Fluance is a direct-to-consumer operation that specializes in high-value speakers and turntables. Over the years, I’ve reviewed a goodly number of the Canadian firm’s products: the Reference XL8F floorstanding speaker and the RT81, RT81+, RT83, and RT85 turntables. I’ve always found Fluance’s equipment to be excellent.
When I asked to audition the RT85N, Fluance’s Yasmin Faruki responded rapidly, and sent me the turntable double-quick. In all but one respect, it’s identical to the RT85. The “N” in its name means the turntable is fitted with the highly regarded Nagaoka MP-110 moving-iron cartridge rather than the Ortofon 2M Blue moving-magnet that comes with the standard RT85. The price is the same for the RT85 and RT85N: $499.99 (all prices in USD). That suited me fine—when I reviewed the Nagaoka MP-110H (the MP-110 cartridge pre-mounted in a headshell), I thought it offered excellent tracking and good overall tonal balance. I was looking forward to hearing a cartridge I had reviewed in one of my own turntables in a Fluance turntable I had reviewed with a different cartridge.
Description
The RT85N is one of Fluance’s two current top-of-the-line turntables. The main difference between the RT85 ’tables and the RT82 to RT84 models is that the RT85s have a three-pound acrylic platter, while the lower-priced units make do with aluminum platters. In both RT85s, the motor is decoupled from the plinth to reduce vibration.
The RT85N measures 16.5″W × 6.0″H × 14.25″D (including dust cover) and weighs 16.8 pounds. My review sample was finished in a glossy dark walnut veneer (Fluance calls it Natural Walnut), but it’s also available in Piano Black, Piano White, and a finish Fluance calls Lucky Bamboo. The plinth is constructed from high-density MDF. The turntable comes with a heavy-duty plastic dust cover furnished with substantial plastic hinges.
On the top of the plinth is a single power/speed knob with settings for 33⅓ and 45 rpm. The tonearm is S-shaped and has an effective length of 8.8″. As with other Fluance turntables, the headshell is removable, which allows for quick cartridge changes.
The MP-110 is a product of the family-owned Nagaoka Corporation, which was established in 1940 as a manufacturer of precision watch parts. The Japanese firm began making diamond styli in 1956, and progressed to the manufacture of complete cartridges in 1967. Nagaoka claims to be the world’s largest supplier of diamond styli. Its cartridges use a generator called “moving iron,” in which the aluminum cantilever and the magnets do not contact one another. Rather, the movement of a small piece of ferrous material at the end of the cantilever, temporarily magnetized by a fixed permanent magnet, induces a signal in the coils. This system has been used in the past by Stanton and Audio Dynamics Corporation, among some others. This arrangement offers better tracking and detail, because the cantilever has less weight to move.
Unlike some entry-level Fluance turntables, the RT85N does not have a built-in phono stage. The back panel contains, from left to right, the RCA output jacks, a thumbscrew for the ground wire, a switch to engage or disengage the turntable’s auto-stop feature, and a jack for the outboard 12V power supply. I must say that the interconnects supplied with the RT85N are more substantial than almost any others I’ve encountered, even with turntables at twice the price.
The unit is well packaged, with good cushioning for all the parts. The RT85N comes with a two-year limited warranty and lifetime customer support. Fluance even supplies white cotton gloves so that you don’t smudge the dust cover, platter, or plinth during assembly or maintenance.
Setup and operation
The first item visible upon opening the box is a piece of cardboard that protects the dust cover. Removing that reveals the dust cover and an owner’s manual. This detailed and informative guide features a graphic that shows how to unpack the turntable, as well as complete instructions on setup and operation. It even includes a cartridge alignment protractor on the inside back cover, so you can make sure your cartridge is set up properly.
At the front of the box is a cardboard form that harbors the power supply, the audio cables and ground wire, the 45-rpm adaptor, the motor pulley cap, the dust-cover hinges, and even a bubble level—the RT85N has three adjustable, cushioned feet to facilitate leveling.
Lift the turntable out of the box using the two heavy foam forms and remove them from the turntable. Remove the plastic protection on the dust cover. On the left form are the counterweight and the headshell with the cartridge installed. Put them aside for the moment.
Beneath the turntable is a cardboard box containing the acrylic platter and drive belt. Take out the platter and set it down over the spindle. Next, install the motor pulley cover. Then, lift the drive belt away from the platter and loop it around the pulley.
