MULTIZ321
TUG Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2005
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- FT. LAUDERDALE, FL
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Review: Fluance's RT85 Turntable Helped Me Understand Vinyl's Surprising Comeback
By Napier Lopez/ Gear/ Plugged/ TNW/ thenextweb.com
"It may not always sound better than digital, but it sure is more fun.
I have a bit of a confession to make. I’ve spent more money on audio gear than I care to admit… but I’ve never been that much into vinyl.
Sure, I’ve owned some budget tables over the years, and I’ve quietly admired the Regas, Technics, and VPIs of the world at audio events. I appreciated their value for those with extensive vinyl collections, or simply for the experience of the album art and ritual of placing a record on a platter. But as someone who grew up with the convenience digital era, I never felt compelled to invest in a fancy turntable.
Then Fluance sent over the RT85, the $500 flagship of its new ‘Reference’ turntable family. I think I get it now. The RT85 is a beautiful, well-thought-out table, and for this vinyl noob, its sound quality was good enough to make me something of a convert.
This merits a quick disclaimer: I’ve tested oodles of audio gear over the years, but turntables aren’t my expertise. Audio reviews thrive on direct comparisons, and I haven’t spent enough time with decent turntables to tell you whether to buy the RT85 over something else. Other reviewers will be able to do that, but for now, I hope this review can prove valuable from the perspective of a newcomer to hi-fi turntables, or other vinyl noobs looking to make a purchase.
That out of the way, if you’re not familiar with Fluance, the Canadian audio company has made a name for itself by offering high performance per dollar. Its speakers are strong performers for the price – I quite liked its Fi70 a couple of years ago – and its previous turntables, the RT80 and RT81, were often recommended to beginners......"
Richard
By Napier Lopez/ Gear/ Plugged/ TNW/ thenextweb.com
"It may not always sound better than digital, but it sure is more fun.
I have a bit of a confession to make. I’ve spent more money on audio gear than I care to admit… but I’ve never been that much into vinyl.
Sure, I’ve owned some budget tables over the years, and I’ve quietly admired the Regas, Technics, and VPIs of the world at audio events. I appreciated their value for those with extensive vinyl collections, or simply for the experience of the album art and ritual of placing a record on a platter. But as someone who grew up with the convenience digital era, I never felt compelled to invest in a fancy turntable.
Then Fluance sent over the RT85, the $500 flagship of its new ‘Reference’ turntable family. I think I get it now. The RT85 is a beautiful, well-thought-out table, and for this vinyl noob, its sound quality was good enough to make me something of a convert.
This merits a quick disclaimer: I’ve tested oodles of audio gear over the years, but turntables aren’t my expertise. Audio reviews thrive on direct comparisons, and I haven’t spent enough time with decent turntables to tell you whether to buy the RT85 over something else. Other reviewers will be able to do that, but for now, I hope this review can prove valuable from the perspective of a newcomer to hi-fi turntables, or other vinyl noobs looking to make a purchase.
That out of the way, if you’re not familiar with Fluance, the Canadian audio company has made a name for itself by offering high performance per dollar. Its speakers are strong performers for the price – I quite liked its Fi70 a couple of years ago – and its previous turntables, the RT80 and RT81, were often recommended to beginners......"
Richard
