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expiredSmilingWinter1751 posted Nov 21, 2022 06:07 PM
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expiredSmilingWinter1751 posted Nov 21, 2022 06:07 PM

Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Turntable w/ Audio Technica AT95E Cartridge

+ Free Shipping

$212

$250

15% off
Amazon
38 Comments 13,728 Views
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Deal Details
Fluance Audio via Amazon has Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable w/ Audio Technica AT95E Cartridge (Various Finishes) on sale for $211.96. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member SmilingWinter1751 for posting this deal.

Note, item must be sold by Fluance Audio and fulfilled by Amazon.

Available Options:Key Features:
  • Premium components allow this high fidelity belt driven turntable to recreate the performance the way the artist intended
  • The Audio Technica AT95E featuring a diamond elliptical tipped stylus is designed to track your record grooves with greater precision & accuracy for high definition audio
  • Enjoy perfect playback using the balanced aluminum S-Type tonearm ensuring the stylus is rested deep in your record's groove, producing every audio detail indistinguishable from the original recording
  • Revel in the gorgeously crafted cabinet with real wood finish and a highly precise metal platter with adjustable resonance damping feet, ensuring superior isolation from unwanted micro-vibrations
  • Incorporating a high quality built-in Texas Instruments preamp, ground terminal and gold plated RCA line outputs that ensures warm, true sound

Editor's Notes

Written by Corwin | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • This is priced $38.03 lower (15% savings) than the list price.
    • Refer to the forum thread for discussion of this deal.
  • About this product:
    • Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars at Amazon based on over 2,500 customer reviews
  • About this store:
    • Seller Fluance Audio has 98% positive lifetime feedback based on over 3,000 customer reviews.
    • View Amazon return policy here.
    • Don't have Amazon Prime? Students can get a free 6-Month Amazon Prime trial with free 2-day shipping, unlimited video streaming & more.
    • If you're not a student, there's also a free 1-Month Amazon Prime trial available.

Original Post

Written by SmilingWinter1751
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Fluance Audio via Amazon has Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable w/ Audio Technica AT95E Cartridge (Various Finishes) on sale for $211.96. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member SmilingWinter1751 for posting this deal.

Note, item must be sold by Fluance Audio and fulfilled by Amazon.

Available Options:Key Features:
  • Premium components allow this high fidelity belt driven turntable to recreate the performance the way the artist intended
  • The Audio Technica AT95E featuring a diamond elliptical tipped stylus is designed to track your record grooves with greater precision & accuracy for high definition audio
  • Enjoy perfect playback using the balanced aluminum S-Type tonearm ensuring the stylus is rested deep in your record's groove, producing every audio detail indistinguishable from the original recording
  • Revel in the gorgeously crafted cabinet with real wood finish and a highly precise metal platter with adjustable resonance damping feet, ensuring superior isolation from unwanted micro-vibrations
  • Incorporating a high quality built-in Texas Instruments preamp, ground terminal and gold plated RCA line outputs that ensures warm, true sound

Editor's Notes

Written by Corwin | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • This is priced $38.03 lower (15% savings) than the list price.
    • Refer to the forum thread for discussion of this deal.
  • About this product:
    • Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars at Amazon based on over 2,500 customer reviews
  • About this store:
    • Seller Fluance Audio has 98% positive lifetime feedback based on over 3,000 customer reviews.
    • View Amazon return policy here.
    • Don't have Amazon Prime? Students can get a free 6-Month Amazon Prime trial with free 2-day shipping, unlimited video streaming & more.
    • If you're not a student, there's also a free 1-Month Amazon Prime trial available.

Original Post

Written by SmilingWinter1751

Community Voting

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Model: Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable Record Player with Audio Technica AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp, Adjustable Counterwei

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Top Comments

bogoman
327 Posts
81 Reputation
It looks like the differences are cartridge (AT91 on RT80 table vs. AT95 on RT81) and mat (felt on RT80 vs. rubber on RT81.) Specs (wow/flutter and s/n) look to be the same. The price difference between an AT95E and AT91 was about $20 (at msrp.) Not sure what price difference would be between felt vs. rubber. It's a matter of taste, but I often prefer felt mats to rubber. Finish on RT80 is limited to black only while this RT81 is walnut. I think both are attractive. I'd advise those new to vinyl to get a table that won't destroy your vinyl (neither of these will) and listen to the music rather than worry about minor differences in entry-level tables/cartridges. Life's more fun that way. I've been playing vinyl since the early 1960s and have had a lot of turntables. A few of them sucked (and were detrimental to vinyl) but most were enjoyable. I currently enjoy my vintage Thorens tables a lot (along with a Dual and some higher-end Sony and Pioneer.) Even my bottom-end Technics decks are still fun.
ShrewdNarwhal844
183 Posts
58 Reputation
Apps like this: https://play.google.com/store/app...n_US&gl=US

