RT85 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable
RT85 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable
PURE ANALOG PERFORMANCE
The definitive vinyl record listening experience for beautifully warm and natural music, transporting you into the center of the performance
EXCEPTIONAL MUSICAL ACCURACY
Immerse yourself in the detailed high resolution sound of the Ortofon 2M Blue elliptical cartridge delivering improved linearity, higher channel separation and reduced distortion
HIGH DENSITY ACRYLIC PLATTER
The greater mass of the acrylic platter damps unwanted vibrations resulting in a more 3-dimentional sound with tighter bass, a fuller midrange, and overall improved clarity
SPEED CONTROL FOR PRECISION PLAYBACK
The isolated motor prevents unwanted vibrations and noise while the speed control mechanism ensures consistent platter velocity (0.07% Wow/Flutter)
SOLID WOOD PLINTH
Revel in the gorgeous solid wood cabinet and adjustable resonance damping feet, ensuring superior isolation from unwanted micro-vibrations (Note: phono preamp not included)
Overview
UNPARALLELED VINYL MUSIC PLAYBACK
Specifications
| Cabinet Specifications | ▼ |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Material | MDF |
| Finish | High Gloss Piano Black |
| Dust Cover | Yes - Tinted |
| Turntable Specifications | ▼ |
| Drive System | Belt Drive |
| Motor | DC Motor with Servo Controller Analyzes motor speed 500 times/sec |
| Motor Isolation | Under-mounted 7-point silicone isolation with decoupling isolation ring |
| Speed | 33 1/3 RPM, 45 RPM |
| Speed Variation | 0.10% |
| Wow and Flutter | 0.07% |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio (Weighted) | 76 dB |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio (Unweighted) | 65 dB |
| Platter | Acrylic |
| Diameter of Platter | 12 inches (30 cm) |
| Weight of Platter | 3 lbs (1.5 kg) |
| Height of Platter | 0.62 inches (16 mm) |
| Auto-Stop | Yes |
| Turntable Mat | Not Required |
| Tonearm Specifications | ▼ |
| Tonearm Type | Static Balanced, S-Type |
| Supported Cartridge Weight | 0.12 – 0.25 oz (3.5 – 7.5 g) |
| Counterweight | Yes – 3.95 oz (112 g) - Adjustable |
| Anti-skating Adjustment | Yes – Adjustable |
| Pivot Bearing | Yes |
| Cueing Lever | Yes |
| Tonearm Material | Aluminum |
| Tonearm Wire | 36 AWG Litz Cable / 7 Strand |
| Effective Tonearm Mass | 0.99 oz (28.2 g) |
| Overhang | 0.76 inches (19.2 mm) |
| Effective Tonearm Length | 8.82 inches (224 mm) |
| Headshell Mount | H-4 Bayonet Mount |
| Cartridge Specifications | ▼ |
| Cartridge Type | Moving Magnet (MM) |
| Cartridge Model | Ortofon: 2M Blue |
| Replacement Stylus | 2M Blue |
| Stylus | 0.3 x 0.7 mil |
| Cantilever | Aluminum |
| Mount | Half-inch |
| Frequency Response | 20 - 20,000 Hz (+2/-1 dB) |
| Frequency Range | 20 - 25,000 Hz (-3 dB) |
| Channel Separation | 25 dB at 1 kHz |
| Channel Balance | < 1.5 dB @ 1 kHz |
| Load Impedance/Capacitance | 47k Ohms/150 - 300 pF |
| Output Voltage | 5.5 mV |
| Cartridge Weight | 0.25 oz (7.2g) |
| Headshell Weight | 0.35 oz (10 g) |
| Cartridge Height | 0.71 inches (18 mm) |
| Recommended Tracking Force | 0.06 - 0.07 oz (1.6 - 2.0 g) |
| Vertical Tracking Angle | 20° |
| Rubber Belt Specifications | ▼ |
| Rubber Belt Design | Continuous loop (joint-less) |
| Width | 0.17 inches (4.5 mm) |
| Length | 36.02 inches (915 mm) |
| Thickness | 0.02 inches (0.6 mm) |
| Output Specifications | ▼ |
| Connector | RCA (Gold-plated) |
| Preamp | No - Separate Phono Preamp Required |
| Phono Output | 5.5 mV |
| Ground Terminal | Yes |
| Power Specification | ▼ |
| Input | 100 – 240 V AC (50/60 Hz) |
| Output | 12 V / 500 mA |
| Consumption | 1.5 W |
| General Specifications | ▼ |
| Dimensions | 16.5 x 5.5 x 13.75 inches (419.1 x 139.7 x 349.25 mm) |
| Unit Weight | 16.76 lb (7.6 kg) |
| Operating Temperature | 41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C) |
| Wireless Playback | No (Requires Bluetooth or WiFi transmitter connected via RCA connection to transmit audio wirelessly) |
| UPC | 061783268414 |
| What's Included | RT85 Reference Turntable Line OutClick to Expand |
Pro Reviews
Steve Guttenberg of CNET Reviews the RT84
"The Fluance RT84 turntable looks, feels and sounds like a winner"
Read Full Review
Vinyl Rewind Reviews the RT85
"I give this my highest rating of 5 pompadours out of 5""
Joe N Tell Reviews the RT82
Follow along as Joe Mariano unboxes and sets up his new RT82
Brad Moon of Forbes Reviews the RT85
"It didn’t matter the genre... it all just plain sounds noticeably better on this turntable"
Read the Full Review
Craig Farraway from Vinyl TV Reviews the RT84
"I haven't found anything about this turntable that I don't like"
RT84 Review by Colin from This Does Not Compute
"If you're looking to improve your vinyl setting, Fluance's reference series is worth considering, to take your records to the next level"
"Beautiful, Well-Thought-Out Table" - Napier Lopez of The Next Web
"The experience was a bit of a revelation... I finally understood why some people have such an affinity for vinyl"
Read the Full Review
Customer Reviews
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Great Value. Great Sound quality with the blue cartridge. Highest recommendation!
