I bought my RT85 to replace a vintage TT I had been using in a common area of my house. The vintage unit was paired with a Schiit Mani and a set of Klipsch Sixes. I have a lot of money into my vintage TT (the cartridge alone cost significantly more than this whole setup) and was looking for something that would be OK to have novices play with at parties whilst still being a good listening experience otherwise.

Without going into specifics... the RT85 gets me 90% there to what my vintage setup can do, for 50% of the cost. Perfect for the beginner, and certainly still good enough for the more experienced listener.

Easy to put together, my only complaints so far are with the "feet" -its a tripod setup so may be a bit more difficult to properly balance, and not all that attractive to me, honestly. It was also a lot more susceptible to rumble than my old TT -out of necessity I am forced to put my TT and powered speakers on the same surface. The effect is only at near extreme volumes, so something that can be lived with for sure.

First turntable I bought from another company came shipped to my door with many problems, I was so excited to play vinyl again and it was a disappointing day. So I made a decision to step up my budget and got the RT-85. It was shipped to my door and arrived in perfect condition and was easy to set up. I also got the pre-amp. The set up didn't take long and I was quickly listening to some great vinyl again. Sounds great with my NHT speakers and NAD power. The only thing I would change is having a power button on the pre amp. Now the problem is budgeting more money for more vinyl.

The cartridge and platter alone are worth around $400. Add the auto-stop feature, speed control, build quality, size and overall look and this turntable is a no brainer. Best you will find in this price range!

Love this turntable. Did extensive homework looking at all entry level units. Came down to Fluance RT85 and ProJect Carbon. Same price range. I wanted the acrylic platter and ability to change heads. Gave up the carbon fiber to earn for these two. RT85 also comes with Ortofon Blue. This cart alone would run over $200. This is hands down the best bang for the buck.

Only gripe I have is that the day after I received the unit I got email with offer of free preamp with purchase of the black RT85. I called and they would not include me in on the deal.

Excellent product. Solid structure and design. Great cartridge. Room for a little improvement in the tonearm lift operation.

I have been enjoying this turntable for nine months now, and there is a lot to like about it. The cue lever provides for a soft descent on to the record, so you can just flip the lever and let the arm drop. The counterweight was dead-on accurate (according to my digital scale). The feet provide some vibration damping, and allow for easy leveling of the turntable during initial set-up. The auto-stop feature seemed kind of unnecessary at first, but I see now that it is indispensable. I love the look of the walnut finish with the acrylic platter. I am really impressed with this turntable.

Like most reviewers on here I am genuinely flabbergasted that Fluance have managed to cram as many premium features into the RT85 as they did for the price.
To the average person this may seem like a lot of money to spend on a turntable but just compare what you get with Fluance as opposed to what you get with the other guys.
I previously owned a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon and a Rega Planar 2 and the RT85 blows them both out of the water. Very solid build quality, beautiful design, the Ortofon 2M blue (itself nearly a $250 cartridge) sounds great across a variety of genres and with vintage and new pressings alike.
I feel like Fluance has taken all of the complaints about decks in this price range and fixed them. Annoyed by manual speed change between 33 and 45? Fluance has you covered.
Need to use your TT on a less than perfectly level surface? Fluance included easily adjustable leveling feet on the base.
Tired of all that static built up on felt mats? Fluance included a hefty acrylic platter which does away with the need for a mat at all.
I could go on and on. I can say with confidence that if you give the RT85 a chance you will not be disappointed. Well done Fluance.

Haven’t used a manual turntable for many a year. What I love about this one is it has features I could not resist. The easy adjustable tripod feet make it a breeze to level. The Ortofon Blue cartridge which is nearly half the price if purchased alone. The 3 lb. acrylic platter. The ability to stop Rotation after record has finished playing. My only wish is there wasn’t that brief but loud feedback thud you hear when you touch the plinth after power is turned on particularly if you lower the dustcover. None of my other turntables do that. Not a defect as I read others mentioning of that happening.

I've had my RT85 for a week and am delighted with it. Super quiet (unlike my prior turntable), beautiful styling, and easy to setup. Also, a shout-out for the Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, revealing new detail and warmth from my LP's.

My first new turntable since my Yamaha P-520 in 1984. I LOVE it. I want to take it to bed. Sexy looking and sounds great. I don't know how much is the TT and how much is the Ortofon 2M Blue, but you can not go wrong!

RT85 is the best looking in walnut and the quality is there! Blows my Pioneer PL-117D away

Great upgrade from a entry level turntable I used to have. Was very easy to setup and got it going in less than 30 minutes. The open soundstage and low noise is amazing and I have listening to all my old records even since. If you are on the fence you won't go wrong buying this one.

Settling on the RT85 was an easy decision. There are no other audiophile quality turntables in the $500 range that pack as many features as the RT85. Other companies like Rega and Pro-Ject have to skimp on features to make the price point, but knowing this only makes the RT85 that much more attractive!
As for the sound, it completely blew my mind! I wanted to make sure that I could pick out the nuances, so I chose a record I knew intimately. The first record I spun was Radiohead’s “OK Computer”. Immediately, I noticed how quiet the RT85 was – no motor noise, no hum, and no hiss. Then, the music began… BOOM! It sounded like the musicians were in my living room. I had never experienced anything that sounded so rich and detailed and open and punchy! I laughed hysterically because I just couldn’t understand how compressed things sounded prior to this. Needless to say, the RT85 has made me fall in love with my record collection all over again.
If the sound and features weren’t enough, the customer service team went above and beyond to make sure I was happy. My RT85 arrived with a cracked dust cover that was damaged in transit. I was bummed. But I filed a claim, and Brent came to my rescue. I sent photos of the box and the damage, and he immediately had a replacement dust cover sent to me. Guess what? The SECOND dust cover arrived in even worse shape than the original. It was completely smashed! Brent to the rescue again! The THIRD dust cover arrived without a scratch, and my RT85 is absolutely perfect.

One simply cannot buy a better turntable for the money or even much more than the $499.99 price of the RT85. Everything about this turntable is extremely solid and so smooth it seems too good to be true. The sound quality is awe-inspiring. I am using this turntable with a Vincent PHO 8 phono stage, Onkyo A-9070 integrated amplifier and Amplifier Surgery phono cables.

This is my first new turntable since 1984, when I bought a Yamaha P520. Soon after I got into CD's and only in the last four years have gotten back into vinyl. I have been researching TT's and came upon reviews of the Fluance tables. One contributing factor was the 2M Blue cartridge. I did not want to buy a turntable and have to upgrade the cartridge immediately. No problem there. I am already hearing details I had never heard. This is first manual table I have owned so I do like the auto shutoff also.
At this price and with the inclusion of the Ortofon Blue, you will not suffer any buyers' remorse. Great sounding and really attractive, I am very well pleased.