RX Reels

Carbon Fiber 10.5" Tape Reel - Edge Design in Garnet Metallic


Introducing "Edge," a new Carbon Fiber RX Reel design. A study in precision and understated elegance, our new reel is thoughtfully designed for the discerning reel-to-reel audiophile.

Constructed of pure, unadorned 2x2 carbon fiber, our Edge reel marries form and function. Each unique weave angle highlights the flanges, comprising 13 layers of high-quality, aviation-grade carbon fiber—a display as nuanced as the sound it carries. 

Our Garnet Red Metallic, Silver Metallic or Cobalt Blue Metallic accent colors are applied on the inside of the flangesChoose one of two styles to suit your taste: subtle or bold. Version A: the flange cut-outs are aligned so the subtle but distinctive color shows only on the outer edges. Version B: the flanges are clocked, and the rich colors are displayed through the cut-outs.

The benefits of the reels are as tangible as the reels are unique in construction. Carbon fiber flanges make for superior strength and lightness and resist bending, warping, and scratching. The rigid construction enables the reels to spin truer, reducing motor wear, and potentially enriching sound quality (as cited by several industry product reviewers). 

Inside, solid aluminum, custom-made NAB hubs are adhered to the flanges with 12 screws, promising precision and balance. Made to 1/1000ths specifications under ISO 9000 certification standards, these hubs improve tape alignment and perfect tape packing to protect your investment. A nano-grip surface further facilitates easy, efficient tape threading.

We manufacture our own carbon fiber plates to our exacting specifications, using the highest quality, aviation-grade carbon fiber. Unlike others who have tried to emulate our reels, we avoid pre-made carbon fiber plates. They do not meet our standards for flatness. Each reel is completely manufactured in the Pacific Northwest, USA, ensuring a quality product as unique as your taste in sound. Each RX Reel has an individual serial number to attest to its exclusivity. 

The RX Edge Reel is available with an optional, durable storage box that includes a custom foam insert. This feature ensures the longevity of your reel, safeguarding your investment. 

Each reel is an exercise in craftsmanship and acoustic fidelity. We offer an unparalleled audio product that exudes understated elegance. Our reel will enhance any deck, whether at home or in the studio.

Note: The “bold” flange alignment (Version B) is the Edge default. To choose the “subtle” alignment (Version A), please select Version A in the drop down when ordering.

  • Risk-free purchase. We check out each reel before it ships but know that if it's not right for some reason simply let us know within 30 days of purchase. We want you to be happy. If we can not make it right, we will refund your money in full. 
  • Shipping: 

    All products sold within the United States are shipped via UPS. Due to current service delays, we do not offer shipping via the United States Postal Service.  Orders are typically shipped within 1 business day. 

    You will have the ability to select the speed of shipping service at the time of checkout using our discounted rates.

    At this time, international shipping is to select locations only. Rates will display for areas we currently serve. 

How Our Carbon Fiber Reels Are Made

It took seven months to find the right combination that we were looking for. A way to not only make the reels look better, but to be better. Carbon fiber provided the right balance of strength to weight ratio. It's two times stiffer than steel and five times stronger. We wanted a flange that was rigid, but not too heavy.

Carbon fiber is not inexpensive. However, the second breakthrough was due to our location in the Pacific Northwest. Turns out there is a lot of new, high-grade raw carbon fiber material that is discarded in the manufacturing for the military and aviation industries. Much of this is perfectly good, but perhaps not big enough. It gets scrapped. We upcycle that unused material and turn it into our reels.

Carbon fiber comes in many grades. The highest quality is aviation grade carbon fiber and that is what goes into our flanges.

Benefits of our Carbon Fiber Flange: They don’t warp and resist bending.That means they won’t scratch your deck. Our flange cut-outs are made with a function first design to make tape threading easier. Because they are very rigid and don’t flex, they spin truer, which reduces motor wear, and some say that the reels sound better as a result.

How Our Aluminum NAB Hubs Are Made

Our reels are made to last a lifetime and it starts with the hub, which are custom made to our specifications. Most commercially available hubs are designed to be inexpensive to produce. They weigh about 23 grams and only three screws hold the flanges to the hub. Our solid aluminum hubs are precision made to tolerances below two thousands of an inch. Each flange is held to the hub with twelve screws for a secure fit.

Benefits of Our Precision-Made Aluminum Hub: A well balanced hub and securely fitted flanges creates a reel that spools tape exceptionally well to protect your investment. The quality difference is easy to see. Here is what industry professionals say about RX Reels: 

Pro Reviews

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"Making advanced reels from CNC-machined hubs and carbon fiber flanges pays off in terms of appearance and sound quality via lower wow and flutter."

The Absolute Sound

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The RX Reels are among the mechanically best I've ever seen. In use they provide the most even take-up I've experienced. In every case, the tape spooled to the same flat perfection you usually only see when you open up a factory-fresh blank tape."

Ken Kessler - Soundstage!HIFI

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Thanks to RX Reels careful balance, fast-winding is quieter than with lesser articles due to a considerable reduction in vibration - which is itself a good thing, for the life of your deck's reel motors. The lack of physical noise during playback isn't the only audible benefit - I also found that the stereo image was more solid and better defined. Quite frankly, it's highly unlikely you'll find a better spool for your deck."

Martin Pipe - Hi-Fi World 5 Star Recomended Product

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I now understood how using an RX Reels spool could result in sonic improvements... I had a sense of a slightly wider soundstage with clearer instrument imaging in comparison with using a standard spool fitted with aluminum flanges and a plastic hub."

Neville Roberts - Hifi Journalist

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"This makes the task of threading a tape so much easier. Worth it for that alone."

Dave Denyer - The Reel-to-Reel Rambler

Customer Reviews