---
product_id: 137425107
title: "Fluance RT81 Turntable with AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp, Adjustable Counterweight - Piano Black"
brand: "fluance"
price: "$793.62"
currency: USD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
category: "Fluance"
url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/137425107-fluance-rt81-turntable-with-at95e-cartridge-belt-drive-built-in
store_origin: US
region: United States of America
---

# High fidelity belt drive Built-in Texas Instruments preamp Adjustable counterweight precision Fluance RT81 Turntable with AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp, Adjustable Counterweight - Piano Black

**Brand:** fluance
**Price:** $793.62
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎵 Elevate your vinyl game — because your records deserve the spotlight!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Fluance RT81 Turntable with AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp, Adjustable Counterweight - Piano Black by fluance
- **How much does it cost?** $793.62 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/137425107-fluance-rt81-turntable-with-at95e-cartridge-belt-drive-built-in)

## Best For

- fluance enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted fluance brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Pure Analog Audio Bliss:** Experience music exactly as the artist intended with premium belt-driven mechanics.
- • **Warm, Rich Sound Output:** Integrated Texas Instruments preamp with gold-plated RCA outputs guarantees captivating signal clarity.
- • **Seamless Setup & Upgrade:** Plug-and-play design with easy cartridge swaps and adjustable tonearm for audiophile customization.
- • **Vibration-Free Listening:** High mass MDF wood plinth with isolation feet ensures zero interference for pristine playback.
- • **Precision Tracking Stylus:** Diamond elliptical Audio Technica AT95E cartridge delivers crystal-clear, high-definition sound.

## Overview

The Fluance RT81 Turntable combines premium belt-drive engineering with a high-performance Audio Technica AT95E cartridge and a built-in Texas Instruments preamp. Its solid MDF wood plinth and adjustable counterweight ensure superior vibration isolation and precise record tracking, delivering warm, authentic analog sound. Designed for easy setup and upgrade, this piano black beauty is a top-tier choice for discerning vinyl enthusiasts seeking high fidelity without compromise.

## Description

Buy Fluance RT81 Turntable with AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp, Adjustable Counterweight - Piano Black: Turntable Cartridges - desertcart.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

