Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable Record Player with Audio Technica AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp, Adjustable Counterweight, High Mass MDF Wood Plinth - Piano Black

I spent ages trying to find a turntable that suited my needs. It turns out nothing did, so I had to prioritise my needs. They became preamp, auto-exit, adjustable replicable cartridge, sleek looking black, £~200-~300. Bluetooth, USB recording and fully automatic had to become optional. This Fluance RT81 won over Denon SP300F and Audio Technica AT-LP120xBTUSB, the main contender on being sleek and simple, good sound reviews and everything else there except no modern communication methods. Audio Technica lost out due to slightly inferior sound reviews but mainly no auto-stop and rather complex top arrangement with speed sliders that I cannot see the need for. Denon lost out because it was gun metal not black, inferior sound reviews but also the long dangling cables out the back not sockets and no earth that none of the photos show!When it came, it was a delight to put together. Almost designed to be put together by a normal person. instructions made sense - had words not just impossible universal line drawings. Drive belt had to be clipped over the spindle (easy with tag supplied) - all hidden under the platter. The tonearm weight simply clicked on. Balancing was a dream, just turn the weight till arm was hanging mid air, adjust the indicator ring to zero, and then turn big weight back to 20 and the antiskating to 20.The auto-stop is the most basic in that the drive stops, leaving the tonearm and needle on the record, but it saves wear! I cannot comment on sound, other than I liked it with my 66 year old ears. However you can easily upgrade to another cartridge, which can solve any issues. Mat is rubber. The whole unit seemed very sturdy on nicely damped feet. Lever to lower tonearm is damped so can be just flicked. Unit supplied with a plug "charger" unit. Good in my books as keeps magnetic disturbance away.

The turntable arrived promptly and well packaged.This was to replace a turntable that had just given up, but what a great replacement.Easy to set up and a nice rich sound. Easy to operate and a perfect beginner record player. The auto stop function is a great addition!

Excellent quality. Easy to setup. Removable head shell means replacing the cartridge is so much easier than a fixed one. Great sound and sound stage. Definitely worth a recommendation.

Can't fault it, looks amazing in piano black finish. Solid heavy plinth, so no worries about unwanted vibrations. Sounds great with built-in preamp which can be bypassed easily. Simple minimalist control dial. Feels much more expensive than a £250 turntable. Love it!

Deliberated for a while what turntable to buy in the £200 - £300 range and eventually chose the Fluance. A little bit different, minimalist, but a touch of quality about it. Easy to put together. Nice solid plinth, absolutely no motor noise. The turntable revolves with no hint of friction whatsoever. Very good value for money

First time user with turntables and vinyls. It took me 10 minute to set up with balancing the arm and it sounds so amazing with a good pair of speakers! There’s no noise coming from it at all and fits well with minimalist rooms….I’d highly recommend!

Very pleased with this looks lovely, beautifully finished and sounds good. Better with external phono preamp. Great decent quality to get back into vinyl. Chosen after watching numerous YouTube reviews which rate fluance as a quality product at the budget end of the market. Having switchable speed without having to change belt manually and also auto stop makes this a semi automatic option but maintain s the manual elements of higher end turntables. Very pleased

The media could not be loaded. No trouble setting the player up at all, apart from the figuring out how it works part, considering ive never had a player before. But, of course, that is NOT to the fault of fluance. I highly recommend this player and also that you pair it with some pretty nifty speakers as it is quite capable. IT has all the basic features you need, looks stunning, and the stylus is extremely high quality. 10/10 after using it with a few discs. Don't hesitate to buy if you've been looking at it and it's in your budget :)