Pro-Ject or Fluance: Who’s Stealing the Spotlight?

Pro-Ject vs Fluance – both companies produce seriously good turntables and have built loyal followings in recent decades.

Each manufacturer provides a great range of product offerings, high-quality turntables, and excellent reviews from experts and audiophiles.

Which company should you choose, and which turntable is best? Read on to find out!

We certainly hope you find this article helpful, informative and unbiased. Just so you know, we may receive compensation if you use the links on this page. If you do, thank you so much!

Do Pro-Ject and Fluance Make Good Turntables?

While Fluance has fewer turntable models, they do have a good range of features and price points.

Fluance turntables have high-quality construction, particularly in attention to detail in their popular RT85 model.

Popular Fluance Turntable Models

Fluance RT85 Turntable with Ortofon Cartridge,...

Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable...

Fluance RT80 Classic High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable...

Pro-Ject on the other hand, has a much more comprehensive range of turntables, with specialty lines, features, and designs to cater to different needs and preferences.

Because Pro-Ject has such a wide range of turntables optimized for different needs, they offer a wider choice for audiophiles who want a precise selection of features and specs.

Popular Pro-Ject Turntable Models

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC Turntable with Ortofon 2M...

Pro-Ject - Debut Carbon Esprit SB (Black)

Pro-Ject T1 Turntable (Satin Walnut)

Conversely, Fluance offers a superior value in terms of an individual unit sporting exceptional components.

When making a choice between Fluance and Pro-Ject, it’s always a matter of finding good information that helps you make the right decision.

A Little About the Pro-Ject Company

Founded in 1991, Pro-Ject started with the mission to offer the best analogue experience at reasonable prices.

With digital audio media on the rise, and vinyl considered outdated and dead, Heinz Lichtenegger kept his belief in a simple way to enjoy music – turntables.

The aim was to get as many people as possible and deliver a real stereo experience for the lowest cost possible.

The best way to start was with a proper well-built turntable without unnecessary features.

Fluance as a Company

In 1999, Fluance began with founder, Deepak Jain in Niagara Falls, Canada. Deepak found listening to his music at home lacked the impact of live shows.

This formed the ultimate goal of Fluance to develop high-performance music systems that recreate the concert experience.

Fluance has strived to make serious performance accessible to everyone by developing award-winning products for audio enthusiasts.

Pro-Ject and Fluance, How Similar Are They?

For the purpose of direct comparison, let’s look more closely at the Fluance RT85 vs the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC.

What We Looked For

Cartridge

Ortofon cartridges have become incredibly popular in recent years because they offer fantastic all-around sound quality in their price range.

These cartridges are standard and easily upgradable, whichever turntable you choose.

Ortofon 2M Red

The Ortofon 2M Red has a standard elliptical diamond stylus

Ortofon 2M Red

Ortofon 2M Blue

The Ortofon 2M Blue is a nude stylus, with the diamond fastened directly to the cantilever.

Ortofon 2M Blue

The 2M Blue costs more than twice as much as the Ortofon Red because it has a lower mass for more agile tracking, and better reproduction of high-frequency sounds.

Winner – FLUANCE RT85

Why? – Higher quality cartridge

Tonearm

These turntables have significantly different tonearm constructions, which affects the resonance and potential for interference in the audio. Which is better?

Aluminum

Aluminum has been a favorite material for tonearms for decades because of its combination of light weight and stiffness.

Fluance RT85 aluminum tonearm

The Fluance RT85 has an aluminum tonearm with an effective mass of 27.5 grams.

Carbon fiber

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon line’s claim to fame is their carbon fiber tonearm, which gives exceptional strength at an incredibly low weight, reducing unwanted resonance.

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC carbon fiber tonearm

The effective mass of the Debut Carbon DC tonearm is just 6 grams.

Winner – PRO-JECT DEBUT CARBON DC

Why? – Revolutionary tonearm design

Sound Dampening Features

One of the distinguishing characteristics of a high-quality turntable is the selection and engineering of materials to reduce and isolate sound.

This attention to sound-dampening affects every aspect of the turntable’s design and manufacture.

Fluance RT85 Sound-Dampening Features

• Solid wood plinth has a multi-layered wood chassis that inhibits unwanted resonance, with adjustable resonance damping feet
• High-density acrylic platter with a natural resonant frequency that is similar to vinyl, so it cancels unwanted reverberations and dissipates excess energy
• Motor isolation with seven points of silicone rubber and a decoupling isolation ring suppresses motor vibrations and prevents them from reaching the stylus
• Gold-plated RCA outputs suppress unwanted noise

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC Sound-Dampening Features

• Carbon tube tonearm decreases unwanted resonance
• High-density acrylic platter with a natural resonant frequency that is similar to vinyl, so it cancels unwanted reverberations and dissipates excess energy
• Low noise AC motor with motor decoupling via TPE-damping provides stability without unwanted vibration
• Gold-plated RCA outputs suppress unwanted noise

Winner – FLUANCE RT85

Why? – Greater sound suppression and isolation throughout the turntable

Wow and Flutter, Speed Drift

Wow and flutter were once measured and rated separately but are now treated as a single measurement of speed fluctuations during playback.

All analog playback mechanisms are subject to some degree of wow and flutter.

Even digital media can have fluctuations due to crystal oscillations; below a certain threshold, these variations are inaudible.

Likewise, there is always some degree of speed variation because of natural fluctuations in energy flow through a turntable.

Winner – BOTH!

Why? – While the Fluance RT85 has better specs than the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC, both turntables have an excellent score for these metrics. The variations are below the level of human hearing.

Final Recount

These turntables really are very similar to each other, and both perform exceptionally well.

The Pro-Ject carbon fiber tonearm is a clear advantage, with an effective mass that is less than ¼ that of the RT85.

