There is no doubt that if you are trying to get into vinyl records, the first stop you’ll want to make on your quest for the right gear is the turntable itself. These days, we have a ton of choices available to us. No matter how much money you have, someone will be willing to take it in exchange for a table that claims to be worth that amount of money. The same is true for other components such as cartridges, platters, and speakers. You can spend as much as you want, but that doesn’t always mean you’ll be getting a good value. In this series of articles, I’ll be telling you about some of the gear I have been using, and whether or not I think it’s worth the cost, and sometimes, the aggravation.
Today, we’re looking at a turntable that has been quite popular recently, and one that I have been using myself for the past four years; the Fluance RT85. Right out of the gate, I’m going to tell you that I recently purchased a new turntable, and I did not decide to go with Fluance again. My listening experience on the RT85 has been mostly good for these last few years, but I have had some issues with it that I’m hoping not to deal with again.
The RT85 is considered an affordable “entry level” table (at right around 500.00 US) and does have some hi-fi type elements to it. At the time, I was coming from an Audio-Technica AT-LP120 and knew for sure I didn’t want anything with direct drive again, and certainly nothing that had USB connectivity in it. I had narrowed my search down to two possible models: the RT85 and what appeared to be its primary competitor, the U-Turn Orbit. I don’t remember exactly what the cartridge was on the U-Turn since we are talking about something that happened four years ago, but I remember that it was the acrylic platter and Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge that finally sold me on the Fluance. It also had good reviews and people seemed happy with it, so I decided to take my chances with it.
As far as the set-up went, there really wasn’t that much to it. Fluance does provide good videos if you have any questions about any part of the procedure, and I was up and running easily within an hour. I was immediately impressed by how much better the RT85 sounded than the Audio-Technica, but also considered that a lot of that probably had to do with the Ortofon cartridge I was now listening on. The cartridge itself costs around 200.00 USD, so having that bundled into a good quality turntable is a pretty sweet deal.
As you can see by the photos, this is a stylish looking turntable. The RT85 was available in at least one or two other colors at that time, but I decided to go with the black. I still think it’s the best color, but you should be aware that it is a definite dust and fingerprint magnet. If you care about how your gear looks, be ready to wipe the plinth down quite frequently. Funny enough, the package actually came with a pair of cotton gloves, presumably just for this reason. The dust cover also looks good sitting on top, and the build quality of the table itself is quite good for the money.
As I mentioned, the acrylic platter was a major selling point for me. I had never owned one or even heard one in action up until this point, but I really hate slip mats. They can look cool, but I can’t stand dealing with them. The dust they attract and how they always stick to the record are a deal breaker for me. Thankfully, with an acrylic platter, a slip mat is not necessary. As a matter of fact, many people (including myself, as it turns out) prefer the sound of plain acrylic. I think having the belt visible on the outside of the platter detracts from the overall aesthetics, but it’s not really too big of a deal.
Overall, the RT85 sounded very good. I liked it better than the Audio-Technica, which wasn’t a bad table by any means. The reality here though, is that it can be hard to separate the sound quality of the table from the cartridge. You can have a 10,000 dollar turntable, but if you have a cheap cartridge on it, it’s going to sound terrible. As time went by and I tried multiple cartridges on the table, I did come to determine that what I liked most was the Ortofon 2M Blue, but that the table itself also sounded good.
From the beginning, I did notice a few issues that had me a bit concerned. Occasionally, I would go to switch the power on, and nothing would happen. The commonsense way to troubleshoot this was to double check the set-up and look for any obstructions, but there never were any. The belt and the cap were always fine, and no cause for the issue could be found. The solution was always to switch the power off and turn it back on again. This solved the problem, but I would have preferred that it just worked every time.
Along the same lines, the motor always appeared to be a bit weak. Sometimes when I would dust a record with a standard carbon fiber brush (very lightly, of course) prior to playing, that tiny bit of force would be enough to stop the motor completely. When the brush was removed, the record would spin again. Lest you think the problem might be a worn-out belt, I tried replacing that twice (with official Fluance parts) during the four-year period that I used the RT85, and it never made a difference. Once the motor started spinning again, it would play the records just fine. I never noticed any speed related issues once things were going.
