In honor of Audiophile Day, we right here at AP thought we’d put the highlight on a brand new turntable that will get our high-end hi-fi juices flowing — and the Reed Muse 3A ’desk suits that invoice to a T.
A few of you might already be aware of a pair of different nice Reed ’tables — particularly, the Muse 3C and Muse 1C, each of which share some options with the brand new 3A.
Earlier than we get to what’s new and what’s shared amongst these cool Reed ’tables, right here’s a background refresher on this small however formidable Lithuanian firm. Designer, firm proprietor, and radio engineer Vidmantas Triukas has been professionally lively within the hi-fi audio gear universe since 1985. Triukas spent a lot of his time working in what’s often known as the “scientific acoustic and ultrasound space,” researching the transmission of acoustic noise in several supplies, and he has three patented innovations in that associated area. As for the corporate itself, along with turntables, Reed additionally presents tonearms and associated equipment like a tonearm elevate, further headshells and customized bins to maintain them in, and a document mat.
The eagle-eyed artwork appreciators amongst us will readily observe that the design of the Reed Muse 3A very a lot follows the Bauhaus model, which tends to concentrate on clear, geometric shapes and rounded corners. All the physique of the 3A, together with the underside, is made out of birch plywood, which the corporate says “makes it sturdy, steady, and non-resonant.”
The Muse 3A is available in three totally different colour choices (all of which could be seen all through this story): Carnelian pink, white, and black. The platter, which is raised barely above the principle physique and the hidden assist toes, is alleged to “create an phantasm of a light-weight, nearly hovering merchandise.”
The Muse 3A’s major bearing system mirrors the one used within the Muse 3C — i.e., the principle axis is a reverse sliding thrust ball. That bearing ball is produced from chrome steel, and the ’desk’s lateral stability is alleged to be achieved by “utilizing a really sturdy and low-noise sliding bearing.”
The Muse 3A has a consumer changeable traction system that may be switched to belt drive or friction drive operation — once more, much like that of the Muse 3C. That mentioned, the principle distinction between the brand new Muse 3A and the prior fashions, the 3C and 1C, is the Muse 3A makes use of a single, highly effective, precision coreless DC motor, which is alleged to “guarantee much less noise coming from the drive system, which can be transferred to [the] LP and phono cartridge.”
The Muse 3A additionally sports activities a digital management system indicator, which specifies the rotating pace of the platter (33 1/3rpm and 45rpm) together with different working system data. Moreover, the show exhibits an inclinometer related to a “very correct” stage, which is alleged to help with horizontality changes.
The Muse 3A permits customers to mount one or two tonearms — both heart, or off-center — with an efficient size from 9.5in to 12in inclusive.
Different specs embody a quartz-based phased-locked loop (PLL) pace stabilizing system, max common pace deviation of ±0.05%, provide voltage of +12V DC by way of a 100-240V AC adapter, dimensions of 345 x 150 x 560mm (w/h/l) with one tonearm mounting and 345 x 150 x 730mm (w/h/l) with two tonearm mountings, a packed weight of 23kg, and an unpacked weight (i.e., sans tonearms) of 15kg.
The brand new Reed Muse 3A turntable has an SRP of 15,000€, which converts to $15,729 U.S., given the present alternate fee on the time of this posting.
For extra about Reed, go right here.
To seek out a certified Reed distributor, go right here, and scroll all the way down to the “Our Companions Worldwide” part.