However, the Fluance RT85 is the clear winner of this comparison, with a significantly better cartridge and more quality construction and sound isolation properties throughout the entire turntable.

Pros and Cons of Each

Fluance RT85 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable	The Good Orofon 2M blue cartridge Sound isolating plinth reduces unwanted vibrations High-density acrylic platter	The Not So Good Heavy tonearm
Pro-Ject – Debut Carbon DC	The Good Light carbon tonearm Heavy non-resonant acrylic platter Has improved speed control over earlier Debut Carbon turntables	The Not So Good Fewer sound reduction and isolation features

Pro-Ject vs Fluance – Which is the Superior Turntable?

Fluance vs Pro-Ject – both make excellent turntables.

Overall, we found Fluance excels at quality construction and attention to detail throughout their product line.

It’s a good choice for people who want to simply buy a turntable and enjoy their music without a lot of fuss and customization.

However, high-end Pro-Ject turntables may not stand up to direct comparison with other premium record players in their price range.

Overall, while some Pro-Ject turntables will outperform the competition, Fluance is a slightly better brand.

Specifically, the Fluance RT85 has better construction, specs, and attention to detail than the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC offered at a slightly more affordable price.

Fluance RT85 Turntable

Victrola Record Players: Love ‘Em? Or Hate ‘Em?..

The modern age has certainly brought us a lot of technological advances, even in the realm of music. There was the dawn of the compact disc and CD players, and don’t forget the streaming and downloading of music online.

Many thought that these advancements also brought the end of the analog age with them. That vinyl records will say goodbye for good.

Fortunately for us music lovers, that wasn’t the case. There is a re-emergence for the love of analog, and we’re slowly going back to our roots. Vinyl tracks are now back on trend, and so are the record players that play them.

Of the many brands that manufacture record players, though, which one is the best? Are Victrola Record Players good? That’s what we are going to talk about today. We will take a closer look at this well-known brand and determine whether or not their record players are worth your money.

Victrola – A Brief History

According to the company’s website, Victrola is one of the oldest names in the music industry as a manufacturer of audio appliances.

Having been founded in 1906, the brand has seen and survived a lot of changes in technology and collected decades of expertise under their belt.

They have also established a name as being a brand that uses high-quality materials, especially in their record players.

Are Victrola Record Players Good?

Yes, they are. Their record players are very competitive and are known to have a lot of features combined with great design. Aside from that, their units also have great overall sound quality that can be difficult to find amongst other brands with the same price range as them.

Speaking of which, they have a wide spectrum of various record players at different price ranges. They have entry-level pieces and higher-end ones, each made with the same Victrola guarantee. Don’t worry; we will look at their best products later on.

Different Features You Should Look for in a Record Player

For now, let’s learn about the different features that you should keep an eye out when looking for a quality record player.

1. The Tonearm

This is the part that directs the cartridge and the stylus towards your record. Having a tonearm made of quality materials is a must, and getting automated features isn’t bad either. There are record players that have tonearms that automatically rise and return to position once the track ended.

2. The Cartridge

The quality of your cartridge will depend on the quality of your unit. Entry-level record players, for instance, will come with lower quality cartridges.

This part holds the stylus that will read your track, so getting a good one is a must. Also, take note that you can always level-up your cartridge as long as your unit’s cartridge is replaceable.

3. Casing

Choose a record player with a heavier, thicker casing that seeks to reduce vibrations. These can compromise the sound quality and durability of your unit. Plus points if you can get a unit that comes with its own cover and has an awesome design.

4. Speed Setting

Different vinyl records come in various sizes and require different speed settings. Some record players can only accommodate a specific size and speed setting, but it would be great if you can find a piece that can play all three common speeds at 33, 45, and 78 RPM.

5. Additional Features

Finally, it’s always nice to get a record player that has a lot of other functionalities, such as CD playing, audio converting and recording, and Bluetooth connectivity.

There are definitely other factors out there that can make or break a good record player, but the ones we listed above are the most basic foundations that any decent unit needs to have.

Our Favorite Victrola Record Players

Now that we are more aware of the basic features of a record player, the question is, how do Victrola’s units measure up? Let’s take a quick look at Victrola’s best units. By the way, we will use the features we listed above as a guide on how to evaluate their units.

1. The Victrola Retro Record Player

This piece has a retro fifties look and has a lot of interesting features. First of all, it has three-speed settings. It can also function as a CD player and a radio, not to mention that it has Bluetooth as well. It is affordably priced, mid-ranged to be precise, and is excellent for beginners.

2. The Victrola Portable Suitcase Record Player

Record players are not always portable because they are significantly heavier compared to turntables thanks to their added components and features. This is why this piece by Victrola is a pleasant surprise for those who need their record players on-the-go.

Like the previous unit, this also has three-speed settings and Bluetooth connectivity. It lacks the other features, true, but it’s still a great option for those looking for an affordable piece just to play vinyl records exclusively.

3. The Victrola Navigator 8-in-1 Classic Bluetooth Record Player

For those who don’t mind the added weight and less portability, but rather value the functionality of the unit instead, then you might want to take a look at the Navigator. As the name suggests, it has a lot of neat features.

It even has a cassette player that the other units above don’t have. It is elegantly designed in a mid-century look, and this is honestly one of our favorite Victrola units.

You might have noticed that we didn’t include any information about the cartridge and tonearm of any of the units. That’s because Victrola’s product pages are lacking in information. That’s certainly something they should improve on.

The Bottom Line

Are Victrola record players good? In terms of quality products, we have enjoyed testing out the units above, and we can confidently say that they are feature-packed record players with great sound quality and overall design.

We also like the fact that most of their models offer various style and color options that can match any music lover’s personality.

How about you, what’s your favorite Victrola record player?