Review Details

RT83 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on July 28, 2020):

Tl:dr - I highly recommend the Fluance RT-83. The sound quality and design make this truly worth the investment. Anyone upgrading from a basic player will be sure to find the improved audio they were searching for.I started a record collection about 2 years before purchasing the record player I'm reviewing (Fluance RT-83). My goal was to bring a little more ceremony into my music listening and I felt like vinyl would do the trick. I had a decent pair of speakers and a nice receiver but was using a clunky base model Sony record player. I don't remember the model but paid about 90$ at Best Buy for it.Upon researching multiple models and looking into what made a record player good (FYI a big part of it, is the needle), I chose the fluance rt-83. It was about 100$ more than I was planning to spend but ended up being worth the upgrade.The most influential review I read had stated that this model was the first player that you would truly notice a difference in sound quality. Why? Because of the needle. The ortofon 2m red cartridge costs more than my previous player as a whole. It is an elliptical needle tipped with diamond. This promises a durable but dynamic needle that is capable of hitting higher frequencies than less expensive conical tipped needles. The sound produced by this needle and player is warm and brought a new level appreciation to this older technology.The other notable feature of this player is the adjustable counterweight for the tone arm. It may not seem like a huge feature, but it can save records over the long term. Lower end record player's needles lay on the record, dragging the needle along the surface of the vinyl. The RT-83 and alike have needles that are suspended and do not apply pressure to the record and preserve the quality.The adjustable legs, the drive motor, the wooden finish... all of these features really make this player a joy to experience visually and audibly.My final note: watch Fluance's set up video. It will be faster and easier than following the written directions.