have purchased 3 RT81's for myself and family members. Love them all.
The Beatles are the reason why I'm getting a turntable. Dear Prudence will be the first song I'll play.
I just got this one.. 0 issues and sounds great
I got an RT81 last Xmas. Am running it thru a Sony receiver/sub-woofer and Fluance bookshelf speakers. Sounds great!
Thank You Paul. Many thumbs UP !
Love this turntable🎄🎅🎁
Thanks for the video.. And even better for introducing me to Mother Focus 😎👍
Very happy with my Fluance rt81 and Edifier 1280t speakers. Simple and very good sounding setup.
Ahaha got the exact same setup !
@@loicsavidan8186 You know what sounds goods, enjoy.
Do you need a receiver with this set up? I am looking at the same setup (came from recommendations on Amazon) but want to make sure. Thanks!
What is the issue with rubber mats I would think the rubber density would be helpful in addition to the friction to keep the record from slipping
Hello. I recently purchased the rt81 but am considering canceling my order for a Dual 1241 in good condition except the arm doesn’t move automatically anymore. Has to be done manually. Would you suggest stick with the Fluance or go with the Dual?
most will buy and use whatever cartridge is included, at this price range. Other reviews give the combos the Fluance uses VERY high marks. So that is the important comparison
Hi. How does this compare with the Sony ps lx310bt in terms of audio and build quality? I'm torn between the two and rt81 only costs £20 more currently.
My vinyl days are long behind me but I'm always interested to hear about new products in that arena. Nice one, Paul. 🙂
Debagio just curious why is vinyl behind you? It has been behind me for my decades of corporate life, but now in retirement I’m heading back I still have vinyl since my college days in the early 70’s.
"vinyl days are long behind me?" Your loss. lol
@@hippydippy Not at all. Horses for courses.
If you are looking for a head to head review on a built in Pre amp model....you are looking to see which is best in its stock form. Taking the pre amps out, changing the more premium cartridge cheats the comparison completely.
I did comment on the performance of the turntable with the internal phono amp in play. And wasn't particularly happy with it, either.
Thank you - enjoying all your videos. This is the turntable I bought as a newbie to vinyl. Have a question - I managed to break the needle (when moving house) and it seems that the replacement is $50; I’m thinking because I have to spend the money anyway, should I upgrade to the Ortofon 2M Red? ($100)
Yep - good call. Go for that.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thank you - much appreciated! Have the cork-it and phono box on my wish list. Will take it step by step so I can appreciate the incremental changes.
Just about spit out my drink when you said you wanted to play Frisbee with the rubber platter cover 🤣🤣🤣
Do you know if there is still interference from the built-in preamp even when it is turned off? Audio Technica LP120USB (original model) has this issue and I had to yank it off entirely. If I were to purchase the RT81, will I have to resort to yanking the pre-amp out, or is it well built enough to not interfere with the sound when it is turned off??
I didn't experience an issue when the unit was switched off, no.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thank you for your reply. Good to know!
I have been looking at fluance turntables for a month or so. Probably going to go for the rt 82 simply because it gives you the ability to upgrade within the fluance line. Also because I have no need for a preamp since I will be running mine through a sansui 771 (as soon as I can get it recapped and all). And for only $50 difference in price here in America, the rt 82 sounds like the better option for me personally.
Great review btw. I like your brutally honest evaluations. Wish that the Rega turntables were a bit cheaper here in the states. Lowest price I can find for one is $475 for a Rega planar one. I just cannot justify spending that much right now. $300 plus tax is my threshold.
Thanks for your kind words Jimbo and your thoughts. You might want to hang fire for my forthcoming RT83 review.
RT82 seems awesome but I HATE the exposed belt.
If I was going to buy a Fluance I'd go big or stay at home with whatever poorly made Chinese turntable you already have. The Fluance 85 with the Ortofon 2M Blue and acrylic platter would be the way to go!! Then you can forget about playing the upgrading game. I don't think spending another $440 to $500 upgrading to a Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge would be a good idea. Just replacing the stylus is easier and cheaper.
