20% off Fluance RT81 Turntable (now $199.96) and Select Bookshelf Passive Speakers

aagstn

Aug 9, 2022

938 Posts

Joined Aug 2014

Aug 9, 2022

938 Posts

I had nothing but trouble with a RT85 and a bad tone arm. Their customer service was slow to respond and difficult to deal with. I ended up returning the record player as I didn't want to have any further interaction with the company. Their turntables are a good value but just be aware if you need their customer service it can be frustrating.

At the $200 and under level I would recommend an Audio Technica LP60X instead. That has been a completely trouble free player for me. It sounds great and just works out of the box.

Last edited by aagstn August 9, 2022 at 08:44 AM.

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SmilingWinter1751

Aug 9, 2022

28 Posts

Joined Sep 2021

Aug 9, 2022

SmilingWinter1751

Aug 9, 2022

28 Posts

Quote from aagstn

:

I had nothing but trouble with a RT85 and a bad tone arm. Their customer service was slow to respond and difficult to deal with. I ended up returning the record player as I didn't want to have any further interaction with the company. Their turntables are a good value but just be aware if you need their customer service it can be frustrating.

At the $200 and under level I would recommend an Audio Technica LP60X instead. That has been a completely trouble free player for me. It sounds great and just works out of the box.

You went from an outstanding sounding turntable that cost $500 to a plastic toy turntable that cost $89 when on sale. You could just order another one, bad parts happens to all electronic retailers.

3

aagstn

Aug 10, 2022

938 Posts

Joined Aug 2014

Aug 10, 2022

aagstn

Aug 10, 2022

938 Posts

Quote from SmilingWinter1751

:

You went from an outstanding sounding turntable that cost $500 to a plastic toy turntable that cost $89 when on sale. You could just order another one, bad parts happens to all electronic retailers.

The LP60X is not a toy and does not sound like one. There is no way I would do business with Fluance again under any circumstances. Their customer service is Dell level bad.

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valleydweller

Original Poster

Aug 10, 2022

82 Posts

Joined May 2020

Aug 10, 2022

valleydweller

Original Poster

Aug 10, 2022

82 Posts

Quote from aagstn

:

The LP60X is not a toy and does not sound like one. There is no way I would do business with Fluance again under any circumstances. Their customer service is Dell level bad.

Hmm...
Sorry you had a bad experience with their CS. I've had the exact opposite. One of my hinges developed a squeak and I reached out to them to buy a new one. They expedited a set of new ones to me the next day - no charge.

I love Audio Technica cartridges and think they're probably to best value on the market, but their turntables, not so much unless you're a DJ and are opting for one of their higher end models.

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TalentedSofa421

Aug 11, 2022

1 Posts

Joined Oct 2020

Aug 11, 2022

TalentedSofa421

Aug 11, 2022

1 Posts

I've been waiting for a deal on the RT82 to pick up an entry-level player. Would anybody recommend the RT81 over the RT82 based on this sale price? Or are the motor and cartridge improvements on the RT82 worth the extra $100?

I'm not in a rush.

rootbear

Aug 11, 2022

7,149 Posts

Joined Aug 2010

Aug 11, 2022

rootbear

Aug 11, 2022

7,149 Posts

Dead deal.

2

valleydweller

Original Poster

Aug 11, 2022

82 Posts

Joined May 2020

Aug 11, 2022

valleydweller

Original Poster

Aug 11, 2022

82 Posts

The speaker deals are still live, but the turntable deal appears dead. Although I don't personally own the speakers, they seem to get pretty good reviews for budget surround systems and smaller 2 ch setups. The turntables, especially the lower end seem to go on sale pretty regularly.

Quote from TalentedSofa421

:

I've been waiting for a deal on the RT82 to pick up an entry-level player. Would anybody recommend the RT81 over the RT82 based on this sale price? Or are the motor and cartridge improvements on the RT82 worth the extra $100?

I'm not in a rush.

The RT81 has a built-in, switchable preamp. The RT82-RT85 are essentially the same turntables with different cartridges. The RT85 has an acrylic platter, however they do sell the acrylic platter separately if you choose to upgrade. I think the motor is a significant upgrade from the standard since it's servo controlled, however the cartridge is also a consideration, but can be upgraded later too if you wish. The RT84 & 85 comes equipped with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, which retails for about half the cost of the complete turntable. There's also an option for the Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge (RT85 only) which is also a highly regarded cartridge.

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20% off Fluance RT81 Turntable (now $199.96) and Select Bookshelf Passive Speakers

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