Get a roll of duct or electrical tape, center it on the platter, put your phone on top of that, and let it spin. Those apps are a godsend. I haven't had to mess with a strobe mat in years now.
ShrewdNarwhal844
183 Posts
58 Reputation
Honestly, they're pretty comparable. The big differences are whether you want auto start and return. The LP3 you can put a record on the platter and, as long as you have the speed and size set correctly, just hit "Start" and it'll play your record, then reset the tonearm back when it's done. The Fluance has no auto start or auto return, though it does have an auto stop feature, so when you get to the end of a record, the platter will stop spinning.

Other than that, they've both got adjustable counterweights, anti-skate, universal fit headshells, defeatable preamps, and rubber platter mats. The needle on the Fluance is a little better than the one on the AT, but the ATN91r on the LP3 will generally last three times as long, so I'd call it a wash.

Me, I like S shaped tonearms and I wouldn't use auto-start and stop, so I say the Fluance is better. In the real world, they're both fine tables, and I doubt you'd regret purchasing either.

38 Comments

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Nov 22, 2022 09:19 PM
137 Posts
Joined Jul 2017
mcquistionNov 22, 2022 09:19 PM
137 Posts
Quote from LuckyLyndy :
I have also read that the elliptical stylus goes deeper into the record groove for better information retrieval. Is that nerdy enough?Cool
Please do not attempt to use that line to pick up a girl at work.
Nov 22, 2022 11:28 PM
708 Posts
Joined Oct 2020
realmccoy12406Nov 22, 2022 11:28 PM
708 Posts
In for one. Was on the fence and waiting on a possible sale on the RT 82 - 85, but chances are slim and this deck with an acrylic mat will get me 95%
Of the way there.
Can always return till 01/31 if something else gets discounted on BF
Nov 22, 2022 11:48 PM
389 Posts
Joined Mar 2019
ChristopherJ26Nov 22, 2022 11:48 PM
389 Posts
Quote from bogoman :
It looks like the differences are cartridge (AT91 on RT80 table vs. AT95 on RT81) and mat (felt on RT80 vs. rubber on RT81.) Specs (wow/flutter and s/n) look to be the same. The price difference between an AT95E and AT91 was about $20 (at msrp.) Not sure what price difference would be between felt vs. rubber. It's a matter of taste, but I often prefer felt mats to rubber. Finish on RT80 is limited to black only while this RT81 is walnut. I think both are attractive. I'd advise those new to vinyl to get a table that won't destroy your vinyl (neither of these will) and listen to the music rather than worry about minor differences in entry-level tables/cartridges. Life's more fun that way. I've been playing vinyl since the early 1960s and have had a lot of turntables. A few of them sucked (and were detrimental to vinyl) but most were enjoyable. I currently enjoy my vintage Thorens tables a lot (along with a Dual and some higher-end Sony and Pioneer.) Even my bottom-end Technics decks are still fun.
also anything below rt 82 i believe has built in phono which sounds like butt. get the 82 or 83 and hook it up to at least a shiit mani and you wont get any static below 80 db
1
Nov 23, 2022 12:05 AM
1,325 Posts
Joined May 2010
XxAuReaLxXNov 23, 2022 12:05 AM
1,325 Posts
Quote from ChristopherJ26 :
also anything below rt 82 i believe has built in phono which sounds like butt. get the 82 or 83 and hook it up to at least a shiit mani and you wont get any static below 80 db
I thought you can bypass with a switch?
Nov 23, 2022 12:36 AM
62 Posts
Joined Dec 2013
bleat22Nov 23, 2022 12:36 AM
62 Posts
Quote from realcul :
Can you recommend a starter kit. Have been wanting to get a turntable for a while. So you get this and connect it to a Bluetooth speaker or a home theatre system?
I recently bought this rig for $250 and got some self powered bookshelf speakers connected via rca... Works well and sounds great for the price point.
Nov 23, 2022 01:27 AM
1,337 Posts
Joined Feb 2008
DubiousNov 23, 2022 01:27 AM
1,337 Posts
Quote from PhilipM3930 :
15% off is decent but I hope something bigger comes. Know if Amazon does the whole "lowest price in 30 days" thing for all products? I noticed it didn't have that indicator.
According to camelx3 the last time this model went on sale was Nov 21, 2021. So I wouldn't expect a lower price.
Nov 23, 2022 01:49 AM
228 Posts
Joined Aug 2015
RabbitsuitNov 23, 2022 01:49 AM
228 Posts
Quote from XxAuReaLxX :
I thought you can bypass with a switch?
You can bypass it and use your own.

