Fluance Reference Series Turntables
Comments
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That is one cool cucumber.afterburnt wrote: »They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.
Village Idiot of Club Polk -
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Quick shipping. Mine is in town already. Delivery Monday.
Yep. Same here. I’m out of town until Monday night, and since I had it delivered to my office, Tuesday it’ll be!
UPS for me as well. I’m in PA, not far from where it was shipped though. -
That’s one sweet looking turntable.2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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Kuddos on fast shipping. Delivered. To bad I have to work today.
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The walnut seems to have the same gloss finish. Wonder why they don't offer a matte or dulled surface. I've thought about it and once it's setup you are not really touching the base are you? They give you the gloves to handle it. At the same time you could go about dulling it with some fine grit sand paper just like you would any piece of furniture. But that is a bit extreme on an expensive piece of base.
The gloves that Fluance included were too small to fit my hands
. YMMV. Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Might be because those Chinese have small hands.The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact. -
motorhead43026 wrote: »Might be because those Chinese have small hands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgTLx93vyrU -
Had some time scheduled off this afternoon, so I was able to get home and get the new TT set up and running. I’ll post some unboxing and setup photos later. I’m going to hold off on a more detailed review until I’ve had some time to settle in with it. I can say from a first listen, I like the sound. The really good news is the hum/buzz that had been plaguing the phono section and completely boggling my mind is gone!
Packaging is very well thought out - everything was well protected and arrived in excellent condition. The plinth is absolutely stunning. The walnut finish is beautiful and the gloss is immaculate. I can already tell though, that it’s going to be challenging keeping it free of dust and fingerprints. The platter is very nice and perfectly balanced. Dust cover is typical with a light smoke grey tint. Hinges are sturdy and the spring loading works well. Actually might be a little too tight as it will actually lift the cover from halfway open.
Came with the white gloves; they’re small, but stretchy and I was able to use them fine. Another nice bonus was the small bubble level that made leveling the table simple with the three adjustable cone shaped feet. They are spring loaded for isolation, but I noticed it didn’t take much for a record to skip.
The auto-stop is a nice feature. I was a bit scared at first as the platter doesn’t start spinning when you turn the TT on when auto-stop is on. I thought something was wrong at first (didn’t read far enough ahead in the instructions!), but it starts spinning when you move the tone arm from the rest over the platter. It stops spinning the platter about 30 seconds or so after the needle passes the runout grooves.
The Ortofon 2M Blue is a nice stylus - a bit more revealing than the Rega I was using on the Audio Technica LP-120. The tonearm is decent, but nothing special. It’s similarly noisy (picks up very light taps on the lid) as the Audio Technica.
All in all, I’m very excited to get some more time on this as it breaks in. -
Unboxing/setup photos:
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I'm so jealous. But do you know what makes me most jealous? Being able to change the speeds without taking off the belt. Enjoy!!2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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Looks great!Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables.
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Might not be an isolation issue per se. The 'skipping' behavior might reflect incorrect VTF setting for the cartridge and/or poor match of arm mass & cartridge compliance (i.e., unfortunate resonance of the arm/cartridge/stylus suspension system). You knew that already, thoughHad some time scheduled off this afternoon, so I was able to get home and get the new TT set up and running...
Another nice bonus was the small bubble level that made leveling the table simple with the three adjustable cone shaped feet. They are spring loaded for isolation, but I noticed it didn’t take much for a record to skip.
That was the default behavior on the massmarket Japanese turntables for about two decades!The auto-stop is a nice feature. I was a bit scared at first as the platter doesn’t start spinning when you turn the TT on when auto-stop is on. I thought something was wrong at first (didn’t read far enough ahead in the instructions!), but it starts spinning when you move the tone arm from the rest over the platter... They used a little microswitch that turned the tt motor on as the arm was swung towards the platter).
That's a thread or a hair and not a scratch on the platter, I hope!
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Dang, that is a fine looking TT.The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact. -
These constantly look sharp! I had the 2M Blue for awhile, and I enjoyed it while it was in my system. One of the best parts of these tables is the changeable headshell. That makes upgrades or even just changes in sound super easy. Have fun with it!Analog: MoFi MasterTracker > MoFi UltraDeck > Sutherland 20/20
Digital: Cambridge CXC / Streaming > Cambridge CXN v2
MastersounD Dueventi > Rosso Fiorentino Certaldo or Arcam rHead > Hifiman HE4XX
Discogs -
Love that walnut finish. Might need to send this back and get that one.
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Have to agree with Mark about the skipping issue because I can bang on the audio rack with my fist, right in front of the turntable, and it does not skip.
That is a very pretty piece of equipment Al! Enjoy!! Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Wow looks great al! Fantastic setup you’ve got there. I’m betting that lounge and blue combo is a good one 2 Channel in my home attic/bar/man cave
2 Channel Focal Kanta 3 I Modwright SWL9.0 Anniversary Pre I Modwright PH9.0X I Modwright KWA-150SE I VPI Prime Signature w/ Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC I Lumin U2 Mini I North Star Designs Intenso DAC I Audience OHNO ICs/Audience Furutech FP-S55N and FP-S032N Power Cables/Acoustic Zen Satori I Isotek Sirius -
Got mine as far as the dining table. If I get a burst of energy after work I may open it up and assemble.
