Review Details

RT85 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on December 5, 2020):

So, you have $500 to spend on a turntable. What to do after all the research you've done? The problem is you can't compare the sound of different TT's. Most people reading this are not in the weeds audiophiles. We don't constantly buy and sell components looking to tweak this or that. We just want something that sounds really good for the money and we plan to keep that gear for years. I can answer the "sound" part. My Fluance RT85 sounds fantastic to my ears. After years of listening to cd's on my really nice system, I was skeptical that I would hear a major difference. I was wrong. The sound is hard to quantify. It's richer, fuller, more musical. Value for the money? I can't answer that. Does a $500 TT sound that much better than a $300 TT? I don't know. I had my budget, so I decided to buy the "best" TT, according to reviews, in my price range. Value vs. other brands? I had narrowed my choices to Fluance RT85 and Pro-ject DC EVO. Does Fluance sound better than Pro-ject? Probably not. I just felt the value was greater with the Fluance because of the acrylic platter and the generally agreed upon great sound of the ortofon blue cartridge. Plus, the anti-skate set up with the Pro-ject turned me off. So, long story short, you can't go wrong with the Fluance RT85 in this price range.