Tired of waiting on Fluance RT 85 --- So what next?

BullSkulls&Bourbon

BullSkulls&Bourbon

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I started collecting vinyl in March, and after many nights of research-- I settled on Fluance's RT85 as the first table I'd buy. It seemed to have great features at a great price. The only problem with it was-- and is-- availability. It hasn't been in stock YET, and I'm tired of waiting. With that in mind, I am seeking the next best option and am asking for input.

I'm leaning towards a custom UTURN with the acrylic platter and 2m blue cartridge. With all the features it comes out to about $5.00 more than the RT85. So with a budget of about $600 or less (and I do not need a pre-amp), is there anything else I should consider?

Thanks!
 
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BullSkulls&Bourbon said:
I started collecting vinyl in March, and after many nights of research-- I settled on Fluance's RT85 as the first table I'd buy. It seemed to have great features at a great price. The only problem with it was-- and is-- availability. It hasn't been in stock YET, and I'm tired of waiting. With that in mind, I seeking the next best option and am asking for input.

I'm leaning towards a custom UTURN with the acrylic plinth and 2m blue cartridge. With all the features it comes out to about $5.00 more than the RT85. So with a budget of about $600 or less (and I do not need a pre-amp), is there anything else I should consider?

Thanks!
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If you’re willing to go up to the $600 I’d go for the pro-ject debut Carbon esprit sb. It’s a better table all around than the u-turn on specs. I’d put it and the RT84/85 as equals with the fluance winning out for value for money on your side of the ocean. I have had one for nearly 6 years now and have no regrets, great starter table. If you do go u-turn I’d save some money and go for the Grado Black over the Ortofon, I’m just after changing from the blue to a Grado (Gold) and I won’t be going back!
 
the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit might be worth considering. the downside is that it will cost you about $600 and you will only have the 2m Red rather than the blue. the upside is that it has the built in speedbox so you can change speeds with the press of a button rather than removing the platter and changing the belt. So in the long term might be worth considering because you can simply swap out the 2m red with the 2m blue without the need of a tool, when you have the money for that upgrade.

Amazon.com: Pro-Ject - Debut Carbon Esprit SB (Black): Electronics

Buy Pro-Ject - Debut Carbon Esprit SB (Black): Turntables - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
 
@Joe Mac, how did you find the process of switching out the Ortofon cart for the Grado cart? I do want to try a different cart on my Esprit but am nervous about the whole changing the cart process.
 
Tillman said:
@Joe Mac, how did you find the process of switching out the Ortofon cart for the Grado cart? I do want to try a different cart on my Esprit but am nervous about the whole changing the cart process.
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So I put my tale on the pro-ject thread! But in essence this is it.

Tip 1: this video is helpful!



Tip 2: the wires and connections are super fragile. Use plastic tweezers (they’ll distort before anything breaks) and only grip the actual gold coloured pin terminals, do not grip the black connector or the thin wires.

Tip 3: only connect/disconnect the cartridge to the wires whilst it is mounted to the headshell.

If you take your time and take care it’s very doable, you just have to be careful around the fragile wires!
 
I actually spoke with someone from Fluance last week who called as a follow up to my RT85 purchase to make sure I’ve been satisfied with the table, (I have been, quite!) and while I had him on the phone, asked him what was causing the production delays. They’re very under wraps about their process, but it’s no secret the tables are made in China, and he said the most labor intensive part of the process is checking every component and testing the tables in Canada. Anyone who’s familiar with overseas manufacturing knows it can be a crapshoot on the quality, so you have to give Fluance props that they make sure you’re getting a good unit from the get-go. They also said that they initially severely underestimated the demand of these TT’s, and their manufacturer in China likely can only move so quickly. Hopefully they’ll be able to figure out a better solution moving forward, because it really is a great table that would fit nicely in a lot of folks’ budgets and setups.
 
I’m thankful to have pulled the trigger on the RT-85 when I did like 3 months ago. It sounds great and is beautiful on the eyes. Hopefully they have them on sale again very soon. *fingers crossed for those wanting one*

I want to buy another Fluance headshell so that I can use my Grado Blue2 (currently on my UTurn) on it.
 
brownsugah said:
I’m thankful to have pulled the trigger on the RT-85 when I did like 3 months ago. It sounds great and is beautiful on the eyes. Hopefully they have them on sale again very soon. *fingers crossed for those wanting one*

I want to buy another Fluance headshell so that I can use my Grado Blue2 (currently on my UTurn) on it.
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The fluance uses a h-4 bayonet mount for its headshells, commonly known as an SME mount headshell. Nearly all headshells on the market are this type so you should be about to go for an AT or any other type of headshell on the market so long as it mentions is either. H-4 type, or more likely, an SME hype.

The only thing is that you’ll have to rebalance your tonearm and so the tracking force when you swap cartridges each time as the Grado blue and ort 2m Blue are different weights specifications.
 
FYI to all interested - Fluance will have 84’s and 85’s back in stock TOMORROW Wed Aug 15th at 11AM EST. They’ve made a change to the 84 - it’s now an aluminum platter with a 2M Blue, and the 85 stays the same with an acrylic platter and a 2M Blue. Curious if this is because they didn’t have enough demand for the 84’s with 2M Reds with the price being so close to the 85, or if they’re having trouble manufacturing enough acrylic platters, which could explain such a long delay.
 
HayesWeighsIn said:
FYI to all interested - Fluance will have 84’s and 85’s back in stock TOMORROW Wed Aug 15th at 11AM EST. They’ve made a change to the 84 - it’s now an aluminum platter with a 2M Blue, and the 85 stays the same with an acrylic platter and a 2M Blue. Curious if this is because they didn’t have enough demand for the 84’s with 2M Reds with the price being so close to the 85, or if they’re having trouble manufacturing enough acrylic platters, which could explain such a long delay.
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I’d bet acrylic platter, Ortofon are a BIG business...
 
Honestly, if you’re looking to spend the 449.99 on the RT-84, you might as well spend another 50.00 and get the RT-85 instead for 499.99. The price difference isn’t significant between the two. I don’t see two much of a point in getting the RT-84 if the only difference is the acrylic platter.
 
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brownsugah said:
Honestly, if you’re looking to spend the 449.99 on the RT-84, you might as well spend another 50.00 and get the RT-85 instead for 499.99. The price difference isn’t significant between the two. I don’t see two much of a point in getting the RT-84 if the only difference is the acrylic platter.
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Which was funnily enough the same reason. before to not get the 84 because the red is more than $50 worse than the blue and the difference in stylus/cartridge costs is usually more than that too! 85 or bust people!
 
85 back in stock again, both colors from the looks of it.

Gotta say, I continue to be impressed by this table. I’ve got a good 6 months on it now, so it’s really breaking in nicely. It’s absolutely dead quiet (the motor even has zero startup noise) and has a great voicing. There’s nothing cheap about it. It doesn’t sport the most robust arm, but it tracks really well for sub 9”, and sounds really good to my ear for aluminum!
 
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