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mhardy6647 wrote: »
Might not be an isolation issue per se. The 'skipping' behavior might reflect incorrect VTF setting for the cartridge and/or poor match of arm mass & cartridge compliance (i.e., unfortunate resonance of the arm/cartridge/stylus suspension system). You knew that already, thoughHad some time scheduled off this afternoon, so I was able to get home and get the new TT set up and running...
Another nice bonus was the small bubble level that made leveling the table simple with the three adjustable cone shaped feet. They are spring loaded for isolation, but I noticed it didn’t take much for a record to skip.
That was the default behavior on the massmarket Japanese turntables for about two decades!The auto-stop is a nice feature. I was a bit scared at first as the platter doesn’t start spinning when you turn the TT on when auto-stop is on. I thought something was wrong at first (didn’t read far enough ahead in the instructions!), but it starts spinning when you move the tone arm from the rest over the platter... They used a little microswitch that turned the tt motor on as the arm was swung towards the platter).
That's a thread or a hair and not a scratch on the platter, I hope!
As for the isolation issue... I'm pretty sure that was on me! In my haste, I forgot to set the anti-skate prior to dropping the needle on the first record. I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. I'm also planning on getting a cheap VTF scale to more accurately dial that in. I just don't fully trust the markings on the counterweight. Additionally, the VTF for the cart is 1.8 grams, so a minor complaint would be the 1/8 gram markings on the counterweight.
And, good eye Mark! That is, in fact, a hair on the platter. As diligent as I was to keep it fingerprint and dust free, it's almost impossible to escape the hairs of our shedding white (English Cream) Golden Retriever pup. I noticed it after I posted the pic, and was too lazy to take another and replace it in the post! -
Got mine as far as the dining table. If I get a burst of energy after work I may open it up and assemble.
Dang... I was like a kid at Christmas yesterday. I was off work on Monday and most of the day yesterday. It was hard enough knowing it was their Monday and not stopping at the office to pick it up. I actually made a special trip into the office yesterday morning (while out running errands) because I couldn't wait another day! -
Love that walnut finish. Might need to send this back and get that one.
I'm sure the black is beautiful too, but man, this walnut finish is incredible! Did they get any more back in stock? -
Looks great Al! I'm not sure which one commands more attention - the turntable or that amp.
Both... my next pursuit will be a nice wider rack, so I can get them both to the top shelf! I am loving the amp Skip - thanks again! -
I can say from a first listen, I like the sound. The really good news is the hum/buzz that had been plaguing the phono section and completely boggling my mind is gone!
Clarification - the hum/buzz is not entirely gone, but significantly reduced. All other inputs are dead silent, but the input with the turntable still has a faint hum when nothing is playing and the volume is turned (way) up. Really not noticeable though, since at the levels we listen, you'd really have to struggle to hear it.
I plan on trying other inputs on the amp, taking the Lounge out of the chain, etc. to see if that resolves it. I'm doubtful though since it was there with other phono pre-amps and integrated amps, but significantly louder/more noticeable.
I currently have the Fluance connected to the Lounge phono pre with the stock RCA cable. I have the ground wire going from the TT to the lounge, and the second ground wire from the Lounge to the Triode integrated, although since it's just connecting ground, I assume order of connection wouldn't matter... -
Try hooking the TT (and ground) directly to the Tridoe's phono stage, taking the Lounge completely out of the equation.
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hum/buzz?!? Don't make me give y'll my clip lead sermon again, 'K?
https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/comment/2360319#Comment_2360319 -
The walnut seems to have the same gloss finish. Wonder why they don't offer a matte or dulled surface. I've thought about it and once it's setup you are not really touching the base are you? They give you the gloves to handle it. At the same time you could go about dulling it with some fine grit sand paper just like you would any piece of furniture. But that is a bit extreme on an expensive piece of base.
Ummm....hell no to the sandpaper. That is not how one obtains a matte or flat sheen unless you want scratch marks all over.
As for the TT in question here the finish is polyster, which is a tough finish, but will scratch. Because it's a tough finish repairing a scratch becomes more difficult.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
What I find really weird is the markings on the counter weight and anti skip dials. They don't match. How is one supposed to get 1.8? The counter weight has 3 ticks between 1.5 and 2 and the anti skip has 4. I watched a video where Fluance shows 1.8 being half way on the tracking force. The anti skip was a bit harder to see.
I tried to match it as best I could and it sounds fine but is there a preferred way to measure this with any tools? Not sure how super accurate this needs to be. It's my first turn table so keep that in mind. -
What I find really weird is the markings on the counter weight and anti skip dials. They don't match. How is one supposed to get 1.8? The counter weight has 3 ticks between 1.5 and 2 and the anti skip has 4. I watched a video where Fluance shows 1.8 being half way on the tracking force. The anti skip was a bit harder to see.
I tried to match it as best I could and it sounds fine but is there a preferred way to measure this with any tools? Not sure how super accurate this needs to be. It's my first turn table so keep that in mind.
I agree. That was my only complaint - that the counterweight has 1/8 gram markings, so it's impossible to visually dial in 1.8 (or 1-8/10) grams.
I ordered one of these... cheap enough, and should be more accurate than trusting the markings on the counterweight:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PDQFXBZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 -
Yeah it's growing on me. They did but the sale is gone. I'm not about to pay over $100 more for the walnut
