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 your preamp, then to the speakers and you’re ready to listen to the music the way it was meant to be heard.

If you intend to use your Reference series turntable with powered bookshelf speakers such as our Ai40 model, a preamp will be required. The preamp will boost the signal to line level (similar to a headphone jack) so you can play it on speakers with RCA or AUX inputs. If you have a home theater or stereo receiver/amplifier, you will need a preamp if the amplifier does not have a PHONO input. If you have a PHONO input, you may have a preamp already built in. Be sure to refer to the manufacturer’s specifications or manual for confirmation!

This design choice was made with a number of factors in mind. The main reason was to separate electronics from the turntable’s signal path to maintain the purity of the analog signal. Many listeners also like to customize their listening experience and choose specific components such as preamps based on unique sonic qualities. Using separate components also allows for optimization of cartridge and phono stage compatibility. If you upgrade your cartridge in the future, you can pair with an optimal phono preamp to maximize performance and achieve the sound profile you desire!

We want our users to experience music the way it was meant to be heard and have pulled out all the stops for the new Reference series. These new turntables include a servo belt drive motor. What does this mean for you? This means that you have a sensor checking and adjusting the speed of the motor up to 500 times a second to make sure the speed of your turntable is consistent with no manual adjustments, bringing wow and flutter under 0.07%!

Reference turntables are compatible and shipped with with moving magnet cartridges such as the Ortofon OM10, 2M Red and 2M Blue, giving you the ability to customize your system for top tier performance. Cartridges must be between 3.5 to 7.5 grams to be balanced correctly.

Acrylic is an extremely stable and dense material. This greatly reduces resonance that can be picked up by the cartridge from the environment such as people walking by, large vehicles passing or other sounds that create a lot of vibration. This also gives it considerably more weight compared to an aluminum platter of the same size. The extra weight of the platter during rotation helps the platter to spin flatter and at a more consistent speed, reducing wow & flutter.

There is no need to use a platter mat with the acrylic platter! If a platter mat is used, it may interfere with the vertical tracking angle of the stylus. Additionally, the resonance of acrylic is very close to vinyl so a mat is not needed. As an added bonus, the acrylic looks fantastic!

All Fluance Reference turntables are sold with an Orotfon cartridge included.

We do know that our users love to customize their decks and there are many options out there, so we designed our Reference series to have extensive upgrade potential! The Reference tables can easily accept other Ortofon cartridges such as the often requested 2M Bronze and Black!