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Nov 23, 2022 02:07 AM
327 Posts
Joined Jun 2008
bogomanNov 23, 2022 02:07 AM
327 Posts
Quote from XxAuReaLxX :
I thought you can bypass with a switch?
There IS a bypass switch but there's still unnecessary crap in the signal path. Given the miniscule output from a phono cartridge (a handful of millivolts,) ANY extraneous "wiring" matters. Fluance tables above the RT80/81 (and decent tables in general) skip the built-in phono amp. If you are at all serious about vinyl (or think you may become so,) it makes sense to avoid a built-in phono amp. If you are on a budget, buy a cheap phono stage (which will be at least as good as the built-in) and upgrade later if you stick with it.
1
Nov 23, 2022 02:17 AM
963 Posts
Joined Jul 2018
PurplePenguin830Nov 23, 2022 02:17 AM
963 Posts
Quote from Zuirch :
Is this a better deal than the RT80 for $170 a few weeks ago? I got in on the RT80, but can return it and get this instead.
Buy natural gas instead
Nov 23, 2022 02:22 AM
327 Posts
Joined Jun 2008
bogomanNov 23, 2022 02:22 AM
327 Posts
Quote from ChristopherJ26 :
also anything below rt 82 i believe has built in phono which sounds like butt. get the 82 or 83 and hook it up to at least a shiit mani and you wont get any static below 80 db
Perhaps a cheaper alternative for the beginner? I have no experience with Andover Audio tables but this one is built by Pro-Ject (with whjich I've had positive experience.) It is a bare bones table with no extraneous crap. If I didn't have a dozen tables at present, I'd be inclined to get one of these just to see if it has any merit. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_337...Black.html
Nov 23, 2022 02:27 AM
2,128 Posts
Joined Nov 2003
dannynjoniNov 23, 2022 02:27 AM
2,128 Posts
Quote from realcul :
Can you recommend a starter kit. Have been wanting to get a turntable for a while. So you get this and connect it to a Bluetooth speaker or a home theatre system?
Mine sounds pretty good with these: https://www.costco.com/klipsch-th...00459.html
Nov 23, 2022 02:32 AM
1,341 Posts
Joined Apr 2011
atsNov 23, 2022 02:32 AM
1,341 Posts
lol I paid 5x more than this just for my cartridge
1
Pro
Nov 23, 2022 02:51 AM
2,990 Posts
Joined Aug 2005
leecm
Pro
Nov 23, 2022 02:51 AM
2,990 Posts
I inherited a lot of records from my father and grandfather. What are some essential accessories if I end up buying a turntable?
Nov 23, 2022 03:02 AM
183 Posts
Joined Jun 2019
ShrewdNarwhal844Nov 23, 2022 03:02 AM
183 Posts
Quote from leecm :
I inherited a lot of records from my father and grandfather. What are some essential accessories if I end up buying a turntable?
You don't need much. If you buy a table like this, all you need is some Powered speakers like Edifiers or Moukeys. If you've got a home theater or stereo receiver setup already, you're set to go. Plug it in and spin.

You can also think about a small record care kit, like the one Hudson HiFi makes: https://smile.amazon.com/Hudson-H...B07YRW67LW

The record mitts are patently ridiculous, but the rest of it is useful stuff to keep your records and stylus clean.

Other than that, just have fun with it, ignore the gatekeepers that infest the vinyl community, and enjoy yourself. You'll figure it all out.
1

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Nov 23, 2022 03:29 AM
1,777 Posts
Joined Apr 2014
maheeinfyNov 23, 2022 03:29 AM
1,777 Posts
RT81 is solid and sounds great. I own one

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