Reed Muse 3C
The Reed Muse 3C is a precision-engineered analogue platform built around quartz-locked speed stability, a low-noise bearing and exceptional setup flexibility. Best of High End highlights its convertible friction-or-belt drive, while twin arm mounts accommodate contrasting cartridges for a truly bespoke vinyl front end.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
82/100
Build Quality
88/100
Features Usability
84/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Converts between friction and belt drive in minutes, offering unusual flexibility in a high-end deck.
Quartz PLL speed regulation and a specified 0.05% maximum average-speed deviation support precise 33⅓ and 45rpm playback.
Supports one or two standard-mount tonearms from 9.5 to 12 inches, enabling multiple arm and cartridge combinations.
Symmetrical drive and low-noise polymer bearing design are engineered to reduce mechanical noise and bearing load.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 82/100
The available coverage documents a sophisticated, low-noise bearing and tightly regulated drive system, but provides no direct listening impressions of the Muse 3C's musical character. Its flexible two-arm platform should let owners tailor the final result with their preferred arm and cartridge.
Overall Sound
75/100
The available review provides no direct account of tonal balance, resolution, dynamics, rhythm, or musical involvement. It therefore offers little basis for judging how the complete turntable sounds in a listening system.
Speed Stability
88/100
Reed uses a quartz-based phase-locked-loop speed-control system, and states that average-speed deviation is governed by the quartz crystal's parameters. The specified maximum average-speed deviation of 0.05% also points to carefully controlled 33⅓ and 45rpm operation.
Tonearm Performance
87/100
The deck accepts one or two standard-mount tonearms spanning 9.5 to 12 inches, offering unusually broad scope for matching arms and cartridges. There is no listening evidence on a particular arm installation or its tracking behavior.
Noise Isolation
84/100
The reverse sliding thrust-ball bearing and symmetrical drive are intended to reduce radial loading and mechanical noise. The review also identifies a durable low-noise polymer sliding bearing, although it does not report listening tests for rumble, vibration, or footfall resistance.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
88/100
The Muse 3C is the product of extensive prototyping and long-term experimentation, with a reverse sliding thrust-ball main bearing and a symmetrical drive arrangement. Mechanical and electronic protection systems, along with the carefully specified bearing materials, suggest thorough engineering attention to durability and precision.
Features Usability
84/100
Quartz-regulated electronic speed control and support for either one or two tonearms make this a flexible high-end platform. It is otherwise a focused manual design, with no built-in phono stage, cartridge, automation, or convenience connectivity described in the available material.
Value for Money
85/100
At approximately $21,400 to $31,975, the Muse 3C sits in a specialist luxury segment where its dual-arm capability, precision bearing, and regulated drive are meaningful attractions. The available review does not directly compare its value with competing turntables at this price.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Drive
- Friction or belt (optional), two direct current (DC) motors
- Speed
- 33 1/3 rpm, 45 rpm
- Speed stabilizing system
- Quartz-based phase locked loop (PLL)
- Max deviation of average speed
- 0.05 %
- Supply voltage
- DC 12V, via 100 – 240V AC adapter
- Inclinometer accuracy range
- 1 mm per meter
- Product dimensions
- 550 x 420 x 240 mm
- Packaging dimensions
- 650 x 520 x 350 mm
- Product weight netto
- 25 kg
- Product weight brutto
- 29 kg
- Tonearms
- up to two, any standard mount; effective length from 9,5” to 12”
Manufacturer's Description — Reed
After more than three years idea-crunching and countless man hours of CADing, prototyping, programming and real-life testing, we built our first commercially available turntable – Reed Muse 3C. Is it somehow unique? Well, yes! Whether you are fan of friction-driven turntables (the famous Garrard is made that way), or if you think that the right way to build turntables is to use a pair of motors and a belt, Reed Muse 3C should catch your eye.
Thanks to its unique and innovative design, you can convert friction-driven turntable to a belt-driven machine in 5 minutes.
After extensive prototyping and long-term experiments we came up to a solution of using a reverse sliding thrust ball bearing for a main axis. Bearing ball is made either from steel or ceramics and the lateral stability is achieved by using very durable and low-noise polymer sliding bearing. Symmetrical drive system is designed to avoid radial bearing load, hence minimizing possible mechanical noise and ensuring longevity of a master bearing.
Muse 3C is powered by two direct current motors and by design is friction-driven, however its major innovation is possibility to convert it to a belt-driven system in minutes by replacing traction rollers and putting on a belt (and, of course, setting a switch to a correct position). To prevent possible mechanical vibration, we use traction rollers (be it friction or belt) of different diameters, spinning at different velocities and having mathematically non-multiple diameters to driving disc diameter. Disc velocity is stabilized by quartz-based phase locked loop (PLL) system, so average speed deviation depends solely on the parameters of quartz crystal. Turntable drive is equipped with both mechanical and electronic protection systems.
Turntable also features electronic inclinometer (electronic level dedicated to measure turntable slope/tilt angle), which allows user to achieve perfect horizontal alignment without using additional tools.
Turntable can be equipped with one or two tonearms with effective length ranging from 9.5” to 12”.
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Authorized dealers for Reed Muse 3C
- A 10 Audio Room 4 Music — in-store — Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (website)
- Absolute Audio - Canada — in-store — Calgary, Alberta, Canada (website)
- Absolute Sounds — in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Alma Music & Audio — online and in-store — San Diego, California, United States (website)
- Alternative Audio — in-store — Taunton, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Ana Mighty Sound — online and in-store — Paris, Île-de-France, France (website)
- Artisan Fidelity — in-store — Dyer, Indiana, United States (website)
- Audio Aktoren — online and in-store — Horten, Vestfold, Norway (website)
- Audio Freak — Germany (website)
- Audio Tempel — online and in-store — Zwolle, Overijssel, Netherlands (website)
and 25 more verified dealers