Hey Paul, I'm a new viewer and very much enjoying your content. I currently have a U-Turn Orbit turntable w/ Ortofon OM5E and acrylic platter, a Sansui power amp & control amp, and output to Klipsch speakers. I'm going to upgrade the speakers to ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 speakers and I also wanted to upgrade my cartridge to a Ortofon 2m Blue or Nagaoka mp-110. However, I don't know what my best option would be regarding the cartridge upgrade as it pertains to my turntable. I don't know if I should just update the cartridge and keep my current turntable or would I get a better sound buying a Rega Planar 1 with the standard cartridge it comes with? Or should I get the Fluance RT85 which comes with acrylic platter and 2m Blue? (negative talk about the Fluance tonearm makes me weary though).
When I purchased my U-Turn Orbit Plus, it was because I had $250+ in MusiciansFriend rewards, saw good reviews, and the company is local. If I switch turntables, the Rega Planar 1 is $475 and the Fluance RT85 is $499.
Looking forward to your response, thanks!
Hi Jacob - the Blue is what, around $280? Bit less if you shop around? I would put that cash to a turntable upgrade. The Rega is not the best value for money in the USA, the company adds its shipping costs to your price. Hence, I would save a little bit more and go for the Pro-Ject Debut Esprit with an Ortofon 2M Red as part of the package for $599. It has a nice arm and acrylic platter. Later you can go for the Blue or even the Black as cart upgrades.
The Audiophile Man - Thanks for the quick reply. I’ll definitely check that out and take it into consideration. And yes, unfortunately Rega planar 1 is almost 170 more than UK, and the Planar 3 is about 220 more.
@@TheAudiophileMan I liked what I saw out of the Esprit compared with Rega and your recommendation came at perfect timing. I was able to snag one on eBay with under 50hrs playing time for $376 usd (including tax & shipping). I will end up selling the 2m Red cartridge and put that $ toward the Blue 2m, and my purchase total will still be well under the Esprit retail cost. Thanks!
I had my RT 81 for a year and use it occasionally. I heard there were motor fluctuates . Have you heard of this? I haven’t noticed any but wanted your input. Probably not important 😃
Hi Wilson - I never heard that on my review sample, no.
Thank you for the review. Did I understand correctly that the Rega Planar 1 is a better choice? It costs the same. Planning to buy a receiver with 'phono in' so no need for external phono.
That depends on your requirements, Michael. If sound quality is the only variable then yes, the Rega is superior. If you need the facilities offered by the 81 and Rega don't supply those. Then the 81 is superior. Also, in sound terms, an external phono is is preferable because that lowers the noise floor.
Yes, the Rega P1 is a much better turntable.
Hi Paul, thanks for taking the time to do what you do.. . and done so well. I would like to purchase this turntable ,but having difficulty sourcing it. I live in Dublin ,Ireland. Do you have any suggestions. Many thanks Eddie
Thanks Eddie - have you tried Amazon?
I’m late to this video but I just got this record player for Christmas and I’m new to the vinyl community. I want to set this up and play the records I got with it but I don’t have any speakers or equipment with it. Can I still play records without any external speakers or do I have to buy anything to play music on this. Like is it required? Thanks for this video! Definitely subscribing :)
HI Evan - you'll need an amplifier and a pair of speakers plus cables to connect the lot.
I would recommend the Fluance RT-81 as a starter turntable except for the tone arm. It is very cheaply made. We had ours for close to 2 years and the lock caused a mark on the tone arm because of poor quality plastic they used. Even if you move up to the RT-85 you get the same tone arm! I upgraded to a Technic SL-1500C-K
Great video. I'm a newbie and was looking at this and the Lenco L-3808. Which one would you go for if you had the choice or where this is over 2 years old, is there something else now :)
Thanks
The 81 would be my choice. It’s still a worthy design.
@@TheAudiophileMan thank you. After watching more of your videos, I went for the Rega P1 Eco. Saved £100 because of it. Great videos. Really helped me.
thanks for an actually good fluance review I've been looking for one for ages haha. I'm contemplating getting the fluance rt82 do you think it is worth it?
