In-depth Fluance RT81 Review 2022

Are you interested in the Fluance RT81 but not clear about its quality? The Fluance RT81 Review article below is for you.
by Helen Appling | Updated: January 20, 2022

You have just been given a collection of classical vinyl records or have accumulated these records for a long time? Then choosing a low-cost recorder might be a good idea!

However, if you want to truly experience the most lifelike and realistic sound, a high-quality turntable is imperative. Fluance RT81 is one of them. Are you curious about this turntable?

This Fluance RT81 Review article will probably be helpful to ease your confusion.

Fluance RT81 Review – Most Features For The Price

Fluance RT81 Review – Most Features for the Price

Pure Listening Feeling

Using this machine, you will quickly feel the difference in the sound's authenticity compared to other popular recorders. The manufacturer attempted to incorporate an automatic belt, allowing the turntable to control the rotation speed of the disc more easily and produce pleasing performances and more tonal colors.

High-Performance Cartridge

This machine incorporates an elliptical stylus designed to monitor the tracks on the music disc, making each sound's accuracy and clarity significantly improved compared to the competition at the same price range.

Monitoring Tone

As you experience music playback, operations are perfect if you know how to use the aluminum button. This button will ensure that the device's stylus will be placed in the correct position of the recording track, helping users operate the machine as easily as possible to hear the purest sounds.

Solid Wood Resin

The machine has an extremely luxurious and classic walnut wood finish. The manufacturer's exact wood for this machine is MDF, which has been technically processed for the best smoothness.

This wood cover also plays a remarkable role in isolating the parts from each other. For example, aluminum discs and rubber mats are separated by this casing to avoid mutual interference.

High-Quality Captivating Signals

It also features a high-quality Texas Instruments Preamp, ground connector, and gold-plated RCA line outputs for warm, authentic sound.

Fluance RT81 Advantage 

Efficiency

The secret that makes the Fluance RT81 stand out is its high-performance ink cartridge. The Studio Technica AT95E cartridge is an elliptical pen capable of generating the equivalent of 2.0 grams of force to track the tracks' accuracy while running.

The noise level and distortion are significantly reduced with the high-quality wooden case, so the sound quality increases rapidly. Plus, its preamp is also manufactured by Texas Instruments, with a gold-plated ground and RCA terminal, all of which enhance human hearing purity.

Design

What you might love about the Vinyl Fluance RT81 turntable is its impressive smooth wood finish. This design style is simple but accentuates the elegance of a classical audio entertainment center.

Fluance RT81 Advantage

In addition, the RT81 includes a non-slip and aluminum-coated warm to keep the player's player free from dirt. RCA outputs smoothly with two switches at the rear work, 1 for the phono and the other for a line switch.

Value

You can easily order a much cheaper brand of turntable on the market than the Fluance RT81, but the cost comes with quality. RT81 proved to have superior advantages in design to the quality of sound. Many experts consider RT81 to be one of the best options for an imported vinyl recorder.

If you are on a tight budget, the Victrola VTA-600B-ESP is a good alternative. However, we still recommend you try both of these at a classical music store for more visual comparison and you'll definitely regret missing out on the Fluance RT81.

Specific Outstanding Features

A Pure Analog Listening Experience

The music quality of a turntable will be sharper and richer if the stylus fits in the disc's vinyl grooves, and the RT81 is a machine that does. You'll have the opportunity to use an Audio Technica AT95E stylus that fits snugly against vinyl grooves with a tracking pressure of up to 2.0 grams. This elliptical pen is known for its resistance to noise and distortion, as well as for clarifying the authenticity of music emitted.

Clear Sound With Constant Recording Quality.

The equilibrium of the pen is only dependent on its balanced counterweights with the adjustable S-type tone.

The internal metal bearing system is designed for smooth coordination with the advanced anti-slip system, which can help protect the disc from unnecessary wear. Meanwhile, it also ensures the stylus deeply convey your recordings, and create great sound.

Serious Performance

The use of hard walnut wood as the construction material on the case helps RT81 minimize vibrations and ensure the stylus produces the best possible sound effects. Acoustic isolation feet, an aluminum disc, and a rubber slide dramatically reduce outside noise and give you pure stereo sound.

The Items Included

  • Dustproof cover of RT81 turntable
  • 45 Power Adapter
  • Anti-slip rubber
  • 3ft RCA cable with ground wire
  • AC Adapter 100V - 240V (50 / 60Hz)
  • Quick user guide
  • Lifetime customer support

Fluance RT81 Downside

Slow rotation speed

Many users have reported problems with the disc's rotation speed after using it for a short time. RPM volatility can be significantly reduced, especially in situations where 45 RPMs are not reached. Specifically, with certain genres of recording like piano, your experience will be ruined by the fluctuations of the internal motor.

Difficult to repair

After being used for a while, this machine needs periodic maintenance. However, disassembling and assembling products like these causes difficulties for many people. The reason is that its structure is too durable and tight.

Plus, it doesn't have specific cleaning instructions for this machine. Walnut outer shells are also incredibly difficult to remove. This obstacle is that many customers have to spend more money on maintenance for their devices each year, and of course, this is not pleasant at all.

Poor customer service

The manufacturer's packaging for such a perishable product is not safe enough. Many buyers responded about the packaging being too thin and unsafe when receiving the product. The response of manufacturer Fluance is also not satisfactory in many cases of ignoring its customers.

Who Should Buy Fluance Rt81

Who Should Buy Fluance Rt81?

RT81 is ideal for those who have a great passion for classical music and traditional vinyl records. You may be a collector of old recordings or a professional music maker and want to research and deepen your musical knowledge.

Regardless of who you are, as long as you are interested in classical music, this machine is the best choice for you.

An affordable price tag with sound quality and complete accessories is a unique draw of the RT81 compared to its competing products. If you don't want to invest too much money in a turntable, RT81 is the better machine.

If you need further investigation in the same budget range, these 10 best turntables under $300 are worth taking a look at.

FAQs

Can the built-in preamp be bypassed?

Yes, it has a series of switches on the back of the monitor that allows you to choose from various usage modes. The modes have been mentioned at the top of the article. So you can turn off the built-in preamp by turning off their switches.

Does the "auto-stop" stop the platter from spinning and shut off the turntable?

This turntable has an automatic stop switch on the rear. It will be active when the log goes to the last spin. When playing a recording is complete, your disc will spin on the player a few times before it officially stops. However, you need a few more moves to make the machine work more smoothly. Specifically, you can go to the main website of this product on google to get specific instructions on how auto-stop works.

If you still have any questions related to the technique of use, you better call directly to the brand's support call center to have direct discussions with the support technician.

See this guide for more automatic turntable options.

Does this turntable have a cueing device?

This turntable is equipped with a sturdy and stable lever. You can rest assured the balance of this fader has been shown to have little effect on the original disc's quality. If you have any more technical questions, please contact the brand's customer service call center directly for the most accurate advice.

How many millimeters thick is the rubber mat?

To be honest, exact answer to this question. The rubber carpet has an average thickness of about 1.5mm, but there are many areas up to 2.5mm. However, the above figures are only estimates for your reference.

Conclusion

Above is the complete Fluance Rt81 review. The article is for informational and educational only. Through this article, we hope that you have equipped yourself with timely and useful knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of this type of turntable.

After all, the decision to buy this product still depends on your subjective factors. However, objectively, RT81 is still really suitable for amateurs and wants to find a machine with a price advantage.

Be a smart shopper!