The platter on many turntables can get a bit stuck sometimes. Usually it will come off if you lift up with even pressure on two sides.
I keep a bottle of Mobil 1 synthetic oil around the workshop for general purpose work on turntables and other precision equipment, but any good synthetic oil would do. I also have a couple small paint brushes I use to apply the oil in situations like this, just brush a thin film on the contact areas next time you have it apart.
I really would check with Fluance as to whether this will void the warranty. I’ve had a Fluance turntable; you want that warranty available. How often do you remove the platter, anyway?
This is the Crosley C8 turntable. It looks like a rebrand of one of the new Fluance tables from what I can tell, with the Music Hall Classic tonearm. Looks nice and has some good reviews, but it's a Crosley table with all that that implies.
I'd like to know how many of these Taiwanese tables have the same arm, some painted black, some silver, etc. Or are there maybe 2-3 versions, tweaked a bit? Some definitely have different mounting setups. This may be the only one to utilize the Fluance belt setup, minus the servo speed control and with a cheaper pulley.
A couple of nice relatively recent reviews for the 85. Fluance’s RT85 Turntable Is a High Value Proposition
Yea... no it looks as much like the Fluance as a Lime Green Gremlin looks to that car in your avatar.
The Music Hall and the Crosley tonearms look identical. I think that the tonearm originally was a Sony design for its (2016) PS-HX500 model, and from that point, the Chinese factory began to offer its own variations for Music Hall, Crosley, etc. The only differences I can notice are different bearings and different headshells. The Sony table utilizes a non-detachable 3g headshell (very lightweight) made of aluminum alloy. Same counterweight, anti-skating, cue-lever, even the speed selector is in the same position.
You are a Fluance owner, aren't you? Sorry I didn't want to hurt your feelings. But let's face it, a Fluance table shares a lot of its components with other tables made in the same (chinese?taiwanese?) factory.
My SR80s and ears heard a Rega edge now and then, but they missed the "huge gulf". I don't doubt the superiority of the Rega arm, but the huge gulf must have been more obvious in Ian's room. (I'm not arguing for choosing the Fluance or the Rega either way.) Disappointed that Ian didn't go with the 85, however. Most people seem to note a clear improvement with the addition of the acrylic platter; maybe it wouldn't be enough to close Ian's gap, but I absolutely can't see any reason to choose an 84 over an 85. If the $50 is that big a deal, the buyer is in over his head in the first place.
I agree with him mostly but he is making the tonearms deficiencies seem a bit worse than they are. Most people will like the RT85 as you can see by the reviews. A better table does sound a lot better though. The fluance tables are very resonant and I think the acrylic platter probably does affect the sound quite a bit. He used his own money though so you can't blame him.
Just stating fact- All brown turntables with black knobs are not the same. (I was just looking a a Thorens with a brown plinth and black knobs)... just as all lime green cars are not the same
These are all literally made at the same YaHorng factory in Taiwan, though, with factory parts chosen by the company that brands and sells the turntable. Finishes may be custom, and there may be some performance differences based on the components chosen. However, they are more alike in construction and components than two completely different cars painted the same color.
I don’t know what his price options looked like, but I can’t imagine the $50 price difference between the RT84 and RT85 was a major consideration for a guy who routinely buys gear far more expensive. Depending on when he bought it, though, it is possible RT85s were unavailable. Fluance had a lot of trouble trying to keep them in stock for quite a while.
Well, I bought the 84 rather than the 85 in December, when Amazon dropped the 84's price to $349. I bought the table for my bedroom system, and I wasn't sure how often I would use it, so spending less money up front made sense; I figured I could add the acrylic platter later if I wanted, with the total cost approximating that of the 85. But I agree that, at standard pricing, the 84 doesn't make much sense.
I understand your point and I was pointing out the irony... However let’s compare 2 vehicles made in the same factory Ford F-150 work truck, and the Ford F-150 Raptor.... same factory, widely different end user experience....
Sure. Specifically comparing the Crosley to the Fluance, I am sure the Fluance performs better because of the servo-controlled motor alone. However, it appears the platter/spindle/bearing is all the same, and I would wager it’s the same basic motor, just not servo controlled for the Crosley. The MDF plinth under the finish veneer is most definitely the same, but Crosley opted for different feet under it. I would expect about the same basic sound quality out of these, just better speed stability from the Fluance.
Agreed, however each company, as you know has their own spec/tolerances, so just because one looks similar to the other, performance may be vastly different. But you know all of this, you’ve been around long enough
Yeah, kinda forgot about that sale. The 84 at $350 and 82 at $250 were insane deals. The 84 gave you a table for $113. Get the new platter and it 's like a nice $30 coupon on the 85. The 82 made great sense for the person wanting a different cartridge brand.
A major problem with Ian liking the Planar 1 is that no one here at SHF can buy it. It pretty much has the be a 6 or you're just throwing away $.
Was that after they put the 2M Blue on the RT84? Originally they had a 2M Red on the RT84, which made it really poor value compared with the RT85. Although I believe the RT84 did originally have the acrylic platter. So they switched to the lesser platter on the RT84 but upgraded the cartridge, which I think increases the value proposition of the RT84, just based on 2M Blue stylus price vs. acrylic platter price. The 2M Blue is what makes either of these a good value in their price ranges.
The C8's total weight appears to be 12.79 lb, with the 82-84 coming in at 14.99, with the 81 at 14.1 and the hollow 80 at 9.9. Maybe they just add a couple of rocks to some of them.
I would buy the P3 but I can’t justify the nearly $500 extra cost at this point. Can someone explain the obvious differences aside from the cart, the bracing and adjustable anti skate?