Review: An amazing turntable! - I purchased both this table and their rt80, as I have multiple setups, and let me start by saying, finally a company who does it right! Build quality on this thing is of the up most quality. Everything is in line, clean, and runs beautifully. Aesthetically, the rt81 is gorgeous, but it is not only eye candy...the sound quality of this turntable is unrivaled, even of more expensive tables. I was using the built in preamp through my denon 9.1 avr setup and was just throttled by how rich a sound I was getting out of such a well built machine. I honestly do not think there is a better company making turntables, with or without a preamp, any where near this price point for the quality machine you are getting. There are so many poor built turntables out there now that just eat your records with bad needles and poor quality control....this, however, this not one of them. Setup was a breeze, i was listening to my records ten minutes after unboxing it. They even took the time to package it very thoughtfully, as to ensure the safety of all the components during travel. Clearly this is a company who cares. Customer service even followed up by calling to ask if I had any questions and if I was satisfied, i didn't even think good customer service existed anymore! Alas, i was wrong! The truth of it is you are getting one of the best built and sounding turntables on the market at an unbelievable price. I did, however, receive a discount for an honest review, and because I was so impressed with the build and sound quality of the rt80, I bought the rt81 for my other setup. Do yourself a favor if you are in the market for a new turntable, and buy one of fluances tables.
Review: Very basic turntable, but well-constructed with good sound for the price - It's the end of 2019 and my late-70's Sanyo turntable that has been in my family since I was a wee lad has finally given up the ghost. When it was new, it was a solid mid-range turntable with nice features like direct drive, auto play and return, and easily-adjusted speed. It lasted forty years, which is more than I can say about most modern pieces of audio equipment. A moment of silence, please. When looking for a replacement turntable, I found that I wasn't able to find a decent model that had all of the functions of my old turntable unless I was willing and able to plop down more cash than was possible while keeping my marriage intact. I get it. Records are now and will remain a niche format at best, so the economies of scale dictate that the cost of obtaining a solid turntable is going to be higher than the days when vinyl was the dominant audio format. Still, I was determined to get the best quality turntable that I could afford. My demands were few, but important: It had to be well-constructed. - While I don't expect the turntable to last me for the rest of my life, it had to feel solid and use durable materials. It had to have decent sound. - While I still have decent hearing, I'm in my late-40's, so the days when I could easily discern minute differences in frequency are in the past. With that said, I love my records and want to get the best possible sound quality out of them. Yes, records have shortcomings. Even the best-maintained record may have the occasional pop or crackle. However, a well-mastered and pressed album can deliver audio that stands toe-to-toe with most modern digital releases. Yes, high-res digital audio files have been released for many albums, but everything comes down to mastering and there are a lot of albums being sold as high-res that sound terrible. A container is only as good as the audio it contains. It had to allow me to easily change the cartridge, stylus, and shell and allow for the necessary adjustments when doing so. - I don't care how nice the cartridge and stylus are that are included with a turntable; they wear out over time. Also, there are more often than not better-quality options for these items on the market. It had to provide assurance that it wouldn't tear up my records. - When I see people buying a Crosley or any other ultra-cheap turntable I want to grab them by the shoulders and beg them to turn away from the dark path on which they are heading. If you're willing to pay the inflated prices that records go for these days, especially newer pressings, the last thing you want to do is play them on a turntable that has a tracking force so high that you may as well be using a sewing needle. Taking all of this "must-have's" into account, anything else offered by a particular model would be icing on the cake. I looked around at audiophile sites, publications, etc. and, after laughing at some of the models that were touted as "good buys" that cost as much as a semester at college, I saw the same brand mentioned time and time again: Fluance. Fluance has garnered a healthy reputation as a company that offers a wide range of turntables that deliver solid performance for quite reasonable prices. Like all turntable manufacturers, they offer some high-end models, but even the models toward the lower end of their catalog don't skimp on the necessities. The RT81 falls into the lower end of their range, but I have to say that I'm impressed with it. It was easy to assemble and the parts are constructed of sturdy materials. It offers a built-in preamp for those without phono inputs on their receiver, however it is easily disabled via a switch on the rear of the turntable should you have an external preamp or one built into your receiver. I had no trouble at all switching out the included cartridge and stylus with an Ortofon Red that I had been using on my old turntable (Those are amazing, by the way.) and making the adjustments on the tone arm. I've been putting the turntable through its paces quite a bit since its arrival and am very satisfied with the audio quality. It doesn't blow away some of the more expensive turntables I've listened to, but it's very good, especially considering its cost. It is good enough that, should I find myself in a position wherein I can afford a more expensive turntable, I wouldn't hesitate considering one of Fluance's higher-end models. The fact that there was obvious care put into one of their lower-end models speaks volumes about the company. Do I miss the extra features I had on my Sanyo that are lacking on the Fluance RT81? Sure. With that said, the RT81 has so far delivered very solid, no-frills performance and I'm more than satisfied with my purchase.

## Features

- PURE ANALOG LISTENING EXPERIENCE - Premium components allow this high fidelity belt driven turntable to recreate the performance the way the artist intended
- HIGH PERFORMANCE CARTRIDGE - The Audio Technica AT95E featuring a diamond elliptical tipped stylus is designed to track your record grooves with greater precision & accuracy for high definition audio
- SUPERIOR RECORD TRACKING - Enjoy perfect playback using the balanced aluminum S-Type tonearm ensuring the stylus is rested deep in your record's groove, producing every audio detail indistinguishable from the original recording
- HIGH MASS MDF WOOD PLINTH - The beautiful piano black finished cabinet is crafted from solid engineered (MDF) wood, incorporates isolation feet, an aluminum platter and a rubber platter mat which results in superior isolation from unwanted vibrations
- CAPTIVATING SIGNAL CLARITY - Incorporating a high quality built-in Texas Instruments preamp, ground terminal and gold plated RCA line outputs that ensures warm, true sound

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B07PZF7S8G |
| Best Sellers Rank | #8,309 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #44 in Audio & Video Turntables |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (3,492) |
| Date First Available | March 26, 2019 |
| Item Weight | 14.1 pounds |
| Item model number | RT81T |
| Manufacturer | Fluance |
| Product Dimensions | 13.75 x 16.5 x 5.5 inches |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** Fluance
- **Color:** Piano Black
- **Compatible Devices:** Speaker
- **Included Components:** cover
- **Item Weight:** 14.1 Pounds
- **Material:** Engineered Wood
- **Maximum Rotational Speed:** 45 RPM
- **Model Name:** Elite
- **Style:** Modern

## Images

![Fluance RT81 Turntable with AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp, Adjustable Counterweight - Piano Black - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71AKPyL-ntL.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Color** options.

