When I wanted to add a new turntable to my collection of a dozen I bought the Pioneer PLX1000 for $699. Excellent quality equal to the twice-as-expensive Technics 1200 - which I already have. I mounted a Denon 103R on it. So that is my recommendation for an excellent TT under a grand.
Fluance RT85N Reference Turntable - budget, or not ?
So, last year I sold my entire rig (don't ask, it's complicated), but I still had around 300 albums with nothing to play them on.
With my Bluesound Pulse Mini, I was able to stream my digital collection and since it had a analogue input, I thought about getting a budget turntable to play the vinyl.
I looked at several brands and investigated both U-Turn and Fluance in detail.
Both brands has some very nice features and design points, but since I like to buy "Local" whenever possible, I opted for the Fluance RT85N Reference Turntable
The model I opted for has...
- a very nice piano white gloss finish
- great design features like...
- Heavy plinth with suspension feet to reduce vibration transfer
- Platter rim belt drive for stable speed control
- no subplatter issues to contend with
- Acrylic platter - for great details, clarity and bass
- 33/45 speed switch
- no fussing with changing the belt on the pully located under the platter like on a Rega
- a decent arm,
- with removable headshell
- Their lineup comes with a variety of cartridge options but the RT85N comes with the Nagoka MP-110
Now, on paper, this TT pails in comparison to the turnable I sold with my rig in every way - except one - SOUND QUALITY!
- OK so it's not as good as my previous TT with..
- the 10 pound plnith
- the bronze cone feet
- the Audiomods Series III Arm with one piece harness
- the Soundsmith modified Denon DL103
But it does play music in a very rich and sure-footed manner.
I also opted for the seperate Fluance Phono Stage and not a model that has the included phono stage, because it provides better upgrade possibilities (if needed)
As with all things audio, I consider cables to be the heart of any system, so I built two pairs of interconnects based on the HELIX DIY design...
The Pulse Mini already had an upgraded power cable
The resulting sound provided a very pleasant detailed reproduction that did not disapoint my ears
- very pleasant details
- pleasant high end
- nicely controlled sibilence
- a rich and well controlled bass performance
Unfortunately, using the Puse Mini does not really allow me to discern the imaging capabilities of this TT, but there is nothing to suggest it would not provide adequate performance in this area
So if you are looking for an entry level turntable, I would recomend taking a look at the Fluance line
OR - it you are looking to buy a second TT to try/compare different cartridges - this TT might be a very useful tool for that purpose
Regards - Steve
I will also agree that the Pioneer PLX 1000 is a very solid 28lbs deck under $1k. While my sister was in the process of moving I had the unit for about 6 weeks. The cartridge was an Ortofon 2M Blue which has a very balanced but tight midrange focused sound. IMO the PLX 1000 deserves a better cartridge(2M Black) with bass/treble extension which could open up and increase the soundstage width and depth. The only other budget table that is a complete improvement(I have heard) over the Pioneer is the Clearaudio Concept. |
Whilst there are some nice TT’s mentioned here, it’s worth pointing out that the Fluance line starts asround $200 US. And the entry models come with the phono stage built in. Also it’s not a bad phono stage either Something to consider for someone wanting to dip their toes in the vinyl pond Regards Steve |
@thecarpathian re: they are made in Taiwan Yes, they are, but they are designed and engineered in Canada 👍 The build quality is excellent...
Buying Canadian did factor into my decision, but not because of the current situation, but because my previous system was pretty much all Canadian also and it performed extremely well. The lighter weight plinth of the U-turn put me off because of a bad experience with a previous TT. Changing to a heavier plinth rectified the problems.
Regards, Steve
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Ah, I didn’t think about plinth weight. Something to consider, thanks. And of course I meant Fluance. Honestly, I’ve got to start spell checking the spellchecker! Just went to the Fluance site. Extremely attractive prices for what you get. I'm not looking for anything high end, just something that's going to sound good when I feel like playing an album. Absolutely worth looking into. |
@thecarpathian my previous TT was a labour of love, tweaked over many years, so I learned a lot about what can improve sound quality. Moving from a light plinth, supposedly designed to shed vibration quickly, to a more robust style that is designed not to vibrate in the first place, was a game changer. But then you have to isolate it. I achieve this quite simply by using two ceramic tiles...
The Fluance also has very basic suspension feet which helps. Regards, steve |
I post on Reddit r/turntables, and the Fluance line is extremely popular on that site. The Orbit Theory does look to be a strong contender in the next level up category, but so are the AT-LP8 and Technics SL100C. The middle ground between them is occupied by the TEAC TN4-D and the Pro-Ject EVO2. I have come to prefer removable universal headshell type arms, so the Pioneer PSLX1000 is in there too, if you don’t mind the DJ style. |
@blackbag20 - the following might be considered heresy on this forum... Dipping your toe into the vinyl pool can end up being an expensive proposition - I know, I’ve spent over 20 years tweaking. It all started back in 1981 when I bought my first TT - a Rega Planar II I dabbled with 2 channel audio, multi channel audio an then back to 2 channel and then vinyl So I started tweaking my old 1981 turntable about 20 years ago
At the end of the day I had a vinyl rig that performed extremely well - but so did my digital components Digital music has come a long way from the gear available back in the 80’s and the allure of vinyl is still intriguing to many. But I must admit, after converting one of my more characterful vinyl albums to digital...
The biggest improvement to my systems has been with cables and responsible for achieving an extremely detailed reproduction. Take a look at the cables links in previous posts So, this response is simply to make you aware that - pursuing the vinyl "Rabbit Hole" can drag you into a very complicated and expensive area of this hobby For other readers - Don’t get me wrong - I do love my vinyl, but knowing what I know now - I could have saved a lot of time and money - but the experience was very educational And please remember - this is just my opinion based on my ears So, go ahead, dip your toe into the vinyl pool, but beware of the aligators :-) Regards Steve |