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When I was first asked to review a 10½ inch NAB spool that offered to combine high performance with good looks, I was a little skeptical. Yes, I can imagine that a well-designed spool can improve the look of a tape deck, but I couldn’t see how it could improve performance. However, I like to keep an open mind and therefore agreed to take the new carbon fibre tape reel from RX Reels for a spin.
Looking for a great player? See Our Ultimate Guide to Reel to Reel Players
When I first received the RX Reels spool, I could instantly see that it was a high-quality product.
To complement the carbon fibre flanges, Root uses:
My review sample was fitted with the black carbon fibre flanges and it certainly looks stunning. Fitting the reel to my Studer A810 was easy and I can confirm that the nano-machined surface of the hub does indeed grip the plastic leader on my tapes really well, so threading was a doddle. As all pro-tapes are unidirectional and are wound tail out, I fitted the RX Reels spool on the left and wound my tapes onto it to play them. As I would expect from a premium product, the precision-made spool showed no signs of rattling or scraping the edges of the tape.
I now understood how using an RX Reels spool could result in sonic improvements. A spool that is even slightly out of balance can affect the tension on the tape as it is playing, and this can result in tiny amounts of wow and flutter, especially at the faster professional speeds of 15 or 30ips. This ‘micro-flutter’ can have an adverse effect on the sound. On the other hand, a perfectly balanced spool, such as the RX Reels spool, ensures a consistent tension and this was evident with every tape I played using the RX Reels spool. Somehow, I had a sense of a slightly wider sound stage with clearer instrument imaging in comparison with using a standard spool fitted with aluminum flanges and a plastic hub.
The RX Reels 10½ inch carbon fibre tape spool with the NAB hub for ¼ inch tape is available in six finishes, priced at $239 US each. Bearing in mind that you will be using it with every tape you play, I really do consider that the price tag is justified. Not only do these reels look great, they help to bring out the best performance from your tape deck.
View original article here.
See RX Reels Carbon Fiber 10.5" and 7" reels here.
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