Fluance RT81 Turntable with AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp, Adjustable Counterweight - Piano Black

It's the end of 2019 and my late-70's Sanyo turntable that has been in my family since I was a wee lad has finally given up the ghost. When it was new, it was a solid mid-range turntable with nice features like direct drive, auto play and return, and easily-adjusted speed. It lasted forty years, which is more than I can say about most modern pieces of audio equipment. A moment of silence, please.When looking for a replacement turntable, I found that I wasn't able to find a decent model that had all of the functions of my old turntable unless I was willing and able to plop down more cash than was possible while keeping my marriage intact. I get it. Records are now and will remain a niche format at best, so the economies of scale dictate that the cost of obtaining a solid turntable is going to be higher than the days when vinyl was the dominant audio format. Still, I was determined to get the best quality turntable that I could afford.My demands were few, but important:It had to be well-constructed. - While I don't expect the turntable to last me for the rest of my life, it had to feel solid and use durable materials.It had to have decent sound. - While I still have decent hearing, I'm in my late-40's, so the days when I could easily discern minute differences in frequency are in the past. With that said, I love my records and want to get the best possible sound quality out of them. Yes, records have shortcomings. Even the best-maintained record may have the occasional pop or crackle. However, a well-mastered and pressed album can deliver audio that stands toe-to-toe with most modern digital releases. Yes, high-res digital audio files have been released for many albums, but everything comes down to mastering and there are a lot of albums being sold as high-res that sound terrible. A container is only as good as the audio it contains.It had to allow me to easily change the cartridge, stylus, and shell and allow for the necessary adjustments when doing so. - I don't care how nice the cartridge and stylus are that are included with a turntable; they wear out over time. Also, there are more often than not better-quality options for these items on the market.It had to provide assurance that it wouldn't tear up my records. - When I see people buying a Crosley or any other ultra-cheap turntable I want to grab them by the shoulders and beg them to turn away from the dark path on which they are heading. If you're willing to pay the inflated prices that records go for these days, especially newer pressings, the last thing you want to do is play them on a turntable that has a tracking force so high that you may as well be using a sewing needle.Taking all of this "must-have's" into account, anything else offered by a particular model would be icing on the cake. I looked around at audiophile sites, publications, etc. and, after laughing at some of the models that were touted as "good buys" that cost as much as a semester at college, I saw the same brand mentioned time and time again: Fluance.Fluance has garnered a healthy reputation as a company that offers a wide range of turntables that deliver solid performance for quite reasonable prices. Like all turntable manufacturers, they offer some high-end models, but even the models toward the lower end of their catalog don't skimp on the necessities.The RT81 falls into the lower end of their range, but I have to say that I'm impressed with it. It was easy to assemble and the parts are constructed of sturdy materials. It offers a built-in preamp for those without phono inputs on their receiver, however it is easily disabled via a switch on the rear of the turntable should you have an external preamp or one built into your receiver. I had no trouble at all switching out the included cartridge and stylus with an Ortofon Red that I had been using on my old turntable (Those are amazing, by the way.) and making the adjustments on the tone arm. I've been putting the turntable through its paces quite a bit since its arrival and am very satisfied with the audio quality. It doesn't blow away some of the more expensive turntables I've listened to, but it's very good, especially considering its cost. It is good enough that, should I find myself in a position wherein I can afford a more expensive turntable, I wouldn't hesitate considering one of Fluance's higher-end models. The fact that there was obvious care put into one of their lower-end models speaks volumes about the company.Do I miss the extra features I had on my Sanyo that are lacking on the Fluance RT81? Sure. With that said, the RT81 has so far delivered very solid, no-frills performance and I'm more than satisfied with my purchase.

The Fluance RT81 is a solid piece of equipment.I started collecting vinyl in 2020 during the pandemic with the help of the Audio Technica LP60. Now, the great thing about that system was being an automatic player in a vast number of ways.A built in pre-amp, auto start and stop?? Along with easy maintenance for the needle.Beyond that? It had it’s issues. Cleaning records were a chore because you could only clean them while you listened to them, being an auto start player.The sound quality of the needle was great, but no way to adjust it. You’re stuck with the one position.It ended up scratching a few of my records and so, I finally took the plunge…I got a “higher” end vinyl LP record playerSo, now the real review. This machine is great for those hobbyists and audiophiles like myself, looking to step up their game and really hone in their sound.The player comes unassembled and so you must hook the turning belt, align the needle (with the correct track force) and anti-skip.If you are a beginner and have no idea what I’m talking about, have no fear. There are helpful tips in the manual, along with lots of reviews on YouTube to help set you up. All in all, took me about 20 minutes to get it all setup. It being my first time aligning a needle, getting the balance and track force right too. It can be a little nerve racking but I promise you, it’s worth the payoff.The sound quality you get from the AT95E cartridge is very warm. A little high in some records, bass is a little understated but with some minor adjustments, it still packs a punch for the price point.The Fluance RT81 also includes a pre-amp, so you can just use some powered speakers (ones with a knob somewhere on one of the speakers to control the volume) and you’re off to the races. You can also use a receiver and passive speakers (ones that se 16 gauge wiring) if you want to hook up more than just your record player. Like what it pictured in my photos (Yamaha R-S202).If you are looking for a stellar player for budget of 500 for speakers and a player? This is a great end all player. It can do everything you need and then some, plus save you a few dollars. You might need to replace the belt every few years or so from wear and tear, but that’s my only negative about this player.If you’re a beginner or intermediate vinyl head, disc jockey or audiophile, this is the player for you.There is also an auto-stop function. It will stop the records after about 10-18 rotations on the plate.If you do have auto-spin on, you must raise the tone arm for the plate to spin, otherwise it will sit in place. Happened to me, thought I broke it haha.Also, if you have your switch set to pre-amp or line, and the music seems a bit…quiet, switch it to the other signal, line or pre-amp. You’ll get better sound out of it.Equipment in photo:Fluance RT81 playerYamaha R-S202 receiverKlipsch RP-150M Bookshelf speakersAudio Technica ATH-M50X headphonesGreenlit Acrylic Turntable Mat, 12”Novogratz Regal Turntable End Table, Olive Green

Upgraded my suitcase record player to this one ! Literally Night and day difference And it’s gorgeous . Easy to set up only took about 10-15 minutes. Sounds amazing and does not skip or skate on record . Also really reasonable price for a beautiful well built record player . I don’t think I’ll be upgrading from here

Product is excellent very happy with this quality

Watch a YouTube video when it comes to balancing the tone arm. Aside from that, it's a great looking turntable and works as it should. The pre-amp does a good job and the auto-stop works as advertised. Be sure to close the cover when playing.

Beautiful and sounds great. Very nice unit.

It's a beautiful wood look turntable, with the necessary "bells and whistles" that qualifies it as a good turntable. A novice should get something like this, as it was easy to set up, It comes with a great cartridge (and in time, you can upgrade cartridge/needles with no issues), and it looks great, all meaning you can keep this one for years and years as you start your vinyl hobby. I bought it for its "Auto Stop" feature -- when your record gets to the end, it'll spin for about another 30 seconds in the dead wax, then quit turning -- mind you, it doesn't auto lift and return, and it technically doesn't turn off, it just stops spinning. This stops your turntable from just turnin &burnin your needle, something my manual direct drive turntables don't do -- trust me, this is a feature you WANT. My only complaint is that there's a 1 out of 10 times where the turntable doesn't "recognize" that it's at the end and will just keep going. Given that there's a lot of differentials in records over the past 80+ years, I'd say it's doing a pretty good job figuring it out.