Last Updated: July 14, 2020 (Refresh Now)
Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable Record Player with Audio Technica AT95E Cartridge Belt Drive Built in Preamp Adjustable Counterweight Solid Wood Plinth Piano Black
Last Updated: July 14, 2020 (Refresh Now)
8.9
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
505
Old Reviews
230
Unverified
48
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Review Analysis - 227 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Sound Quality
131turntable, sounds great, vinyl, sounds, fluance
+95%
-5%
" ... Has held up through 3 moves and continues to produce that distinctive sound of vinyl records. ... "
" ... The 95E sounds fantastic when I hooked up in the basement. ... "
" ... Truly I was expecting that I would need to adapt to a lo-fi vinyl sound . ... It still sounds fantastic and I have zero issues with it. ... "
" ... Just amazing tone & quality. ... "
" ... Brilliant product, I appreciate having the pre-amp. ... This Fluance turntable is an example of "sometimes they do build them like they used to". ... "
" ... No speed issues, no sound issues, it's literally perfect. ... The quality of the sound is superb for someone who can't afford a more expensive one. ... "
" ... Add the Fluance powered speakers and you'll enjoy great sound for hundred$ less. ... "
" ... Super clean sound, I couldn’t believe the quality difference when I upgraded to it! ... "
Ease of Use
65set, easy to set, instructions, setup, follow
+100%
" ... An important part of the set-up process and not skippable. ... "
" ... Follow the instructions, which are pretty easy. ... "
" ... This was easy to set up and looks so classy! ... "
" ... Easy setup, pre amp ready to go. ... "
" ... The sound is good, the set up was easy, and it looks great. ... "
" ... Super easy just follow the directions. ... "
" ... Set up was very easy and I was listening to my records in no time. ... "
" ... It was packaged very well, and the instructions for set-up were very complete and easy. ... "
Setup
50easy, instructions, set, follow, balancing
+100%
" ... Setup was super easy. ... "
" ... The set-up instructions were simple enough and allowed the TT to be assembled in about 15 min. ... "
" ... turntable is easy to setup. ... "
" ... Lastly setup was relatively easy. ... "
" ... I could have set the unit up on my own having set up many turntables in the past. ... "
" ... Easy setup, pre amp ready to go. ... "
" ... Great sound to my ears and with my setup. ... "
" ... All the instructions for setup are highly detailed and easy to understand. ... "
Design
44beautiful, wood, finish, turntable, walnut
+100%
" ... This turntable is smooth, solid, and beautiful . ... No frills just a sturdy and classic design. ... "
" ... The finish is wonderful. ... "
" ... It has an absolutely beautiful gloss black finish. ... They look exactly like the one I spent twelve bucks on. ... "
" ... I like the Nice out look. ... (Good design/color) ... "
" ... Also, it is one beautiful looking turntable but, sitting on top of my classic Thorens right now it doesn't look so good. ... "
" ... It looks really sleek too! ... "
" ... The AT really had a lot of features I liked, such as the USB, but the Fluance just looks better. ... "
" ... The wood finish is beautiful. ... "
Price
38turntable, money, 250, value, scale
+97%
-3%
" ... and the price, you cannot beat it . ... "
" ... It's a very well built deck and very difficult to best at this price. ... "
" ... Solid phonograph, worth the money if you want something well built. ... "
" ... All that at a great price. ... "
" ... All in all though a really good turntable for the price. ... "
" ... Easy to put together, use, and sounds very good for the price. ... "
" ... I did a lot of research and based on my budget this was the most bang for my buck! ... "
" ... If I don't NEED it and its full price I often PASS. ... I didn't want to spend 250. ... At least for a budget system. ... "
Build Quality
36tonearm, turntable, tone arm, looks, platter
+86%
-14%
" ... So I was hesitant to buy a belt-drive design like the RT-81 because I did not want to fiddle around with periodic speed adjustments, due to belt stretching, etc. ... But when it comes to turntables, getting a new piece of equipment at the right price feels pretty good too. ... "
" ... Solid build quality, with a beautiful wood finish and aluminium parts (including the tonearm), makes the RT81 a wonderful gift to any vinyl beginner, or to folks who would love to listen to their old vinyls again. ... "
" ... Also looks like a nice in the wood. ... "
" ... I wasn't about to go and buy her a turntable snob's favorite showpiece, but I also wanted something with quality parts, consistent performance, and good sound. ... The build is great. ... Thanks to the solid MDF under that beautiful hard laminate, it's got some serious weight to it. ... Real removable hinges for the top cover. ... Nice aluminum platter with rubber pad. ... everything important, are all aluminum . ... The tonearm assembly is just nice all around. ... Feels good to raise and drop. ... I think that person needs to get their head checked, as it's obviously aluminum and feels quite nice, if you're a guy who likes a good knob twist. ... Just a solid, well-made turntable. ... "
