REED 5A User manual

Angling 90°
tangential
pivot
tonearm
Model
5A
User manual

Figure 1
1. Tonearm assembly
a) Unpack box contents (Figure 1).
Please read the User Manual before starting
to assemble tonearm. Not following
assembly instructions may permanently
damage the tonearm.
Figure 2
b) Remove the top packaging layer.
c) Take out the template [2], a counterweight
[3], all the accessories [4] and the top
bearings [5] (Figure 2).
Figure 3
d) Take out the tonearm parts: tonearm body
[6], armwand [7], front link [8] and
tonearm frame with lever [9] (Figure 2 and
Figure 3).
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Figure 4
e) Take tonearm frame with lever [9] and put
it on armwand [7] so that the armwand
[7] passes through the tonearm frame [9]
(Figure 4).
Figure 5
f) Set armwand [7] on tonearm frame pivots
[9a] and [9b] and check if they are in
correct positions (Figure 5). Needle of the
bearing must be embedded in
sapphire V cup.
Figure 6
g) Take the hex (allen) key from accessories
[4] and top bearing [5] (Figure 2). Top
bearing must be screwed out of
bearing protection.
h) Set the front link [8] on a bottom bearing
of the front link vertical axis [8b] (Figure
6).
i) Screw in the top bearing [5] of the front
link [8] vertical axis and tighten it with
your fingers without applying excessive
force. Needle of the bearing must be
embedded in sapphire V cup. (Figure
6).
j) Check if the front link vertical axis bearings
[8a] and [8b] are in correct positions
(Figure 6).
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Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
k) Take the hex (allen) key from accessories
[4] and top bearing [5] (Figure 2). Top
bearing must be screwed out of
bearing protection.
l) Take the tonearm frame with lever and
armwand [9] and set it on a bottom
bearing [11b] of the back link [11] vertical
axis (Figure 7). Needle of the bearing
must be embedded in sapphire V cup.
m) Screw in the top bearing [5] of the back
link [11] vertical axis and tighten it with
your fingers without applying excessive
force. Needle of the bearing must be
embedded in sapphire V cup. (Figure
8).
n) Check if the back link vertical axis bearings
[11a] and [11b] are in correct positions
(Figure 9). Needle of the bearing must
be embedded in sapphire V cup.
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Figure 10
o) Set tonearm lever [9c] on the tonearm
front link [8] so that the lever bearing
needle [9d] would be embed in sapphire V
cup of the tonearm front link [8] (Figure
10).
Figure 11
p) Check if the tonearm lever bearing [9d] is
in correct position. Needle of the bearing
must be embedded in sapphire V cup.
Check if the armwand can move freely.
Fasten armwand [7] using fastening screw
[6a] (Figure 11).
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Figure 12
2. Tonearm mounting:
Mount the tonearm onto a turntable using
template [2] (Figure 2).
a) On the turntable, mark three tonearm base
mounting holes (Figure 12) using Reed
mounting drawing and check the position of
holes using a Reed template [2] (Figure 2).
b) Drill three 4.2 mm holes and thread them
with M5 thread.
c) Fix the armboard in a designated place
using a Reed template (Figure 12).
Figure 13
d) Take the tonearm base [10] (Figure 2)
and set it on the armboard so that the
centers of three holes overlap armboard
holes. Fix the tonearm base with three
M5 screws (Figure 13).
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Figure 14
e) Set tonearm body [6] on the base [10].
Fixing screw [6b] must match with the
groove [10a] in tonearm base. Fix the
screw [6b] with hex (allen) key (Figure
14).
Figure 15
Figure 16
f) Fix the screw [6c] on the other side of
tonearm body [6] with hex (allen) key
[4] (Figure 15).
g) Attach a cartridge of your choice to the
headshell. Check cartridge position with
Reed protractor [1] (Figure 1) after Step
3, Step 4, Step 5 and Step 6.
h) Put counterweight frame [3] onto the
holder [7a] and fasten it with the fixing
screw [3a] (Figure 16).
WARNING!
Before using your tonearm (making
adjustments or playing LPs) make sure
that all bearings of front link and back link
vertical and horizontal axis are in correct
position (Figure 5, 6, 9, 11).
Failing to set bearings and pivots
correctly may permanently damage
the cartridge, tonearm and LP.
Be careful while connecting or
disconnecting wire connectors to the
cartridge, because tonearm wiring is
very fragile. For connecting and
disconnecting wires, use tweezers.
Always pull the wire by its connector
and never pull by wire itself.
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Figure 17
Figure 18
Figure 19
Figure 20
3. Vertical tracking force (VTF)
adjustment (Figure 18)
a) Screw counterweight weight [3b] out of the
frame [3] until front of a counterweight
aligns with frame’s surface (i. e. it should
not stick from a frame)
b) Set tonearm balance by sliding
counterweight frame [3] on the holder [7a].
c) After setting the balance fasten
counterweight frame [3] with a fixing screw
[3a].
d) Screw in the counterweight weight [3b]
forward by two segments. After VTA setup
(Step 4) finalize VTF using scales.
4. VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle)
adjustment
a) VTA adjustment screw [6d] must be
screwed in and rest in a pit [10b] of
the tonearm base [10] (Figure 19).
b) Rotate armwand on the record and let
down cartridge.
c) Loosen the tonearm base fixing screw
[10c] with hex (allen) key [4b] (Figure
20).
d) Adjust armwand height by making it
parallel to the record. To regulate
height, screw in or out VTA adjustment
screw [6d] with hex (allen) key [4a]
(Figure 20).
e) Finalize VTF using scales.
Before setting tonearm adjustments
set the turntable to a horizontal
position (Figure 17).
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Figure 21
Figure 22
Figure 23
5. Tonearm horizontality adjustment
a) To adjust tonearm horizontality you have
to screw in or out tonearm horizontality
screws [6e], [6f] and [6g] (Figure 21
and Figure 22) with hex (allen) key.
b) Tonearm level bubble [6i] must be
in center of level (Figure 23).
c) When tonearm horizontality is adjusted
all tonearm horizontality screws [6e],
[6f] and [6g] must be fixed (Figure 21
and Figure 22).
Before setting tonearm horizontality
check again if the turntable is set to
a horizontal position (Figure 17).
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By adjusting three screws –[6e],
[6f] and [6g], the anti-skating force
adjusted by manufacturer can be
adjusted manually.

Figure 24
Figure 25
Figure 26
6. Azimuth adjustment (Figure 24)
a) If you need to adjust azimuth, hold the
armwand cylinder [7b] and loosen
azimuth adjustment screw [7c] by using
hex (allen) key [4].
b) By carefully turning the armtube [7]
clockwise or counterclockwise adjust
azimuth and tighten azimuth adjustment
screw [7c]. While adjusting azimuth
do not apply excessive force –it can
damage tonearm bearings.
7. Check if the tonearm is mounted
correctly with protractor [1] (Figure 1)
and template [2] (Figure 2)
a) Protractor hole should be mounted on
the turntable spindle.
b) Needle of the cartridge should follow the
line towards the center of the turntable
spindle.
c) Needle of the cartridge should match
zero points on the protractor.
(Figure 25)
d) Check tonearm setup using Reed 5T-5A
template [2] (Figure 2). Template’s
small hole should be aligned with small
hole in the headshell and the needle of
the cartridge (Figure 26). Max allowed
deviation is +/- 1 mm. If deviation is
bigger, please check your tonearm setup
according to steps 2-a, 2-b, 2-c, 2-d and
2-e of this manual.
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