ABSOLUTE SOUNDS DISTRIBUTING REED IN THE UK

Reed turntables tonearms are now available in the UK via distributor Absolute Sounds and its network of HiFi retailers.

High End HiFi distributor Absolute Sounds, is now distributing Reed turntables and tonearms from Lithuania.

Reed Muse 3C turntable

REED

Established in 2007, Reed built its reputation on the development and manufacturing of tonearms. As well as a range of tonearms, the company’s current range includes two turntables.

Reed 5T tonearm

REED TONEARMS

Reed has five tonearm models, all of which are elegantly designed with slender arm tubes, or ‘armwands’, as Reed calls them, reminiscent of an artist’s brush or a calligrapher’s pen. The company’s logo and its tagline, “For painting on silence” continues this theme.

Reed 5A

Three of Reed’s tonearms, the 1H, 2G and 3P, are radial designs, available in 9.5in, 10.5in and 12.5in lengths. The flagship 5A and 5T are tangential-pivot tonearms, with the 5T including a laser to track the tonearm’s lateral motion and a battery powered motor to apply real-time correction.

Reed 3P

WOOD CHOICES

The tonearms come with a choice of options, including wooden armwands, with a choice of woods including wenge, light or dark teak, macassar ebony and cocobolo. The fifth model, the 1H, features a wood-damped carbon fibre armwand. There is also a choice of finish options for the headshell and main assembly. All models offer a choice of black or seashell white, with some additionally offering satin palladium, matt gold or glossy gold.

Reed 2G

HEADSHELLS

The headshells are user-replaceable and, for all but the 1H, the armwands are replaceable too. The effective mass of the wooden armwands can be adapted to each customer’s needs, and a range of counterweights may also be specified. There is a wide range of wiring options too.

AZIMUTH ADJUSTMENT

All Reed tonearms include height and azimuth adjustment, with the 3P offering on-the-fly fine VTA adjustment and the ability to adjust azimuth whilst playing a record. The 2G model includes the option of laser calibrated VTA and azimuth adjustment.

REED TURNTABLES

Reed’s two turntable models are the flagship Muse 3C which offers the ability to mount two tonearms and includes a pair of direct-current motors. The turntable can be used as both a friction-driven and belt-driven desig, although friction-driven as standard, by flicking a switch and adding a belt, the user can convert it to a belt-driven design. Other features include a reverse sliding thrust bearing, traction rollers to remove mechanical vibration, a quartz-based phase lock loop system for precise speed control and an electronic inclinometer to ensure perfect horizontal alignment.

Reed Muse 1C

The other turntable is the Muse 1C, which features a simplified, resonance-free wooden body with various features trickled down from the 3C, including the main bearing, traction control and electronic inclinometer. Although not user-switchable between friction drive and belt drive in the manner of the 3C, it is available in either form as the customer prefers. Speed options include 16, 33 1/3, 45 and 78 RPM, with the 78 RPM speed manually adjustable from 70 to 85 RPM. The Muse 1C is available in two finish options, moonlit black or Karelian birch.

Reed 1H

ABSOLUTE SOUNDS

Ricardo Franassovici, Absolute Sounds’ company’s founder and MD, told us “Vinyl remains an important part of the high-end audio landscape – arguably more important now than it was a decade ago – and we are fortunate to be associated with some of the world’s finest turntables from the likes of Continuum Audio Labs, EAT and TechDAS. We have admired Reed’s exquisite tonearms for some time, but the company’s range is now better than ever – these exceptional tonearms and turntables are the perfect addition to our portfolio of products for vinyl lovers.”

REED TURNTABLES AND TONEARMS PRICING

UK RRPs for Reed tonearms vary according to the required specification. The base retail prices are:

REED 1H: £3,098

REED 2G: £3,498

REED 3P: £4,298

REED 5A: £7,798

REED 5T: £15,500

UK RRPs for the two Reed turntable models are:

MUSE 1C (belt drive): £9,998

MUSE 1C (friction drive): £11,998

MUSE 3C: £19,500

HiFi Pig Says: Good news for British vinyl fans!