" ... This is a sturdy turn table. ... No automatically swinging the arm off the record and back to it's home where 100 tiny little parts are working together likely to break for a small unnecessary feature. ... "
" ... Easy to assembly the few parts required to get it going. ... Build quality is top notch. ... "
" ... Love the outer materials. ... "
" ... Balancing the tone arm has been a feat. ... "
Product Reliability
19weeks, week, tt, preinstalled, albums
+74%
-26%
" ... I shopped and researched for a couple of months before decided to get the Fluance RT-81. ... "
" ... That's the first (and lasting) impression. ... "
" ... No problems at all. ... "
" ... My records were unlistened to for 10 years. ... "
" ... Finally, it quit working. ... "
" ... So far I have had no issues whatsoever. ... "
" ... I've given it a few months and am very happy with my decision. ... "
" ... I’ve had it three months now. ... "
Print Quality
17alignment, ortofon, fluance, at95e, headshell
+88%
-12%
" ... Comes with a good sounding cartridge, and looks easy to replace if I choose to upgrade. ... My cartridge was slightly off and I had to set it to the right angle which was very easy to do. ... "
" ... I'm sure the cartridge is way better. ... "
" ... I chose to upgrade the cartridge to a Nagunka 110 which gives tremendous musicality above the standard cartridge . ... now the company offers several models with upgraded cartridge options ... "
" ... The combo of the cartridge and the phono is more than good enough on its own. ... "
" ... An upgrade I plan on making after I've spent more time with the AT95e cartridge is to swap it for an Ortofon 2M Blue: the same one in the RT85. ... "
" ... The supplied paper protractor indicated a decent factory cartridge alignment. ... The Audio Technica AT95E cartridge is highly rated and helped with the decision in this purchase. ... "
" ... I thought about upgrading to an Ortofon cartridge but decided to enjoy this table just like it is. ... "
" ... The cartridge is OK but would benefit from an upgraded cartridge. ... "
As Gift
14christmas, bought, turntable, purchased, husband
+93%
-7%
" ... I read the review on a number of different ones and decided to purchased this as a surprise for him for Christmas. ... "
" ... Bought this for my wife for christmas. ... "
" ... Wanted to get a real turntable for my mom as a Christmas present for all of her 33-1/3's and 45's. ... "
" ... I might buy another for a gift it is that good! ... "
" ... I purchased the RT81 not just for myself, but also as a gift for my dad, who is turning 70 soon. ... "
" ... Got for my husband for Christmas and he loves it. ... "
" ... I bought this turntable as a gift to myself as I am reviving my vinyl collection. ... "
" ... This was a housewarming gift for my daughter and her man. ... "
Microphone
14record, records, sounds, sound quality, vinyl
+93%
-7%
" ... This is a simple turntable that just happens to play vinyl records excellently. ... I get a nicely digitized output to record. ... "
" ... With that said, I love my records and want to get the best possible sound quality out of them. ... "
" ... Sounds fantastic, hundreds of records played through so far without a single hiccup. ... "
" ... I threw on a record and just drummed with my hands all around the turntable and not a single noticable change in audio. ... "
" ... Since getting this I’ve actually noticed with some albums I prefer the record over the digital because the sound quality is on point. ... "
" ... This is an amazing record player! ... This make all my record sound awesome. ... So this is a great record player. ... "
" ... I've had this record player for a couple of days, and it works and sounds great! ... "
" ... Has held up through 3 moves and continues to produce that distinctive sound of vinyl records. ... "
Overall performance
13issues, platter, turntable, rpm, issues with speed
+92%
-8%
" ... Very solid and stable. ... "
" ... The speed was spot on. ... "
" ... I have always liked direct-drive designs, given their reliability and constant-speed capability. ... "
" ... Very well built and smooth ... "
" ... It's a standard belt-driven turntable, so I didn't expect flawless speed. ... Having just a dial for speed control is good enough for me. ... "
" ... I'm still keeping an eye out for the speed issues that reviews from a few months ago mentioned, but everything has been working perfectly out of the box. ... "
" ... I bought it and thought the speed issues mentioned were from "extra" people (like "it's playing at 32 3/4 instead of 33 RPMs, which is ruining my audiophile experience"). ... Well, it was running too fast, even faster in 45. ... "
" ... I noticed all of the reviews mentioning speed issues. ... "
Comfort
12feels, rt81, ears, arm, weight
+92%
-8%
" ... Feels good to raise and drop. ... I think that person needs to get their head checked, as it's obviously aluminum and feels quite nice, if you're a guy who likes a good knob twist. ... "
" ... Just make sure you are in a comfortable position and have plenty of light. ... "
" ... I haven’t compared it to other turntable for audio quality, but it sounds great to my muso ears (pro musician for Over 15 years). ... "