## Questions & Answers

**Q: Can the built-in pre amp be bypassed?**
A: Yes, there is a switch on the back of the unit.

**Q: It's not clear from the description, so I will ask:  does it play all three speeds?**
A: Hello LW_NM, thank you or your inquiry.  This unit plays in both 33 1/3 and 45 rpm.  For reference, this information can be found in the first paragraph under Product Description on the listing page.

**Q: Does the "auto-stop" stop the platter from spinning and shut off the turntable?**
A: Hello Jazz, thank you for your inquiry.  The turntable has a switch to engage or disengage the auto-stop once the needle reached the end of the record.  Once playback on a side is complete, the platter will spin for a few rotations before stopping.  This tone arm however, does not have an auto-return feature.  Please visit our site and refer to the user manual which provides a full detail on the auto-stop feature.  If you do have any additional technical inquiries, we do recommend that you contact us directly from our website, where you will have both Live Chat and completion of the online contact form for options.

**Q: I see it comes with a good stylus. Can it be upgraded to higher end such as ortofon or a higher end AT??**
A: You can upgrade the stylus on the AT95E cartridge to an AT95SE, AT95VL, or a AT95SA with the AT95SA being the best stylus with a diamond tip measuring .0002 x .0029 in.  Or, should you prefer, purchase an entirely new phono cartridge.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An amazing turntable!
*by D***J on July 28, 2016*

I purchased both this table and their rt80, as I have multiple setups, and let me start by saying, finally a company who does it right! Build quality on this thing is of the up most quality. Everything is in line, clean, and runs beautifully. Aesthetically, the rt81 is gorgeous, but it is not only eye candy...the sound quality of this turntable is unrivaled, even of more expensive tables. I was using the built in preamp through my denon 9.1 avr setup and was just throttled by how rich a sound I was getting out of such a well built machine. I honestly do not think there is a better company making turntables, with or without a preamp, any where near this price point for the quality machine you are getting. There are so many poor built turntables out there now that just eat your records with bad needles and poor quality control....this, however, this not one of them. Setup was a breeze, i was listening to my records ten minutes after unboxing it. They even took the time to package it very thoughtfully, as to ensure the safety of all the components during travel. Clearly this is a company who cares. Customer service even followed up by calling to ask if I had any questions and if I was satisfied, i didn't even think good customer service existed anymore! Alas, i was wrong! The truth of it is you are getting one of the best built and sounding turntables on the market at an unbelievable price. I did, however, receive a discount for an honest review, and because I was so impressed with the build and sound quality of the rt80, I bought the rt81 for my other setup. Do yourself a favor if you are in the market for a new turntable, and buy one of fluances tables.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very basic turntable, but well-constructed with good sound for the price
*by D***N on December 10, 2019*

