I had the rt81 for seven months when the 85 came out , and I had to have it. The ortofon 2m blue sealed the deal for me. It’s a beautiful TT, solid and well built. The acrylic platter is a must have and the servo controllable speed is right on, unlike the 81. The cueing lever has more control than the 81. I’ve only had it for about two weeks, so it’s not fully broken it , but so far, it sounds great. Setup was a breeze. It’s a well thought out piece of equipment

All I can say is wow! I didn’t think it was going to be as good as it is for the price and it is.
They really found a way to make a great product that everybody can afford.

My god this is the turntable i have waited my whole life for. I had a Music Hall 5.1 turntable with a Ortofon black cartridge so all together about a 2000 dollar turntable and im totally serious the Fluance RT85 blows it away. Fluance i dont know how you do it but from the bottom of my heart Thank You Thank You Thank You for letting my record collection sound so sublime.

In a nutshell, the sound emanating from this turntable is extraordinary. The beautiful high gloss black piano finish of the plinth is as well. My only criticism would be the 3 ft. length of the audio cables. It would seem that a 6 ft. length would be more appropriate as a standard to make it easier to set the table on a separate surface away from the receiver and speakers. For me, it wasn't a problem as I simply used the 6 ft. cables I already had connected to my RT 81, but it might be something potential buyers might want to be aware of.

In any event, the RT 85 is one magnificent turntable. This buyer would recommend it highly to you all. It is a beautiful sounding and beautiful looking piece of audio equipment.

I just got this today, I'm already so blown away.

I've had a couple cheaper turntables over the past few years and I have to say this thing feels well worth the money after only 6 hours of use.

I had been researching turntables for about three years and could find nothing I liked at my price point. They all seemed flimsy and cheaply made.

Fluance Reference turntables were mentioned in a thread on the Steve Hoffman Music Forum. I did some research and really liked what I saw. After even more careful consideration, I decided to buy a RT85T.

I am so glad I did. Build quality is top notch, features abound, and the sound is awesome. You're listening to music within 30 minutes of un-boxing it is set up so well. While still well within the 50 hour break-in point, the sound is rich, deep, detailed, and immensely satisfying. And it's going to sound better. What a treat.

Thanks to Julie and Sean for their top notch customer service along the way. Also, thanks to Fluance for sending me the gift of an wall mount album display frame. An unexpected gesture of appreciation that further exemplifies their commitment to customer service.

This is a great turntable and an excellent value. I upgraded from a LP60 and this is way above that. Setup was quick and easy and I was playing music within 20 minutes. The design is fantastic and the turntable feels very solid. It will be the counterpoint of my sound system for a ver long time.

I upgraded from a lesser turntable, and when I opened up the RT85 and began to set it up (which was a breeze) I thought the quality way beyond exceeded what I was expecting. The hardware is beautiful, the sound is amazing. I love everything about it.

The gloss black RT85 came packaged well, was easy to setup, and sounds excellent.

This turntable is a thing of beauty. The quality is top notch. I upgraded from a lesser turntable, but didn't realize how amazing the RT85 was until I set it up (which was a breeze) and listened to a few albums. I love it. Would buy it again and would highly recommend it !!

If you did your research like I did, this gives you the best bang for the buck out there. Nothing else comes close. The only weakness is you can't adjust the VTA; it is set for the 2M series, which has a cartridge height of 18.0 mm. So if you want to try a different cartridge, you need to find one with 18.0 mm height. When I upgrade carts down the road, I'll probably go with the 2M bronze or black.

The RT 85 is an excellent unit, visually it is impressive but the sound is beyond what I was expecting. It is well build, good looking and great sounding.

Very well built, highly recommend to anyone wanting to step up to a higher end turntable.
Sound is amazing, well worth the price.
A purchase that you will be glad you made.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with this turntable. I like the simple, elegant look.
Setup was a breeze. Dust cover did come with a scuff on it. After just a week of use records sound warm with clarity , which I’m sure will improve further as the cartridge breaks in. So far, no speed fluctuations at all, and absolutely no motor noise, which is very important to me. Testing anti-skate on a grooveless record showed it was a little weak and needed to be increased a little past two. No big deal. I’m looking forward to enjoying my decades old vinyl collection on this turntable.

My first experience with a turntable was back in the 80s when I was a child. I've been looking to fulfill my dream to set up my new listening space with a great (excellent) turntable. Well, this exceeds my expectation. If you are looking for a perfect "form vs. fonction" item, the RT85 is the way to go. To top things off, Fluance customer service care and communication is top notch, just like their products. Sit back and enjoy! Don't waste your time and money elsewhere. Period. From one happy music listener ;)