2. analog
  3. 1308960997

Reed tonearm w/ Raven One table-how's the match ?

I soon expect to go for a Raven One, but it's tough deciding on an arm for it. Currently own an SME IV.Vi, but want easier adjustability. I'm considering the Reed 2A or 2P with cedar wood and the C37 Finewire in copper with Eichmann Copper Bullet plugs. My listening preference is mainly orchestral music.I do like a slightly soft edged, warm/dark sound and don't mind giving up a bit of top end air but wish to preserve presence from instruments at the rear of the orchestral soundstage. For any of you who have this combo,what say you? Too much warmth interfering with what I'm looking/listening for or not? I have Dynavector XV-1S and Benz Ebony LP cartridges,reasonably neutral Ear 88PB preamp,Air Tight ATM-3 amps,Dunlavy SC-4 speakers.
opus88
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dear Jarret, I agree with Dobbins that Red Cedar is the
best 'universal' choice ( aka suitabble for the most modern
carts) but that 'they all are oiled and their density difference tend to diminish' make no sense to me. The difference is in the eff. mass. My 2A ,12'' is 27 gr.eff.mass. You
can compare your Red Cedar 2A , 12" eff. mass with my Pernambucco and see the difference.

Regards,
opus88 OP
530 posts
 
Hi Jarrett, I notice you have an Ortofon A-90 in addition to the Miyajima Kansui. Any chance you might be able to provide a brief comparative description of the sound of each with your Reed arm once you've had the chance to try those combos? Thanks very much.
jarrett
38 posts
 
Here's what Steve sent me on the eff. mass:

The hardwoods add effective mass and tend to favor lower compliance carts, although only slightly. In any case, don't get hung up on wood choice. It matters very little in sonics and cart choice, unlike most other arms. There are SO many more factors involved in arm/cart matching than effective mass.

I don't have the A-90 any longer so unfortunately I can't make the comparison to the Kansui in the Reed. The Kansui was more natural and solid than the A-90 in my previous VPI 12.5 though.
opus88 OP
530 posts
 
"The Kansui was more natural and solid...". That sounds fine with me. Thanks.
suteetat
435 posts
 
Jarrett, I assume your Kansui cartridge is a Miyajima.
I just heard it with Reed Cocobolo wand. Great sounding cartridge that matches better with Reed than TW Acoustic Raven arm.

If I get a second Reed arm, (may be in the next year or two, hopefully), I definitely am thinking about Red Cedar as well. I think that with Red Cedar and Cocobolo, The two should cover almost all the cartridges available that I might consider.
More to discover