All this being said, none of these issues were the most aggravating part of owning the Fluance RT85. When I originally set up the table, one of the things about it that I enjoyed most was how when I lowered the cueing lever, the stylus would float down to the record very smoothly. It was great. After about the two-year mark, however, things changed. All of a sudden, the stylus was dropping like a rock. No problem at all, I thought! This is a common issue that happens with many turntables over time. I had even fixed the same issue several times on my Audio-Techinca. The solution is almost always to re-dampen the piston area of the cueing lever, as the fluid that the factory puts on dries out over time. This time, it wouldn’t be that easy.
Before I did anything, I decided to check the manufacturer’s website just in case they had any specific directions to repair this particular model. It turns out they did have this problem addressed in the troubleshooting guide, so I consulted that. They recommended that owners having the cue lever problem should purchase a specific oil, and even listed the exact type and brand. I will not mention the name of that product here, because if you are having this problem, you should not use it. The product they mention is much too thin to be of any use on a tonearm of this weight (or any tonearm… this product is not meant for use on turntables!).
From the beginning, this product sounded a little suspect to me. It wasn’t similar at all to the other products I had used for years when solving this type of issue. I admit that I should have known better than to try it, but they were very specific about it, and I trusted Fluance’s judgement regarding their product. Long story short, the lubricant was way too thin, and it probably only made the problem worse. It certainly did not help to fix the issue in any way. Last time I checked, they still had the product recommended on their help page. Hopefully, you will come across this article before you try it as well.
From there, I went back to the silicone-based products that I had used in the past to dampen the piston, but they also had no effect. Ater a few weeks of trying different fluids, I finally gave up. The problem is in the tone arm assembly, and I do not have the ambition to undertake a project like that on a 500.00 turntable. I’m also not ready to buy new parts, and I’m not sure if they are even available for purchase. At some point, I may take the RT85 to a stereo shop and see how much they want to repair it, but I’m not in any rush to do that. I should mention that the turntable still functioned fine otherwise, but I would just have to be very careful about lowering the stylus onto the record. This might not sound like a big deal, but it was super annoying to me after a while.
To some, the fact that I got about two years’ worth of mostly hassle-free use out of this turntable might seem like a win. I, however, think stereo equipment should be something that functions for many years as long as it’s well taken care of. Turntables aren’t supposed to be disposable, and they should not have to be replaced or need major and expensive parts or repair after just two years. As I do with all of my gear, the RT85 was treated with great care, and always kept in top working condition. Until someone takes the machine completely apart and prices out the replacement parts, I can’t say whether a repair would be worth the cost. If I decide to do this one day, I will update the article and let everyone know.
Now, it might sound like I wouldn’t recommend the Fluance RT85 to anyone, but that isn’t really the case. As far as playing music goes, the table sounds quite good. It’s well built, and I still think it’s a good value for the money, especially with the Ortofon cartridge. It does seem like most people haven’t had the issues I have had, or they are simply not reporting them very often. It’s also entirely possible, if not probable, that I use my turntable much more often than the average listener, so that might have something to do with it as well. If you doubt my experiences, however, a Google search will turn up stories from other owners who have had the same issues. In fact, some of their reports of how Fluance customer service responded to them stopped me from attempting to reach out and try that avenue for myself. Anyway, as if by magic, the warranty on the table (2 years) had just expired.
In my opinion, the RT85 packaged with the acrylic platter and Ortofon 2M cartridge is a good deal. It’s still probably one of the best options out there for a new audiophile on a budget. Even if you have all the same problems I had with it, you would still be hard pressed to find something that sounds this good and is all inclusive for around the 500.00 USD mark. That being said, if I were able to go back now, I would have probably spent some more time considering the U-Turn product line. They have tables in the same price range, and they also have a ton of good reviews and happy customers. It also doesn’t hurt that they are made in Massachusetts, which is an area I am quite fond of. Hopefully in the future, I will be able to get my hands on one and review it here. As of now though, I don’t have any experience with the U-Turn, so I can’t recommend it to anyone.
Rating the Fluance RT85
Value: 8.5/10
Sound Quality: 7/10
Durability: 5/10
Overall: 7/10
Would I purchase this again? Maybe. If you have decided that the Fluance RT85 is the way you want to go, I wouldn’t blame you. I bought mine on Amazon four years ago, and you can still find them for sale at the link below.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.