Тонармы — Dohmann Audio REED 3P 12"

The Reed 3P 12-inch is the long version of the Reed 3P tonearm, one of the arms listed in the Dohmann Audio tonearm range, where it sits next to 9.5-inch and 10.5-inch versions of the same design. The 3P is the third model in the Reed tonearm range, and a number of its features, magnetic antiskating among them, were first developed in the Reed Mag prototype that appeared at the Analog Forum in Krefeld, Germany, in 2011. The bearing is formally a gimbal type, yet the maker states that it acts like a unipivot.

Key specs that matter

At 12 inches of effective length the arm needs a mounting distance of 283.8 mm, and the pivot sits 295.6 mm from the spindle. Geometry is set with an overhang of 13.4 mm and an offset angle of 17.6 degrees. The armwand is made of wood, and the buyer chooses between Wenge, Macassar Ebony, Cocobolo, Teak Light and Teak Dark. The metalwork is finished to order in Seashell White, Black, Palladium, Gold Matte or Gold Gloss. Approximate effective mass depends on the wood - 10 to 14 g for Wenge, 12 to 18 g for Macassar Ebony and Cocobolo, and 8 to 12 g for the two teak variants, with the range covering all three arm lengths. The headshell is replaceable.

Engineering and use context

Three pivots carry the moving assembly, and magnetic stabilizers hold it steady in each plane of motion. Reed describes the result as a bearing with the rigidity of a gimbal and a friction coefficient as low as that of a unipivot. The main parameters - VTA, azimuth and antiskating - can be changed on the fly while a record is playing. The azimuth mechanism lets the cartridge swing around the stylus tip during adjustment, so the other settings of the arm stay intact while the tilt is corrected. Antiskating force is produced magnetically rather than by a weight on a thread. Because the longer arm reduces the change of tracking angle across the record side, the 12-inch geometry uses a smaller offset angle than the shorter 3P versions.

Pairing

This mounting distance requires an armboard or plinth prepared for a 12-inch arm, and Dohmann turntables such as the Helix One have been supplied with Reed arms. The spread of effective mass between the woods gives some room to match cartridge compliance - a teak wand keeps the moving mass low, while ebony or cocobolo adds mass for stiffer moving coil designs.

Alternatives

Among the Reed arms listed by Dohmann Audio, the Reed 5A takes a different route as a tangential tonearm built around a 90-degree pivot.