Hi Raymond - if you're after a semi-automatic turntable and if that feature is important to you, then yes sure.
@@TheAudiophileMan I'm confused. The Fluance website says the rt82 has only the "auto-stop" feature, same as the rt81 you have reviewed in this video. So, as you point out in this review, neither turntable is true "semi-automatic. Have I missed something?
what is your opinion of the rt85 with the blue ortofon, no pre amp, and acrylic platter for 500$ U.S.?
I think I like it, based on my experiences with the 81 and 83 :) Can't say for sure though because getting one in for review is tough. There's no distributor for it in the UK you see.
@@TheAudiophileMan it seems like a good deal because the platter is an extra 120 and the stylus is 200 which is 100 more than the red ortofon on the rt83. I noticed that you are a huge advocate of a proper tonearm and prefer a Rega but I am in the U.S. and the only advantage of the Rega at that price point is the tonearm. the plinth is half the thickness and the stylus is not as good. does having an acrylic platter as opposed to an aluminum help a great deal? If you had a budget of 500$ and lived in U.S. , what would you purchase because 500 is not budget to me even though it is petty in audiophile land? I value your judgment and thank you for the reviews and expertise.
If I was in the US, I'd probably avoid the Rega because the prices are too high, relatively speaking to the competition. The RT85 should perform well although the 'auto-stop' feature bothers me. It's unnecessary and adds needless vibrations and high-frequency noise which doesn't help the sonics. Even so, if you like the look of it then sure, give it a demo if you can. I'd also look seriously at NAD's turntables, grossly under-rated, I was surprised at their performance. The 558 and the 588 specifically.
Ok Just bought this turntable which is a huge upgrade from what I own now, but i also bought a Ortofon red to add to the sound,, In your opinion should I just keep the one that comes with the Fluance or go ahead and do the upgrade ? I have heard from others on CZcams that this was the best thing to do , I've just started to get back into vinyl again so any help would be great !
Hi Steven - first up, can you supply a full list of your hifi kit. Next I need a budget. How much are you prepared to spend. Finally, what prompted this question? Are people on the Internet triggering upgrade thoughts or have you been disappointed with the turntable's performance. Reason I ask is that you've only just bought the turntable and you're already looking to upgrade. So I'm wondering if you might have made the wrong initial purchase. Did you seek advice and do research before you bought the 81?
@@TheAudiophileMan I'm running my turntable through a Realistic receiver which i am replacing soon, as for speakers i have new old stock Cerwin Vegas, Which i am very happy with , The reason i was asking about the Ortfon Red was so many people seemed to like it better ..Ive been out of the record playing bizz for many years but had forgotten how much I loved it so . Lol so here I am ! Was just wanting your opinion ,,Love your posts and thanks for getting back to me so soon
Sure the Ortofon would work well with the 81.
I've read positives about upgrading the AT95E to a AT VM 740ML. Is this overkill and am I better off looking at a better overall turntable?
Yes, there will be improvements but I question whether you will truly get your money's worth with the 81. I would use the cash to invest in a better turntable. As an aside, I would probably push the cart value for the 81 to £100 and leave it there. So a 2M Red or Goldring E3, perhaps?
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I'm actually also looking at the Fluance RT85 (they're located about 30 minutes from me and I'd like to support a Canadian company) but can't decide whether to go with the RT85 model with the Ortofon 2M Blue or the Nagaoka MP110. I'm leaning Ortofon as the Nagaoka can be picked up at a lower cost than the 2M Blue if I wanted to try it later. I have a Pro-Ject Phono Box and think it could be upgraded in time as well.
Can you upgrade to a better stylus on this without upgrading the cartridge?
No, you'd need to upgrade the cartridge to see an enhancement in sound quality. You can do that effectively with the use of, for example, an Ortofon 2M Red which offers good value and sound quality. A lower cost enhancement is Audio-Technica's replacement for the AT-95E, the VM95E which is a much more cultured design.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thank you, appreciate the information.
www.lpgear.com/product/LPGCFN95SE.html upgrades the AT95e stylus for a reasonable price.
