Review Details

Fluance RT81 Vinyl Turntable Record Player Main

Average Customer Rating:

Rating:
93 % of 100

RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable

Product Rating:

Product Rating
Overall Performance
100%

Product Review (submitted on May 23, 2020):

Disclaimer: I'm not an audiophile so keep that in mind.I originally found out about this TT while reading different reviews of in 2019. Fluance RT81 kept coming up and the more I looked at it the more it looked like a great choice. The unit looked beautiful in pics, the reviews were great, and the price point was exactly what I was looking for. And I'm hear (see what I did there? didn't use "here") to tell you I'm glad I finally pulled the trigger on this unit. My expectations have been exceeded.After unpacking the RT81 I was truly wowed by the "faux" wood finish. If it didn't mention MDF I would say, by the weight and color, that it was definitely real wood. All markings were crisp and clean as one would expect from a top notch product. Nothing looks plastic. Truly professional.The TT was packed safely and everything clearly labeled. The set-up instructions were simple enough and allowed the TT to be assembled in about 15 min. I strongly suggest you take your time and follow all of the instructions in the manual. In the end you will have a fine TT set up quickly.My home set-up is simple: RT81 : Outlaw Audio Pre-Pro : Outlaw Audio Amp : M&K speakers/sub. I'm proud of my set-up which has given me years of heart pounding sound. The RT81 fit perfectly. As I played my small collection (yes, I know I still need to do the burn-in), I was listening for highs, lows, and mids. Remember my "not an audiophile" comment earlier? Anyway, sound is in the ear of the beholder but I can say I was super pleased with what I was hearing. Tones were crisp and ranges were complete. My sub was thumping exactly at the expected level. The volume of sound matched closely with my streaming levels. When going from Prime to the RT81 no volume changes were required. A great listening experience all around.I noticed all of the reviews mentioning speed issues. Honestly, who would buy a belt drive and not expect some need for adjustment? Indeed the RT81 was off: 33.9/45.8. Not much but I thought, "I could do better". I went to Youtube and found an easy guide for adjusting the speed. Through the little port holes on the bottom, I managed to get the speed to 33.4/44.9. If anyone can tell the difference between a 0.1 and 0 then I hope you are getting paid for your super discernible hearing. I honestly couldn't tell. Out of the box, I could sense a difference but now it sounds perfect.I happened to have a Behringer PP400 phono amp laying around the house from previous TT adventures. It had served me well so I thought I would try it out against the RT's internal amp. Both work. Both had distinctive lows but that was where the similarity ended. For mids and highs the sound of the PP400 was muddled. Not alot. Honestly I don't think I would have even noticed if I didn't compare the two but there it was - muddle. They both sound good but the RT's internal amp seemed more crisp and loud. Maybe later I will try a more expensive phono amp than the $50 PP400 but for now, the internal amp is perfect solo. 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. I almost had to change my underwear.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. I have read too many good things about the Blue. Rumor is that it makes a significant improvement.Now to start the burn-in. An important part of the set-up process and not skippable. Just need to decide: the stated 24 hour burn-in or an extended 36/48 hour burn-in? Guess while that's going on I'll shop for more vinyl.

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