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This is just a great turntable. You cannot beat the features you get for that price. In addition, the finish is beautiful. My third Fluance product, but definitely not my last!
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Experience with the turntable thus far is very good. It appears to be a simply designed, well made and thought out machine. I have the piano gloss black finish which is a dust and fingerprint magnet, but striking in appearance nonetheless. The dust cover is a nice shade of tint and functions well, and the cueing lever has a very smooth action that results in a gentle needle drop. The Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge is breaking in nicely after approximately 3 weeks of play. It produces a clear and detailed sound with pleasing dynamics. Impressive. One small suggestion would be to modify the Fluance badge on the front of the turntable to more of an etching in perhaps a satin finish, which would be more congruent with the overall design and distinctive finish of the unit. All in all if you're interested in vinyl and are in the market for a high quality audio component, you should consider adding the Fluance RT85 turntable to your shopping list.
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Exactly the quality I'd hoped for. Couldn't be happier.
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I waited a couple of weeks before reviewing my new RT85 to put it through its paces. This turntable is excellent! The aesthetics are obvious-who wouldn't like this? But more importantly the sound: the blue cartridge really delivers and was a major factor in my decision. Previous TT had an AT100 cartridge which I really liked, but I am at another level now. $500 is a lot of $ for me(I don't know bout you lol) so I needed this to be worth it- and it is!
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The rt85 was easy to set up and works flawlessly. I purchased a protractor to check cartridge alignment and it was perfect right out of the box. Looks great and sounds great. Build quality is excellent.
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My new RT-85 was very well packaged, and very easy to put together. It is beautiful to look at and sounds wonderful. I recommend this turntable and think that it is a lot of quality for the money.
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Could not be any more happy with the purchase of the RT85. From the beautiful acrylic platter, to the top of the line Ortofon 2M blue cartridge, the Fluance RT85 is everything you could ever want from a turntable. It truly brings your vinyl's to life. With deep and rich sounds, you will want to listen to your entire record collection, like they're brand new again. Thank you Fluance for delivering perfection at a unbeatable price!
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I upgraded from a Teac TN300, and the RT85 is another world. Excellent design, and... I love it!!
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Great looking , great sound , great price.
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This has been a wonderful addition to our home. It's certainly a conversation starter and it sounds phenomenal. I had done quite a bit of research before purchasing, and this setup was impossible to beat for the price. The sound quality is amazing. It truly brings out the life of our growing record collection.
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Got the gloss black RT85. Had to wait a bit for them to get back in stock, but it was worth the wait. Looks great sitting on top of my rack. Sounds great. Just need to find a good record cleaning system that doesn't break the bank.
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Very easy to set up and great sounds. Replaced my vintage Garrard and I can hear the improvements in sound quality.
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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
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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.
See all reviews
They really found a way to make a great product that everybody can afford.
Resources
Video
Manual
FAQs
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. !
| What's new! | What does it mean? |
| The motor is located away from the platter | Allows the use of an acrylic platter, reduced rumble at the stylus. |
| 90pF RCA cables | Upgraded RCA cables with higher capacitance to protect and maintain the purest signal path. |
| No internal preamp | Provides a clean signal, with no electronics in the path for increased audio quality. |
| Spring loaded adjustable feet with built-in isolation | Allows the turntable to be leveled on any surface, bubble level included. Spike-shaped feet prevent outside vibrations from affecting audio quality. |
| Servo controlled motor | Improves speed consistency and reduces wow and flutter by checking the speed up to 500 times per second! |
| Ortofon Stylus | All Reference turntables are compatible with Ortofon OM10, Blue and Red Cartridges. |
| 112g Counterweight | Heavier counterweight to accommodate the Ortofon stylus. More diverse upgrade options. |
| Compatible with an acrylic platter (included with RT84/RT85) | Heavier, denser material reduces resonance and improves speed consistency, not to mention great looks! |
| Customizable | All Reference turntable components are compatible with each other giving you a clear upgrade path! |
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 0.7%!
Reference turntables are compatible and shipped with with moving magnet cartridges such as the Ortofon OM Super, 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 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!.
