Review Details

RT85 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on December 15, 2022):

I've been building my dream sound system since I was 14. I'm now 69. My first quality turntable was a Technics, Direct Drive, Fully Automatic. Although it was expensive, I never skimped on guitars, amps, or stereo equipment. Back then, no cartridge or stylus came with the turntable. So I bought a Stanton EEE cartridge. After 50 years of non-stop use, she stopped working.I did my research and my first choice, based on a budget, was an Audio-Technika, model 120XUSB which lists for $279 but is sold for between $349 and $399. Got it home, unpacked it, plugged it in, and nothing. No power. In addition, it was a piece of junk. I've seen some PlaySkool turntables which were better constructed.Let's cut to the chase. After additional research, I decided to spend a bit more and get the Fluence R85. I've never heard of them but my research gave them high marks. Once I had it set up, balanced, and cartridge aligned, I put on my Led Zeppelin 1 album at extreme volume to see if John Bonham could make it skip. This is a precision machine. I like how they say it's fully manual, but it is. When you bring the arm over, lower it, and it gently lowers straight downward to hit the lead groove. The cartridge is unbelievable. It delivers crisp treble and hearty bass. Another nice feature not on many turntables is the auto stop which can be disengaged. At the end of the record, the turntable spins for thirty seconds and comes to a stop, avoiding any damage to the needle.Bottom Line: If you can afford the extra $150 over the Audio-Tecknica, You Will Not Be Disappointed.