" ... the arm/weight/levers are nice ... "
" ... The RT81 falls into the lower end of their range, but I have to say that I'm impressed with it. ... "
" ... The RT81 has very simple controls and the auto stop feature is a very nice to have to prevent wear on the stylus if I am doing something and forget to shut it off when at the end of an album. ... "
" ... Anyway, sound is in the ear of the beholder but I can say I was super pleased with what I was hearing. ... "
" ... it's meant to be more tactile, hands on ... "
Cleaning
11clean, turntable, hinges, wood, mat
+91%
-9%
" ... Having recently cleaned it, I fired it up . ... "
" ... It sounds great, was easy to set up, and has a dust cover, a very under appreciated feature that can drastically improve sound quality, as a big problem with my first turntable was that the mat would gather dust and while I played side A of a record side B would gather all of the dust. ... "
" ... with a really nice-quality matte finish that doesn't show smudges. ... "
" ... Pre-amp provides good clean sound with the Technica cartridge. ... "
" ... The wood is great and the dust cover has a classic look to it. ... "
" ... The dust cover is solid, and allows you to keep all the components protected from dust. ... "
" ... It struck me as a beautiful, clean looking turntable. ... "
" ... Super clean sound, I couldn’t believe the quality difference when I upgraded to it! ... "
Fit
11lever, platter, needle, mat, turntable
+100%
" ... Rubber motor mount, sufficient for isolation. ... "
" ... Would prefer a larger tonearm lift lever and adjustable feet on the bottom of the unit. ... "
" ... Installed the platter and belt. ... "
" ... Parts that snapped on did with ease, the cartridge needle was perfectly aligned, first time I've ever seen that. ... "
" ... I own two audio techs to DJ with but i wanted something to keep in my record room and this fit the bill i love it looks great , sounds great! ... "
" ... The RT81 fit perfectly. ... "
" ... Fit right with very old component stereo system. ... "
" ... after months of researching I found a record player that fits the bill. ... "
Marketplace
10seller, amazon, shipped, replacement, shipping
+80%
-20%
" ... The day I bought this it was 220$ free shipping not prime. ... Actually shipped from Canada to Carolina in 3 days. ... BUT look at the pics. ... "
" ... I had a question and the people at FLUANCE replied very promptly and were great to deal with ... "
" ... The replacement is a charm. ... "
" ... It was spot on, kudos to Fluance. ... "
" ... They are about $30.00 on Amazon. ... "
Features
9feature, turntable, auto stop feature, select, auto stop
+100%
" ... It's features/looks(!) ... "
" ... A key element is that this turntable offers three interesting features. ... "
" ... The auto stop is a nice feature although it doesn't always work. ... "
" ... There are two key features that attracted me to this turntable. ... This has everything you need with no bells and whistles. ... The one little neat feature I do enjoy is the auto stop that can be toggled on and off in the back. ... "
" ... I love the auto stop feature because I don’t always change my records as soon as they end, so I don’t need to worry about extra wear on the stylus when the record ends. ... "
" ... The auto off/start is a good feature. ... "
" ... Would recommend this turntable especially with the autostop feature. ... "
" ... The auto stop feature is a nice plus. ... "
Device Compatibility
9turntable, sonos system, sonos, setup, receiver
+100%
" ... Using it with my Sonos (via Connect Amp). ... "
" ... I have it connected to my A/V receiver. ... "
" ... I didn't need a converter and it's simple and sleek in my office and very easy to connect. ... "
" ... The second, is that it gives you the option to flip a switch and let you connect it directly into a system that does not have a phono (short for phonograph) input. ... "
" ... After setup and connecting it played perfectly right away. ... "
" ... Only wish is that it was able to connect via blue tooth to my stereo. ... "
" ... the pairing is a true winner I would highly recommend this duo. ... "
" ... Love the option to hook up to our phones too. ... "
Bass
8turntable, treble, edifier
+100%
" ... The base is solid wood which is acoustically neutral, this is a good thing. ... "
" ... Good treble, no bass. ... "
" ... separation,wide soundstage plus good tight bass. ... "
" ... Very good bass! ... "
" ... As for the sound, I had been using a Marantz TT42, and this unit gives me better, fatter bass, and an overall better SQ. ... "
" ... Listening to Origin's furious blast beats and bass/guitar shredding is an absolute treat with this turntable (the bass is mixed wonderfully, and you can actually hear the ridiculous things the bassist is doing). ... "
" ... The bass is much better than I would have ever expected from and entry level turntable. ... "
Volume
7sound quality, loud, edifier, sounds great, room
+71%
-29%
" ... The volume of sound matched closely with my streaming levels. ... When going from Prime to the RT81 no volume changes were required. ... "
" ... Sounds great with my edifier bookshelf speakers ... "