The next stage is installing the headshell, balancing the arm, and setting the tracking and antiskating forces. After securing the headshell onto the tonearm, install the counterweight and adjust it until the arm is balanced; that is, parallel to the top of the plinth. Now, set the front section of the counterweight to read “0.” Turn the back section of the counterweight to between “1.5” and “2.0”—you’ve just set the tracking force to 1.75gm, which I found works well with this cartridge. Down by the arm gimbal is a small dial that sets the antiskating force. Set this dial to match the tracking force. One small criticism: the counterweight is black and the numbers for the tracking force are dark gray. I had to use a flashlight to discern the numbers.
Now, attach the audio cables from the turntable to your amplifier or phono stage. Run the ground wire from the turntable to the ground junction on your amplifier, plug in the power supply jack to the turntable, and plug the power supply into the mains outlet.
The final step is assembling and mounting the dust cover. The hinges are made of very solid plastic and can be difficult to install. I used a broad-bladed regular screwdriver to gently pry the section of the hinges that grabs onto the dust cover to make the job easier. When the hinges are set, mount the dust cover on the hinge docks on the back of the plinth and you’re ready to go.
Operation is simple. Place a record on the platter, turn the power/speed switch to 33⅓ or 45 rpm as required, use the arm lift to lower the stylus gently onto the record, and you’re underway. One note: the platter will not begin to spin until the arm is lifted from its rest and moved toward the record. If you have auto-stop selected, the platter will stop at the end of the side but the arm will not return to its rest position. I’ve found that the auto-stop on the Fluance works more consistently than on any other non-Fluance turntable with auto-stop I’ve reviewed.
When I first set up the RT85N, I used the RPM Speed & Wow app to verify speed accuracy. At the 33⅓ rpm setting, the RT85N was spinning at 33.26 rpm (0.22% slow), with wow of ±0.19%. At 45, the speed was 44.87 rpm (0.29% slow) with wow of ±0.16%. Not the best figures I’ve seen, but not inaccurate enough to be noticeable in most cases.
Listening
I connected the Fluance ’table to my vintage Apt Holman preamp, which has an excellent phono stage. The preamp fed my NAD C 275BEE power amp, which powered my Acoustic Energy Radiance 3 floorstanding speakers.
As usual, I began with a classical piece: a 1974 recording of Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 (“Italian”) with Sergiu Comissiona conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Turnabout QTV-S 34643). This beautiful, melodic composition showcases the Baltimore orchestra’s string section, which the RT85N presented with gorgeous tones—lush and dramatic when called for—in a broad and deep soundstage. The woodwinds and brass were equally well reproduced, with precise attacks. I was able to listen through the slightly hollow character of the recording (the result of the reverberant recording venue) and bask in the lush sound produced by the Baltimore players. The Fluance ’table and Nagaoka cartridge performed impeccably, providing a rich, velvety sound that did the piece and recording total justice.
From the 1940s through the ’70s, Stan Kenton was recognized as one of the most creative forces of jazz. In his later years, he formed a group of “young Turks” and toured colleges and universities across the nation. From Live at Redlands University (The Creative World of Stan Kenton ST-1015), I selected “A Little Minor Booze,” which features solos on alto sax and trumpet. On the RT85N, this really swung! Attacks by the brass were fast yet full-bodied. Warren Gale’s trumpet solo was right out in front, and it showed what an impressive trumpeter he is. His trills and runs were exactingly perfect, creating a magical effect. The rest of the band was spread out behind him across the satisfyingly deep soundstage.
“Roundabout,” from the Yes album Fragile (Atlantic SD 7211), spotlights the talents of guitarist (and cowriter) Steve Howe and keyboards wizard Rick Wakeman. One oddity I noticed with the RT85N was that the whole group seemed to be elevated as on a stage, but within a narrower window than the spread between my speakers. Jon Anderson’s voice was about halfway to the ceiling of my room, and many of the guitar licks appeared to come all the way from there. Howe’s wizardry on the guitars, both acoustic and electric, and the clarity with which his parts were reproduced were as satisfying as I’ve ever heard.
“Rosanna” from Toto IV (Columbia FC 37728) is one of the most complex rock recordings ever. The engineers time-synced three 24-track tape recorders to provide the band with 69 recording tracks for the song. And that’s evident from the variety of synthesizer sounds supplied by keyboardist David Paich. The Fluance/Nagaoka combo offered an absolute honey of a midrange but fell off somewhat in the very highs and the very lows. The kick-drum beats didn’t have the punch I hear with other cartridges, and the highs produced were extremely fine but somewhat muted on the highest notes. Still, if midrange is what you crave, the MP-110 offers it in spades.