It's the end of 2019 and my late-70's Sanyo turntable that has been in my family since I was a wee lad has finally given up the ghost. When it was new, it was a solid mid-range turntable with nice features like direct drive, auto play and return, and easily-adjusted speed. It lasted forty years, which is more than I can say about most modern pieces of audio equipment. A moment of silence, please. When looking for a replacement turntable, I found that I wasn't able to find a decent model that had all of the functions of my old turntable unless I was willing and able to plop down more cash than was possible while keeping my marriage intact. I get it. Records are now and will remain a niche format at best, so the economies of scale dictate that the cost of obtaining a solid turntable is going to be higher than the days when vinyl was the dominant audio format. Still, I was determined to get the best quality turntable that I could afford. My demands were few, but important: It had to be well-constructed. - While I don't expect the turntable to last me for the rest of my life, it had to feel solid and use durable materials. It had to have decent sound. - While I still have decent hearing, I'm in my late-40's, so the days when I could easily discern minute differences in frequency are in the past. With that said, I love my records and want to get the best possible sound quality out of them. Yes, records have shortcomings. Even the best-maintained record may have the occasional pop or crackle. However, a well-mastered and pressed album can deliver audio that stands toe-to-toe with most modern digital releases. Yes, high-res digital audio files have been released for many albums, but everything comes down to mastering and there are a lot of albums being sold as high-res that sound terrible. A container is only as good as the audio it contains. It had to allow me to easily change the cartridge, stylus, and shell and allow for the necessary adjustments when doing so. - I don't care how nice the cartridge and stylus are that are included with a turntable; they wear out over time. Also, there are more often than not better-quality options for these items on the market. It had to provide assurance that it wouldn't tear up my records. - When I see people buying a Crosley or any other ultra-cheap turntable I want to grab them by the shoulders and beg them to turn away from the dark path on which they are heading. If you're willing to pay the inflated prices that records go for these days, especially newer pressings, the last thing you want to do is play them on a turntable that has a tracking force so high that you may as well be using a sewing needle. Taking all of this "must-have's" into account, anything else offered by a particular model would be icing on the cake. I looked around at audiophile sites, publications, etc. and, after laughing at some of the models that were touted as "good buys" that cost as much as a semester at college, I saw the same brand mentioned time and time again: Fluance. Fluance has garnered a healthy reputation as a company that offers a wide range of turntables that deliver solid performance for quite reasonable prices. Like all turntable manufacturers, they offer some high-end models, but even the models toward the lower end of their catalog don't skimp on the necessities. The RT81 falls into the lower end of their range, but I have to say that I'm impressed with it. It was easy to assemble and the parts are constructed of sturdy materials. It offers a built-in preamp for those without phono inputs on their receiver, however it is easily disabled via a switch on the rear of the turntable should you have an external preamp or one built into your receiver. I had no trouble at all switching out the included cartridge and stylus with an Ortofon Red that I had been using on my old turntable (Those are amazing, by the way.) and making the adjustments on the tone arm. I've been putting the turntable through its paces quite a bit since its arrival and am very satisfied with the audio quality. It doesn't blow away some of the more expensive turntables I've listened to, but it's very good, especially considering its cost. It is good enough that, should I find myself in a position wherein I can afford a more expensive turntable, I wouldn't hesitate considering one of Fluance's higher-end models. The fact that there was obvious care put into one of their lower-end models speaks volumes about the company. Do I miss the extra features I had on my Sanyo that are lacking on the Fluance RT81? Sure. With that said, the RT81 has so far delivered very solid, no-frills performance and I'm more than satisfied with my purchase.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Competes with more expensive turntables
*by T***Y on February 10, 2026*

The Fluance RT81 Elite is an incredible turntable for the price and an excellent entry point into vinyl. It feels solid and well built, with a thick, high-gloss plinth that looks sleek and substantial in person. It doesn’t feel cheap or lightweight, and it fits nicely into a living space where it’s meant to be seen, not hidden away. Sound quality is very impressive for a starter table. It delivers a clean, enjoyable presentation and easily competes with turntables that cost quite a bit more. The built-in phono preamp works well and is a great feature to have, especially if you’re pairing it with a basic amp or powered speakers. It makes setup simple without sacrificing sound. I also checked wow and flutter using my phone, and the results were well within acceptable tolerances, which lines up with how stable it sounds in real-world listening. Pitch is consistent and records play smoothly. I have it connected to a small amplifier and a pair of 4-inch bookshelf speakers, and it’s been perfect for our family room. It’s great for putting a record on in the background when guests are over while still sounding good enough to sit down and listen closely.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Fluance RT81 Turntable with AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp, Adjustable Counterweight - Piano Black
- Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers - 2.0 Active Near Field Studio Monitor Speaker - Wooden Enclosure - 42 Watts RMS Power
- Big Fudge Vinyl Record Cleaning Kit - 4-in-1 Record Cleaner Solution - Includes Ultra-Soft Velvet Record Brush, Cleaning Liquid, Stylus Brush and Storage Pouch

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*Product available on Desertcart United States of America*
*Store origin: US*
*Last updated: 2026-03-19*