Reed SF Optical Cartridge And EQ Phono Equalizer

All Image Credit: Reed

Reed hails from Lithuania and is only the second company to release an optical cartridge, the Reed SF. This optical design is similar in operating principle to the DS Audio optical cartridge range in that it uses an LED light source that is shaded from a photo cell using a “mask” that is attached to the cantilever.

Movements of the cantilever cause the amount of light striking the photo cell to vary with the groove movements creating a varying output voltage. Its major advantages are:

Its all analog
A lighter moving cantilever
No “resistive” forces between the fixed and/or moving magnetic fields.

The above provides an improved frequency response, better tracking and responsiveness and a higher output voltage.

The cartridge features a sapphire cantilever and a Micro Ridge stylus, with a tracking force range of 1.5 to 2.0 grams. Such a design requires a dedicated power source to drive the LED and a dedicated phono amplifier to correctly RIAA equalize the cartridges output.

The Reed EQ phono equalizer is designed specifically for optical cartridges. It offers both RCA and balanced XLR analog line level outputs and provides:

Mute switch – Removes the signal from the output, useful when mounting or adjusting the cartridge
Filter switch (30Hz/50Hz) – Selects the high-pass filter cut-off frequency, allowing for better compatibility with different tonearm parameters
Line/Phono switch – Switches between line and headphone output

Powering the Reed SF and Reed EQ is the Reed PSU. It is designed to provide stable and clean power, crucial for the performance of this head-end device. The use of an external power supply reduces potential noise and interference, helping to contribute to the overall performance by using three separate power transformers to power different modules, further isolating the electronic circuits to minimize interference. It further isolates the LED power source by using a battery to drive it, completely eliminating any possibility of PSU induced hum and noise affecting the LED light source.

Specifications:

Reed SF:
- Signal output: Photo-electric Conversion
- Channel separation: 27 dB more（1KHz）
- Weight: 9.8 g
- Output signal level: 70 mV
- Cantilever: Sapphire
- Body material: HD phenolic resin / aviation aluminum
- Needle pressure: 2.0 g～2.2 g (2.1 g is recommended)
- Stylus: Micro Ridge
Reed EQ:
- Output voltage: 600mV at 1KHz with Reed SF cartridge connected
- Input terminal: RCA Terminals
- Output terminal: RCA Terminals, XLR Terminals
- Size: 330Wx330Dx80H mm
- Output impedance: 47 Ω
- Weight: 5.3 Kg
- Compatible headphone impedance: 32 – 600 Ω
- Color: Black or white
Reed PSU:
- Size (WxDxH): 340x330x110 mm
- Weight: 10.7Kg
- Color: Black or white

Availability:

Mid 2025

MSRP (cartridge/EQ+PSU):

US: $TBA
UK: £TBA
EU: €9,600/€35,400

For more information visit the Reed web site:

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One man's quest for audio perfection

One man's quest for audio perfection

Reed SF Optical Cartridge And EQ Phono Equalizer