Trumpet fans should search out the 1971 album Chase (Epic E 20472), by a nine-member group featuring Bill Chase and three other hot trumpeters, along with a keyboardist, guitarist, bass player, drummer, and percussionist. My favorite tune from the album is “Get It On,” which features some of the man’s favorite hooks: complex cascading lines that provide a waterfall effect one doesn’t expect on such a hard-driving tune. Add a searing organ solo with a complex electric-guitar part right behind, and you get one sizzling performance. On the RT85N, the trumpets were spread across the soundstage and reproduced well-nigh perfectly. The MP-110 cartridge did total justice to the trumpets, guitar, and organ. The bass and drums, on the other hand, took a back seat to the rest of the instruments, but they came through well enough to make this track thoroughly enjoyable.
“Layla,” from the Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (Atco SD 2-704), starts with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock history. From the start and all the way through, the RT85N presented the song as I think it should be presented. The fascinating tonal patterns of Eric Clapton’s and Duane Allman’s guitars, with Bobby Whitlock’s piano providing the underlying basic rhythm, were presented with total precision by the Fluance/Nagaoka combination. My copy of the LP is quite old, and the MP-110’s reputation for minimizing surface noise was quite evident.
Comparison
I compared the Fluance RT85N against my new reference vinyl rig: a Technics SL-100C direct-drive turntable and Goldring E4 cartridge. For this comparison, I chose “101 Eastbound,” from a 2022 reissue of Fourplay’s eponymous debut album (Evosound EVLP025). This tune has a very wide range of frequencies, from Nathan East’s deep, hard-hitting phrases on the five-string bass guitar to Bob James’s synthesizers, along with Harvey Mason’s snappy drumming.
Here, the RT85N showed it could hit the lowest notes and provide crystal-clear highs; this was not so clear on other records I auditioned. The attacks on all the instruments were quite taut—especially with the drums. James’s synth and piano parts sounded very lifelike. The soundstage was quite broad and rather deep, and every solo instrument was brought out front as the others receded. The scat singing sounded fabulous—rich and vibrant. In all, the RT85N acquitted itself very, very well.
I was surprised to find the bass drum beats at the beginning of the tune did not have quite the same heft on the SL-100C. However, the bass guitar was slightly more prominent. I can’t explain this, but that’s what I heard. The highs on the SL-100C were a bit crisper and slightly more prominent. The piano solo sounded incredibly natural. The scat singing was not quite as mellow, although the intermingling synth parts sounded more “of a piece” than on the RT85N.
In the end, I’d give the SL-100C slightly higher marks than the RT85N for overall sonic performance, but given that my combination cost nearly three times as much as the RT85N, the Fluance wins on value.
Conclusion
As I said at the beginning, I’ve always believed that Fluance products offer high value, and the RT85N continues that tradition. For around $500, you get a turntable with adjustable feet for leveling and an auto-stop function that works reliably almost all the time. It’s a sturdy unit with most of (if not all) the features you might want in a reasonably priced turntable. One niggle is that the RT85N demands you use an antistatic brush on the record, because if you don’t, you’ll get extremely loud pops after you’ve cleaned your records with something such as a GrooveWasher. Also, I had to clean the stylus of the Nagaoka MP-110 a bit more often than with other cartridges I’ve worked with. But that’s not really a liability.
The Fluance RT85N is a worthy alternative to the RT85. Both offer exceptional value, but each has a different sound. I prefer the Ortofon 2M Blue that comes with the standard RT85, but for many, many people in the market for a very capable, great-sounding turntable, the RT85N may be exactly what they want.
. . . Thom Moon
thommoon@soundstagenetwork.com
Associated Equipment
- Turntable: Technics SL-100C with Goldring E4 cartridge
- Preamplifier: Apt Corporation Holman
- Power amplifier: NAD C 275BEE
- Speakers:Acoustic Energy Radiance 3
- Interconnects: Manufacturer supplied for RT85N; Pro-Ject Connect it E series for SL-100C; Morrow Audio MA1 analog from preamp to power amp
- Speaker cables: Audtek 14-gauge OFC cable terminated with banana plugs
Fluance RT85N turntable and Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge
Price: $499.99
Warranty: Two years, parts and labor; 60-day home trial
Fluance
4080 Montrose Road
Niagara Falls, ON L2H 1J9
Canada
Phone: 1-888-617-6863
Website: www.fluance.com
US distributor:
Fluance (US)
840 Aero Drive
Cheektowaga, NY 14225