I have a choice between an RT-81 an Audio Technica AT-LP3 and an Audio Technica LP5x- Any suggestions for best sound quality?
In short? The LP5x.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks- & the best between the Fluance RT-81 & the AT-LP3?
@@brianjohnson9480 The 81.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks Paul.
Did you have any speed issues with this the Fluance RT81 turntable? I have heard many people complain about having to adjust the speed with the adjustments on the bottom of the player. If so, once you adjust it, does it stay consistent at that speed or does it fluctuate, meaning you would have to adjust it frequently. Also how is the sound quality compared to the Audio-Technica LP120x-USB. Which would you recommend more? Thanks!
Not during my tests, no Maryam. And read '120' when I mention Lenco during the review to find out more on comparisons. Here's a text version of the review if that helps during searches: theaudiophileman.com/rt81-turntable-review-fluance/
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks!
Does this sound better than a Lenco l-3808?
I did talk about that in the video - here's a text version if that helps: theaudiophileman.com/rt81-turntable-review-fluance/
How do dedicated phono amps compare to a/v receiver phono imput amps?
The phono amps placed into AV amps are basic components that do the job and not much more and are low down on the build-budget priority list. Dedicated phono amp units - especially external models - offer better quality components that, frankly, sound a whole lot better.
@@TheAudiophileMan so if i used a dedicated phono amp and pluggrd it into a receiver in the cd line instead of phono (bypassing the receivers phono amp) id be better off?
Just get a 1/8" thick felt mat, maybe even 1/16" and it shouldn't sound any different from the LP120X. Maybe a little better.
The only trouble I have had with my RT 81 is the counter weight is to lite for some head shells I got a 2M Red and could not use on the RT81 the counter weight will not adjust its just to lite
Good insight there, thanks for that valuable info, Night Reaper 2000
you need to upgrade to the 112g "heavier" counterweight to use the ortofon carts. fluance sells them but they are currently out of stock.
The only ortofon carts the recommend on the RT81 is the OM5e and the OM10
True but I don't use the built in pre amp so that way I can use any stylus
@@Vintageelectronics2296
Okay. I believe they mentioned that the counterweight was not heavy enough for the 2M Red and 2M Blue. I can't think of the weight difference between the carts right off hand compared to the AT. I'm okay with it though because i can upgrade to the AT VM520EB or other higher end AT VM series cart. Having an Ortofon cart is not a deal breaker for me. I personally like the VM520EB.
While it is technically correct to compare turntables with identical cartridges, in the case of these entry level tables, potential buyers are probably only interested in full packages. You never said which one sounds better as a package. They both seem to be better balanced with the cartridges they ship with so it would have been an interesting comparison.
Well, let's see what I can do here. Being attracted to these turntables generally means that budget is a priority. On that basis, the Lenco offers the better option as it offers a cheaper price. It also provides more finesse in the upper frequencies and provides more capacity for improvement because a VM95 upgrade still tops out at less than the price of a RT81. As for the RT81? It offers that so-called 'semi'-automatic action plus more confidant bass with arguably a better overall tonal balance and more drive, especially during rock sequences. It's better built, is aesthetically superior and generally sounds more impressive in broad terms. Hope that helps.
The Audiophile Man Thanks Paul! I am not in the market for a budget deck, I was just putting myself in the place of those that are.
Phono preamp, high frequency? Oh, common...
Please, be aware that Fluance will not stand by their warranty two year warranty.
I could not live with a turntable that stops with the stylus on the record at the end!
Wish you’d stop using the term ‘lifestyle’. It comes over as a put-down. It’s just hifi whatever part of that spectrum it is, high end or low end...
I don't see the word 'lifestyle' as a negative and don't intend the word to be used in that manner. It's a category, no more or less. I describe this turntable as 'budget' yet I am not sneering at user's bank balances when I say that either.
Techmoan's nit-pickier twin. 😉
I'll take that as a compliment.
@@TheAudiophileMan Definitely meant as one, sir. 👍
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