Fluance RT81+
Budget turntables · 2023–present In production
£249 UK RRP
The refreshed RT81: VM95E cartridge, upgraded isolation feet and a solid walnut-finish plinth — a frequent budget recommendation in its class.
Model history: The RT81+ is Fluance's direct upgrade to the RT81, swapping the discontinued AT95E for the more versatile AT-VM95E cartridge (with six stylus upgrade options), adding a damped acrylic-topped platter, and replacing the four fixed feet with three adjustable isolation feet.
Checked against the manufacturer’s site: 2026-07
Who it suits
Best suited to: a first turntable for casual, low-effort listening. Less ideal for: an existing hi-fi system where you want to hear more detail — the fixed cartridge and light tonearm are the limiting factors there.
Good to know
- Has a built-in phono stage, so it can feed a normal line input on an amplifier or powered speakers without a separate phono box.
Specifications
| Drive | belt drive |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 33/45 rpm |
| Operation | semi-automatic |
| Cartridge included | Audio-Technica AT-VM95E |
| Built-in phono stage | Yes |
| USB output | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Platter | die-cast aluminium |
| Tonearm | S-shaped aluminium |
| Wow & flutter | <0.15% |
| Dimensions | Product page lists 16.5 x 6 (+/-0.5) x 14.25 in; official RT80/RT81/RT81+ manual v2.6 gives 16.5 x 5.5 x 13.75 in for the group (labeled RT81P in the manual, sold as RT81+ on site). |
| Weight | 6.4 kg |
| Finishes | Natural Walnut, Piano Black, Gloss White |
| Warranty | 2-year manufacturer's warranty + lifetime customer support |
| Years | 2023–present |
How it sits in the catalogue
Its belt-drive mechanism is the majority choice in the database (130 of 159). A built-in phono stage puts it with the 45% of current decks that plug straight into any amp or powered speaker. On price it sits mid-pack of its category — 48% of priced budget decks cost less.
Live merchant offers
Checking current in-stock offers for Fluance RT81+…
Retailer searches
1 UK merchant stock Fluance — each outbound link searches the deck on that merchant’s site.
| Merchant | Type | Delivery | Product search |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon UK | marketplace | Prime next-day on many items | Search at Amazon UK ↗ |
Compare it
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