Тонармы — Reed Reed 2B 9.5"

The Reed 2B 9.5-inch is the shortest version of the 2B tonearm made by Reed, a five-person workshop in Kaunas, Lithuania, run by designer Vidmantas Triukas, a radio engineer who has worked in audio since 1985. The same arm is also built at 10.5 and 12 inches, and the 9.5-inch length is the default option when ordering. It leaves the factory already assembled, which reduces installation to fixing it on the plinth and then dialling in VTA, stylus force, azimuth and anti-skating. The European base price is EUR 3,580.70, and choosing the 10.5-inch or 12-inch length adds EUR 96.70 or EUR 232.20.

Key specs that matter

For this length Reed specifies 223 mm between the pivot and the spindle, the same figure used as mounting distance, plus 17 mm of overhang and a 22.9 degree offset angle. Because of its ceramic bearings the arm accepts cartridges as heavy as 35 g. Wand choice sets the effective mass - 8 g in Teak, light or dark, 10 g in Wenge, and 12 g in Macassar Ebony or Cocobolo, which makes this the lightest version of the 2B. A Panzerholz wand is listed as a further option. Height can be varied over a 26 to 46 mm range. Buyers pick a Seashell White or Black finish and one of three counterweights of 40, 60 and 105 g.

Engineering and use context

Four ceramic ball bearings form the pivot - two handle movement in the vertical plane and two the horizontal swing, while vertical loading rests only on the uppermost one. Instead of a single fixed setting, the magnetic repulsion anti-skating has two set screws, one for the lead-in area and one for the inner grooves, because Reed measured clear changes in skating force from the edge to the label. Both can be moved during play. VTA and azimuth use simple set-screw adjustment, a change from the quick-adjust hardware found on the older 2P and 3P. The wooden wand detaches through a LEMO plug, so a second wand in another timber can be kept ready, and the headshell is also interchangeable. Reed supplies an acrylic template for drilling the armboard, along with a manual and a certificate.

Pairing

With its low effective mass, the 9.5-inch 2B suits turntables built around the common 9-inch class armboard, and the light Teak wand leaves room for higher-compliance cartridges. Cable options include a Van den Hul lead terminated with a Cardas 5-pin DIN plug.

Alternatives

The Reed 1H 9.5-inch is the entry model among Reed tonearms, pairing a carbon fibre wand with a cardanic bearing at a US price of USD 5,195.