" ... I hooked this up with a pair of Edifier RT1280DBs, and the music easily fills the room. ... "
" ... Makes a difference in sound quality and volume. ... "
Delivery
7arrived, new, days, shipped, packed
+100%
" ... Actually shipped from Canada to Carolina in 3 days. ... "
" ... Shipping was quick and everything was well packaged so I did not have any issues with damages. ... "
" ... With that said, the RT81 has so far delivered very solid, no-frills performance and I'm more than satisfied with my purchase. ... "
" ... The product arrived within four day. ... "
" ... Item was well packaged, and arrived all the way to New Zealand ahead of schedule. ... "
" ... The box came two days later. ... The unit was extremely well packaged. ... "
Cables
5cables, setup, rca, internal, ground
+80%
-20%
" ... But once it was set up, with the phono switch on and grounding cables attached (I have an older receiver with four passive speakers-- next on the upgrade list!! ... "
" ... a 3 min youtube vid showed how to setup and after a few wires it was ready. ... "
" ... Oh, and one quick PSA: Don't try to play a record with the RT81 switched to Internal and the cables going through an external amp. ... "
" ... Hooked up the supplied RCA and ground cable. ... "
Weight
5solid, really, good, scale, right
+100%
" ... the arm/weight/levers are nice ... "
" ... Checked weight on scale and its right on the money. ... "
" ... I like that it has some good weight to it. ... "
" ... I really enjoy the finish on it and the construction is solid (this is no light weight unit). ... "
For Running
4yamaha, speakers, sounds, run, receiver
+100%
" ... I run mine through a Yamaha receiver into Polk Audio speakers and it sounds awesome. ... "
" ... I've got it running through a Yamaha receiver and some killer Bowers and Wilkins speakers, so that also makes a difference. ... "
" ... Just don't forget to leave it running for 24 hours straight to burn it in when you get it, and it should run perfectly. ... "
" ... It is up and running and sounds pretty good. ... "
Apps
433, rpm, box, 45, speed
+100%
" ... Checked RPM with a free app 33.29 RPMs, didn't check 45 . ... "
" ... Checked the speed using an app on my phone 33.4 out of the box. ... "
" ... I use the RPM smart phone app to set the speed, which was slightly fast (33.6 rpm out of the box), and I found the recommended adjustment procedure straight-forward. ... "
" ... I downloaded a RPM app and it showed 33.42 and 45.02. ... "
Recording
4record player, player
+100%
" ... I love this record player! ... "
" ... So this is a great record player. ... "
" ... This is a great looking record player. ... "
" ... I was very surprised with the record player and its quality. ... "
Packing
4set, packed, easy
+100%
" ... I mean the packaging was PERFECT and looks machine wrapped. ... "
" ... Packaging was great and did not take long to set it up. ... "
" ... The packaging was excellent, and set-up was easy. ... "
Size
4heavy, good, unit, solid, really
+100%
" ... the arm/weight/levers are nice ... "
" ... I like that it has some good weight to it. ... "
" ... Additionally, this is a heavy, substantial unit. ... "
User Manual
3user, set, like
+100%
" ... I strongly suggest you take your time and follow all of the instructions in the manual. ... "
" ... The user manual is very easy to understand and they even have some videos to help with set up as well (I had to watch the one explaining how to balance the tone arm and it was very helpful). ... "
" ... I like the manual operation and the self-stop. ... "
Capacity
3living room, house, hooked, edifier
+100%
" ... In literally three days, it was in my hallway. ... "
" ... I hooked this up with a pair of Edifier RT1280DBs, and the music easily fills the room. ... ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ... "
" ... We love this turntable for our house. ... "
Weight Tracking
3tracking, scale, right, money, digital
+100%
" ... Checked weight on scale and its right on the money. ... "
" ... Setting the arm up was made easier with the purchase of a digital scale, to get the right tracking weight. ... "
" ... This is why I like using a digital tracking scale. ... "
CD/DVD
3collection, cd, albums, unit, turntable
+100%
" ... However, with the price of albums compared to the price of discs, it was used less and less. ... "
" ... Have recorded several albums to cd and I am very happy with the results. ... "
" ... I ditched my old turntable and collection years ago, going for the convenience of cassettes and CDs. ... "
Returns
3returned, tonearm
+33%
-67%
" ... Had it for two days and returned it. ... "
" ... Returned it and now awaiting replacement. ... "
Bluetooth
3purchase, connect, bluetooth
+100%
" ... Only wish is that it was able to connect via blue tooth to my stereo. ... "
" ... Keep in mind you will need to purchase speakers as there are none built in or a Bluetooth function. ... "
" ... the pairing is a true winner I would highly recommend this duo. ... "
Call quality
3enjoy, could
+100%
" ... And I'm hear (see what I did there? ... "
" ... The thing is, dont worry about what other people hear, enjoy what you enjoy. ... "
" ... You can hear the littlest details if you listen for them. ... "
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