Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

New Products

Fluance RT85N Budget Turntable Includes One of Our Favorite Cartridges

The brand new Fluance RT85N Turntable comes with one of our favorite MM cartridges pre-installed but is it that much different than the RT85?

Fluance RT85N Turntable

Fluance are a Canadian manufacturer with a strong focus on budget turntables and loudspeakers. Their products make our “Best Affordable Audiophile Turntable” list on a rather consistent basis and our experience would suggest that they offer tremendous value for the money. If you’re considering something from Pro-Ject or Rega in the same $500 price range, you might want to put the brand new Fluance RT85N turntable on your short-list.

The first thing that caught our eye was the announcement that the Fluance RT85N comes with the Nagaoka MP-110 Phono Cartridge pre-installed instead of the Ortofon 2M Blue ($239.99 at Amazon) which is still available on the RT85.

Fluance RT85N Turntable comes with Nagaoka MP-110 Cartridge
Fluance RT85N Turntable comes with Nagaoka MP-110 Cartridge

Both cartridges make our “Best Affordable Cartridge List” because they offer so much performance for the money. The 2M Blue is $139 more than the Nagaoka MP-110 which makes the $499.99 sticker price for the RT85N model rather interesting.

Manufacturers don’t pay retail pricing for cartridges and both tables are the same price.

The Fluance RT85N is currently only available in a Piano Black finish; the marketing images show the table with the Nagaoka cartridge in multiple finishes including the Natural Walnut finish.

Fluance RT85N Turntable Cover Open

I suspect the table will be available in 4-5 finishes at some point but only one is available right now as a pre-order.

The RT85N features a servo motor, acrylic platter, and a “solid wood” plinth; the last detail contradicts information available on the website so we’re waiting for clarification on that point.

The Fluance RT85N does not come with an internal phono stage; something is offered by Rega and U-Turn on their entry-level turntables which suggests that Fluance thinks owners will already own a better quality external phono preamp or utilize an integrated amplifier with a MM stage already included.

Fluance RT85N Turntable Rear View

The Nagaoka MP-110 is a sleeper of a cartridge ($99.99 at Amazon) and we use it frequently during our tests of phono preamplifiers. Is it better than the 2M Blue? We could live with either one on a permanent basis and they are substantially better than the Ortofon 2M Red ($99 at Amazon) that comes pre-installed on a number of entry-level turntables below $500.

On the surface, the Fluance RT85N looks like a solid table for $500 but we’re still not convinced that there is much daylight between it and the existing RT85 ($499 at Amazon).

Fluance RT85N Turntable
Fluance RT85N Turntable

For more information: Fluance.com

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Related reading: Best Affordable Audiophile Turntables

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Latest Products

LG G5 OLED TV Lifestyle

HDTV 4K & 8K TV

Will LG's new quad stack Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel make the G5 the best TV of 2025? And what should we expect from...

HOUCHMAND M1 System Lifestyle Image HOUCHMAND M1 System Lifestyle Image

Floorstanding Speakers

The Houchmand M1 is an ultra high-end all-in-one two-channel digital music system with optional subwoofer for a sky high price.

Hisense 2025 ULED TV line-up Hisense 2025 ULED TV line-up

HDTV 4K & 8K TV

Brighter, bigger, and more powerful, the Hisense 2025 ULED TV lineup should have something for everyone.

Pro-Ject Automat A1.2 Turntable Lifestyle Pro-Ject Automat A1.2 Turntable Lifestyle

New Products

Updated with a new die-cast aluminium platter, Pick It MM E phono cartridge and other refinements, the Automat 1.2 might be the most logical...

NAGRA Compact Phono Stage Angle NAGRA Compact Phono Stage Angle

New Products

At $4,950, the Nagra Compact Phono is a "lower cost" high-end audio solution for getting the most out of your vinyl record listening experience.

JADIS JS2 SL DAC Front Angle Top Open JADIS JS2 SL DAC Front Angle Top Open

DACs

Do you really need a DAC that costs between $14,000 and $18,000? Bluebird Music thinks the Jadis Vacuum Tube JS5 or JS2 SL are...

Gift Ideas?

Cost-no-object Audiophile Gear

Floorstanding Speakers

When money is no-object in building a high-end audio system, this is the audiophile gear you'll want to check out first.

You May Also Like

New Products

Are you one of those people who hates having to install a phono cartridge? The Waiting for Ideas PP-1 might be exactly what you're...

Articles

Looking for ways to improve the sound from your turntable? Our favorite phono preamplifiers we've tested offer a solution at every budget.

Audio Cables

At £1,000, Chord Company's PhonoARAY can minimize external interference and ground issues that may affect turntable performance.

Articles

Upgrade the sound of your turntable with our favorite MM and MC phono cartridges you can buy in 2024 without breaking the bank.

Articles

Looking for your first high-end audiophile turntable but don't want to spend more than $3,500 for something that will be your deck for many...

Articles

Our favorite audiophile turntables in 2023 include Pro-Ject, Rega, Technics, Orbit and more.

Daily Deals

Our favorite turntables on sale for Black Friday 2024 that we would actually buy for ourselves or recommend to family and friends.

Articles

Does it make sense to buy a vintage turntable? We explain why, what to look for and what to be aware of.

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers