After years of digital listening I decided to reacquaint myself with vinyl. I wasn't sure I wanted to invest too much into it, mainly because any LP purchases I made would replicate what I already had in hi rez digital format (8000 LPs in mostly 24/96 flac files ). Much research led me to Fluance. I immediately decided upon the RT85, but it was sold out, as was the RT84. I waited impatiently for over 2 months, then finally bought the RT83, figuring that I would be able to return it within 30 days to upgrade when the RT85 would surely become available. As luck would have it, the RT 85 didn't come back on the market for approximately 45 days after I received my 83, so I was stuck with it. The only difference between the two models is RT83-metal platter, rubber mat and 2M Red cartridge. RT85-Acrylic platter and 2M Blue cartridge. Everything else is exactly the same. Price is $150 difference. Fluance says "No problem, upgrade the RT83". OK, do the math. A 2M Blue cart runs about $236, and the platter is $119. Total upgrade cost is $355, or $6 more than what I paid for the whole RT83 in the first place. I have read that the cart bodies of the Blue and Red are similar, but not exact (more windings in the Blue?), so just buying the stylus replacement isn't quite the same, and at $204 still gets you really close to the original RT83 price (also buying the acrylic platter). All this being said, I do believe you get a good deal with great sound from the RT83, But for $150 greater outlay you get $355 worth of better stuff. If you can afford it, go with the RT85!

Absolutely a solid performing turntable. I have it hooked up to my recently purchased ancient Yamaha RX V1 AVR and it is such a joy to hear my old albums again. Love it!!

so far, I am very pleased with the RT83... I was struggling between this and the RT85.

Amazing turntable. The looks and performance is light years ahead of my previous turntables. I had a few issues with setup (attributed to my lack of experience in setting up higher end unit). I highly recommend this turntable.

I posted a very favorable review when i received turntable.
Two updates:
1. I upgradeed to acrylic platter and see improvement
2. I accidently ordered the black. Should have returned it and got the wood. Rhe black is beautiful but shows every bit of dust, fingerprints and microscratches.
Unless you really want black...go for the wood.

I missed the sale on the RT 84 by just one day so I stepped down to the RT 83. I was hoping to get the 2M blue cartridge but so far the RT 83 has been fine.

Really happy with my purchase. Was looking for a quality TT that wouldn’t break my budget. Didn’t need a bunch of bells and whistles at the expense of great sound, and the RT83 fit the bill perfectly. It’s beautiful, well built, and my vinyl sounds amazing. Set up was a breeze.

Beautiful sound with a sleek look

It's exactly what I'm looking. Insanely high quality for the price, sounds amazing, looks great. I love everything about.

The unit is beautiful and well built. Set up was easy and the sound is excellent. Customer service was also great to deal with. High recommended.

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my boyfriend, and I definitely knocked it out of the park if I do say so myself. The set up was super duper easy for him, even though he hasn't owned this high-quality of a turntable before. It was a little frustrating having such short wires for the cord and grounding wire, etc. but he also has quite a big speaker setup as well. Hearing Queen's Night at the Opera album through his Klipsch setup was amazing. I'd totally recommend this turntable to anyone who had a semi-entry level budget ($200-400). The quality of the product is fantastic, as well as, the sleek design.

The turntable looks fantastic and sounds even better, easy to set up, was shipped fast and well packaged

This is a fantastic turntable, and it was very easy to put together! I was worried the sound quality would not be good considering the low price, but I was very wrong! I am so happy with my purchase!

Records sound smooth and clear. I went with the RT83 for that red cartridge and it was worth it.

Beautiful turntable. Fast shipping Best bang for your buck!