RT81 High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable

PURE ANALOG LISTENING EXPERIENCE
- Premium components allow this high fidelity belt driven turntable to recreate the performance the way the artist intended

HIGH PERFORMANCE CARTRIDGE
The Audio Technica AT95E featuring a diamond elliptical tipped stylus is designed to track your record grooves with greater precision & accuracy for high definition audio

SUPERIOR RECORD TRACKING
Enjoy perfect playback using the balanced aluminum S-Type tonearm ensuring the stylus is rested deep in your record’s groove, producing every audio detail indistinguishable from the original recording

SOLID WOOD PLINTH
The beautiful piano black finished cabinet is crafted from solid engineered (MDF) wood, incorporates isolation feet, an aluminum platter and a rubber slip mat which results in superior isolation from unwanted vibrations

CAPTIVATING SIGNAL CLARITY
Incorporating a high quality built-in Texas Instruments preamp, ground terminal and gold plated RCA line outputs that ensures warm, true sound
Overview
UNPARALLELED VINYL MUSIC PLAYBACK
Specifications

Cabinet Specifications | ▼ |
---|---|
Cabinet Material | MDF |
Finish | High Gloss Walnut Real Wood Veneer |
Dust Cover | Yes - Tinted |
Turntable Specifications | ▼ |
Drive System | Belt Drive |
Motor | DC Motor with Three Point Rubber Isolation |
Speed | 33 1/3 RPM, 45 RPM |
Speed Variation | +/-1.00% - Speed Adjustment Guide |
Wow and Flutter | 0.2% |
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (Weighted) | 67dB or higher (A-weighted, 20kHz LPF) |
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (Unweighted) | 60dB or higher (unweighted, 20kHz LPF) |
Platter | Aluminum |
Diameter of Platter | 12", 30cm |
Auto-Stop | Yes |
Turntable Mat | Rubber |
Tonearm Specifications | ▼ |
Tonearm Type | Static Balanced, S-Type |
Supported Cartridge Weight | 3.5 to 6.5g |
Anti-skating Adjustment | Yes |
Pivot Bearing | Yes |
Tonearm Material | Aluminum |
Tonearm Wire | 36 AWG Litz Cable / 7 Strand |
Effective Tonearm Mass | 28.2 grams |
Overhang | 19.2mm |
Effective Tonearm Length | 224mm |
Headshell Mount | H-4 Bayonet Mount |
Tonearm Height | 17mm |
Cartridge Specifications | ▼ |
Cartridge Type | Dual Moving Magnet (MM) |
Catridge Model | Audio Technica: AT95E |
Replacement Stylus | ATN95E |
Stylus | 0.4 × 0.7mil Bonded Elliptical (Diamond) |
Cantilever | Aluminum |
Mount | Half inch |
Frequency Response | 20-20,000Hz |
Channel Separation | 20dB at 1kHz |
Channel Balance | 2.0dB or less at 1kHz |
Load Impedance/Capacitance | 47k Ohms/100pF |
Output Voltage | 2.5mV +/–3dB |
Cartridge Weight | 5.7g (+/- 0.5g) |
Headshell Weight | 10.7g |
Recommended Tracking Force | 2.0g +/–0.5g |
Vertical Tracking Angle | 20 degrees |
Rubber Belt Specifications | ▼ |
Width | 4.5mm |
Length | 534.07mm |
Thickness | 0.6mm |
Output Specifications | ▼ |
Connector | RCA (Gold-plated) |
Preamp | Yes, PHONO/LINE Switchable |
Phono Output | 2.5mV +/–3dB |
Phono Bypass | Yes, all electronics bypassed when using external preamp |
Line Output | 140mV (–17dBV) |
Ground Terminal | Yes |
Power Specification | ▼ |
Input | 100V - 240V AC (50/60Hz) |
Output | 12V / 500mA |
Consumption | 1.5W |
General Specifications | ▼ |
Dimensions | 16.5” x 5.5” x 13.75” |
Certifications | FCC Certified, RoHS, CUL/UL |
Unit Weight | 6.4 kg or 14.1 lbs |
Operating Temperature | 20°C |
Fluance Speaker Size Comparison Chart | |
UPC | 061783264362 |
What's Included |
Pro Reviews

