Тонармы — Reed Reed 2B 10,5"

The Reed 2B in its 10.5-inch version is a pivoted tonearm from Reed, the small Lithuanian firm that radio engineer Vidmantas Triukas set up in Kaunas in 2007 after a year of research and development. The 2B is offered in three effective lengths - 9.5, 10.5 and 12 inches - and this is the middle one. Reed ships the arm fully assembled, so the owner only mounts it and sets VTA, tracking force, azimuth and anti-skating. In the Reed price list it sits above the 1H and the 2G, with a US base price of USD 5,595.

Key specs that matter

The 10.5-inch geometry calls for a mounting distance of 251.6 mm, which equals the pivot to spindle distance, together with 15.4 mm of overhang and an offset angle of 20.7 degrees. Low-friction ceramic bearings let the arm carry cartridges weighing up to 35 g. Effective mass depends on the wooden armwand chosen at order - 10 g with light or dark Teak, 12 g with Wenge and 14 g with Macassar Ebony or Cocobolo. Arm height adjusts between 26 and 46 mm, and counterweights of 40, 60 or 105 g are listed. The metal parts come in Seashell White or Black.

Engineering and use context

The bearing assembly uses four high-precision ceramic ball bearings - one pair governs vertical motion, the other pair horizontal rotation, and only the top bearing takes vertical load. Anti-skating works by magnetic repulsion and has two separate regulation handles, so the force can be tuned independently for the start and the end of a side, even while a record is playing. Reed's reasoning is that skating force differs clearly between the outer, middle and inner grooves, and modern stylus profiles make that variation more relevant. Azimuth and VTA are set with plain set screws rather than the quick-adjust mechanisms of the earlier 2P and 3P arms. The armwand is replaceable and locks to the bearing housing through a LEMO connector, and the headshell can be swapped as well. The package holds an acrylic drilling template, a manual and a certificate.

Pairing

The high cartridge weight limit and the spread of effective mass allow the wand to be chosen to suit the weight and compliance of the intended cartridge. The deck in question must offer an armboard drilled for 10.5-inch geometry. Signal leaves either through a Van den Hul tonearm cable ending in a Cardas 5-pin DIN plug, or through a 125 cm Zavfino lead with KLEI or WBT Nextgen connectors.

Alternatives

The Reed 2G in the same 10.5-inch length is the step below the 2B in the Reed tonearm price list, at USD 5,395 in the US.