ENLIGHTEN ME!
A few words about the Reliable UberLight Frame

⌈ In 2021, the Canadian company RELIABLE CORPORATION presented the UBERLIGHT FLEX lamp for audiophiles who use turntables. It had the shape of an elongated tube with LEDs attached to a flexible “neck”. The company drew on its many years of experience in the production of lamps used to illuminate sewing machine workstations. On February 18th, the brand-new version, UBERLIGHT FRAME, had its official premiere. ⌋

Despite its high price, the UBERLIGHT FLEX has become a hit in many professional audio shops and part of many home systems. This was astonishing, as the manufacturer had nothing to do with us before and the project itself evolved from another product. However, as it turns out, when it comes to the basics, high end has similar manifestations, regardless of the area of human activity.

⸜ An option for mounting the lamp is to screw it to the table using a convenient and attractive holder.

The lamp we presented for the first time in June 2021 - yes, it was the first review in the world - was for many the missing link and the icing on the cake. Is it over the top – yes, hyperbolic – yes, exaggerating – absolutely not. As if Robert Kahn, current director of Reliable Corporation, had the answer to the problems of many music lovers using turntables. But it makes sense – he is a passionate audiophile and vinyl freak himself.

The question of whether there is such a thing as an “audiophile lamp” is, of course, legitimate. The answer has to be: there is no such thing. Like many other “high-end” accessories, it is an auxiliary element and does not affect the sound. However, it does affect how we operate within our system, so it is an element that influences our well-being. I think it's similar to the way an album is released – it has nothing to do with the sound either, and yet it changes the perception of it.

Responsible for the lamp, Reliable Corporation, is a Canadian company founded in 1955 under the name Reliable Sewing Machine to manufacture sewing machines. It has recently designed a range of professional lamps at low prices (from $49 and up) which, as we read in the press release,” solve the problems that everyone who has vinyl records faces; from being able to see the dust on their surface, through easily reading the matrix number, to being able to place the needle more precisely at the beginning of the groove.”

⸜ The lamp can stand on its base with a rubber anti-slip pad; it can also be controlled by remote control.

As we wrote on the occasion of the presentation of the first “audiophile” lamp in its history, this knowledge, experience and philosophy served it well in the early days of Reliable. In the beginning, it sold used sewing machines. The company was not big and operated in a rented garage. However, this changed over time and in 1966 the company grew to a 2000-square-meter facility and sold several lines of sewing machines, often being the first to market with a new model.

Today, the company offers not only sewing machines, but also ironing equipment (for home and professional use) and steam cleaners. The company's founder, Milton Kahn, died in 1991. The company he founded is still alive and well, and is led by Milton's son, Robert. He happens to be an audiophile.

The press release accompanying the premiere reads:

Reliable Corporation, a Canadian company known for its innovative task lighting, has partnered with Momentum Product Design, an award-winning industrial design firm, to develop UberLight Frame – a premium lighting solution designed specifically for the audio market.

⸜ A photo collage showing technical drawings and successive prototypes.

Drawing on Momentum's decades of experience in high-end consumer electronics and a deep passion for audio, this collaboration brings a meticulously designed lighting solution that enhances the listening experience. Designed by audiophiles, for audiophiles, UberLight Frame provides precise lighting without interference, ensuring that nothing gets in the way of enthusiasts and their sound.

The new design is not only functional, as the previous lamp was, but it is also to look good. And already when looking at the box, you can see that we are in a different world – the world of consumer products in versions that are defined by the word “Premium”. The cardboard box contains the components of the lamp in a cardboard sleeve, arranged in a neat and transparent way. And, contrary to appearances, there are quite a few components.

⸜ All the items in the box, including the USB power supply and the handles

As Robert wrote to me, the project was started in June 2022, and the first iteration of what was to become the UberLight Frame was created in early November. So this project took two and a half years to complete. I don't know if I mentioned it to you, but Reliable's boss showed me the initial sketches and prototypes back in 2023, during the High End Show in Munich. As it turns out, the production of this type of product is a complex chain of business decisions and choices, which has delayed the premiere for another year and a half.

Robert Kahn says:

Why the long process? Some of it was definitely COVID-related. I would say at least a year or more was added because of the delays caused by the coronavirus. In addition, we went through many prototypes before the final design was approved for completion. The light had to have the right structure to be strong. In 2023, we decided that for aesthetic reasons, as well as structural integrity, the frame would not be height adjustable.

Although it sounds like a big decision, in reality, once we had compared the structural integrity and beautiful, clean lines of the fixed-height light with the adjustable version, the decision was an easy one. Of course, we had to make sure that the height we had chosen was correct, but once we had done that, the project was complete.

We also added another year to make sure that all components work properly and maintain the tolerances for which they were designed. Again, many prototypes were created to ensure that the design goals were met. Along the way, we created many design files that showed the internal components of the lamp.

All these measures paid off – the new lamp is much more elegant. Not that the previous one was lacking in any way. However, when we put one next to the other, there is no doubt.

The UberLight Frame is a flat bar that has been broken in half. So it is not a round “goose-neck”, but a rigid cast aluminum frame. It ends in an elongated element with attached LEDs. The length of the LED panels is now much greater - 150 mm vs. 260 mm. This element rotates around its own axis, suspended in a frame. Remember that in the older lamp, the whole round head rotated. Now we can rotate it at an angle of up to 30⁰ in both directions. And the whole thing rotates on a pin around its own axis.

⸜ The top panel can be rotated – it features a touch-sensitive “ruler” that can be used to dim the light and other buttons.

The mounting is also different. Previously, you had to decide whether you wanted a mounting for flat surfaces, like a drawing lamp, or a version to place on a table. With Frame, you can choose this at any time, at home, by replacing the bottom panel. This element also looks more elegant than the previous one, which was very “industrial” and utilitarian. There are three options: placing the lamp on a table, screwing it to the table with a bracket, or screwing it to the table with screws if we don't want it to move.

The manufacturer paid great attention to ensuring that the light was as clean as possible and was not refracted in the structure itself. We are talking about a lamp emitting light with a CRI (RA) factor above 90, which means that they reflect the actual colors of the environment in a way that is very close to natural sunlight. Its intensity and color can be controlled from a touch panel or a remote control (!).

⸜ Two Reliable lamps head-to-head – the older in the back and the latest one in the front

This is a significant improvement in terms of usability – with the old lamp, the two functions would occasionally get mixed up. Besides, holding down the off button for a long time started to annoy me after a while. Also, the brightness of the lamp is now not in steps (three levels), but much more fluid. We can change it in six steps with the button. That's not all, we can smoothly change it within these steps using the touch panel on the top side of the LED module. The indications are shown using small white LEDs.

Placed above my Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition SACD player it looks phenomenal. Because even though it was designed with turntable enthusiasts in mind, it doesn't really matter – it all depends on us. The Lamp is very light, extremely functional and has excellent proportions. It is very well made and gives us the feeling of dealing with a product that is not quite “an everyday” one.

While the previous UberLight Flex lamp was extremely useful and served as a kind of “alarm clock” in the world of audio, the UberLight Frame can become something of a “non-denominational”, but not at all agnostic, standard. Congratulations! ●

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