Slash Gear Reviews the Fluance RT81 HiFi Turntable
"Playback from the RT81 was quite good, with even the deeper bass of hip-hop and some electronic music coming through smooth and clear. "
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CNET Reviews the Fluance RT81 HiFi Turntable
"it feels like a $400-$500 turntable. I guess you can tell by now I'm impressed."
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Tech Crunch Reviews the Fluance RT81 HiFi Turntable
"The walnut finish gives the RT81 one of the best looks of any entry-level turntable I’ve seen. It’s sturdier and heavier than some of the cheaper turntables out there from brands like Crosley and Denon. "
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Digital Trends Review of the RT81
"Music played on the record player was deep and smooth with excellent clarity. In general, there was low distortion, sparkling treble, and strong bass across the records we listened to, from Broadway to Drake."
Read the Full ReviewCustomer Reviews
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Very sturdy and great sounding turntable! Looking forward to purchasing more items from Fluance.
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This is the perfect entry level turntable. It is easy to set up and sounds amazing. If you are thinking of pulling the trigger, just do it.
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This table is my first higher end turntable. The audio is perfect. The set-up was thankfully easy, and the instructions were really easy to follow along. The walnut look is wonderful as well. I highly recommend this beautiful high quality turntable!!
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Awesome turntable. Super impressed with the build, appearance and sound. Works extremely well...Well packed and easily put together in a few minutes. Well done Fluance!!! Now considering upgrading my older floor model speakers for the Reference Series!!
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Beautifully crafted and awesome sounding! Works very well, well packed and easy to put together. Truly impressed with the looks, build and quality of sound. Definitely recommend. Now considering upgrading my floor speakers to the Fluance References!!
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This turntable replaced my aging Pioneer PL because of low end rumble creeping into its old bones. First spin was absolutely perfect! Quiet. No intent on using the AT cartridge as I have a Denon DL110. For those reading, the table preamp would be disabled. Quick alignment, balance and we were rocking. Looked at other tables 2-3 times the cost and they were identical in specs. So far everything is good. The anti-skate may need fine tuning with your cartridge, but most do anyway. I also have to give high marks for this table in regards to vibration isolation. You want vibration from the grooves not from anything outside of them! hah! I consider myself a very experienced listener and this was a welcome addition to my system which would have brought out any abnormal performance. The RT81 is superb.
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I am 36 years old. I have all the other means to listen to music, Google Play Music , CDs, etc. I never owned a turntable. I just started to get a pretty strong urge to want to get into a new hobby albeit something I was already doing plenty of, which is listening to music. Of course, I did my research and came down to the LP120 and this RT81. The biggest thing I was worried about was the "speed." That seemed like the only knock on the turntable in this price range from the reviews. After setting up the turntable (which for a first time ever user) was very easy. I then downloaded one of those rpm apps for my phone to test the speed. Out of the box, my readings were 33.2 and 44.9. Very pleased with that. I also did the 24 hour burn in which is recommended and it has kept true to those numbers. The sound is fantastic. I have it hooked up to my receiver. I'm listening to stuff like Sufjan Stevens and Radiohead and I'm just grinning from ear to ear. Shipping was really fast. Ordered on a Saturday night and was at my house by Thursday. (Minnesota) I felt like I did my research and due diligence for over two weeks deciding on what to get and I'm very happy with what I ended up with. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
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Looks awesome, sounds awesome. Had to touch the speed control to get it a bit closer to perfect but very easy to adjust after reading the manual. Downloaded and printed the protractor from the Fluance website to check cartridge alignment but it was great and no adjustment needed.
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Great! Well put together and thoughtfully packaged. Glad we made this purchase.
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If you are spending your time scouring the internet for reviews and comparing every turntable on the market for days before pulling the trigger like I did, I'll save you the time. Just buy it. If you can afford one of the newer models, by all means do that. But don't think for a second that this model is obsolete or nowhere near as good, even with the AT Stylus, it's pretty close to the Ortofons and you will not be disappointed. If you are on a budget and this is your comfortable price point just do it. Easy to set up, sounds amazing and shipping was crazy fast. I ordered it on Monday at lunch and had it by Tuesday at 10am the next day. I still don't know how they did that but I can tell, this being my first Fluance product, that they are a great company and one I look forward to buying from again in the future.
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This turntable smokes. It's a great price, great product, awesome tone and easy to setup.
I looked and looked for a turntable that was within my budget, with great features and sexy looking. The RT81 fit the bill. I highly recommend you choose the RT81 over others, including automatic.
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This turntable has surpassed my expectations- it sounds great, performs beyond it's pay grade as equipped. Easy on the eyes as well :)
Break-in was easy, I let the turntable run for 24 hrs.
I'm a long time vinyl enthusiast, and am glad I bought it. Would recommend to others...
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Took some deliberation to move away from vintage record players to the RT81, but I am pleased to say it was a good buy. Solid build, subtle features, ease of use. I also appreciate that the company ifs very dedicated to geat audio experience.
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Love the RT81. Looks and works great, has good weight, easy to set up and cartridge was aligned perfectly when I check with protractor. Love the phono amp option
The only negative was , when I lightly tapped the TT base at listening volume, tapping of my finger came thru pretty loud and the same when I tapped the heavy stand I have the TT on. I did not hear any speaker coupling, but in some situations it could happen, especially if running a sub. A suggestion to Fluance I would like to see, is a option to buy their TT's without cartridge for a little less. -
Love my new RT81! A beautiful piece of craftsmanship that sounds at good as it looks!
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Resources
Manual
Guides
Video
FAQs
Fluance turntables do not include built in speakers.
To use a Fluance turntable, connect it to a home theater receiver or amplifier for use with passive speakers, or connect it to a set of powered speakers such as the Ai40 Powered Bookshelf Speakers.
If your receiver or speakers do not have a specific PHONO input or integrated preamp, RT80 and RT81 both include an internal preamp for quick and easy setup.
An amplifier is only needed if you’re connecting the turntable to passive speakers such as the Signature Series Bookshelf Surround Speakers.
If you’re looking for an option without a separate amplifier, the Ai40 Powered Bookshelf speakers fit the bill.
With the Ai40, all you need to do is connect the included RCA cables to the speakers, turn on the internal pre-amp and you’re ready to listen to the music the way it was meant to be heard.
If you’re using an amplifier without a phono input, or some powered speakers such as our Ai40 model, you will need to use the preamp by sliding the switch to the “LINE” position.
The tonearm of the RT80 and RT81 model turntables is compatible with cartridges from 3.5 grams to 6.5 grams in weight.
For full instructions on this process, see our video below: