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TONEARMS
REVOLUTIONARY
FLOATING BEARING
DECOUPLED HEADSHELL &
ARMTUBE
ROCK SOLID,
VIBRATION FREE
FULLY DYNAMIC
20 - 20,000 Hz
SUPER PREMIUM CABLES
INCLUDED
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TONEARMS
Opening remarks
ajor progress by Origin
Live has advanced the
M
art of tonearm design
enormously over recent years.
Early reviews of our upgrades to Rega arms were fairly
ecstatic. Next came the launch of the Silver arm which
was hailed as “probably the best arm in the world”
but at a fraction of the cost of high end models. Not
content with this, Origin Live went on to launch the
Encounter, followed by the Resolution and then the
Conqueror. These subsequent arms represented very
significant levels of improvement over previous arms
which were already world class leaders. The level of
improvement over older and established references
is dramatic and makes upgrading a highly
worthwhile investment. Unlike cartridges, a
tonearm upgrade will produce a far more
profound improvement and last a lot longer. It
is also transferable to other decks should you
ever decide to change in the future.
Origin Live arms bring stunning
improvements. In fact even the lower arms in
our range will still outperform arms at many
times their price.
them in a tight fitting housing. People hypothesise
about bearing chatter etc - maybe this is the case
with high resonance arm-tubes and lower quality
bearings. However listening soon shows up that there
is absolutely no bearing chatter in any of our arms
- in fact resonance in our arms is so minimal that it’s
extremely difficult to measure.
Minimising “ripple” effects
Another factor which indicates “floating” the arm tube
to be a good idea is that unipivots and knife edge
Tonearm philosophy
uch of the design philosophy and reasons
M
behind the superiority of Origin Live tonearms
is discussed in our brochure “System Philosophy &
upgrading”. To save repetition, please refer to this first
as it is an important introduction.
Example of radical design
De-coupling the armtube
To give an example of the way that Origin Live “break
the mould” with design, you only have to observe the
“floated bearing” philosophy that is employed in the
tonearms. Origin Live bearings are highly specified
to suit tonearms - however the bearing houses are
deliberately not machined to a tight tolerance as this
degrades the sound to an intolerable degree. We have
found that tightly held bearings are not beneficial
but this is easily confused with “bearing play”. There
are very strong technical arguments to suggest that
tightly coupling the arm to the deck via tight bearings
is detrimental in the light of listening tests. These
confirm that once you house the bearings outside the
arm tube, it is best to “float” them rather than “grip”
bearings
work on this principle.
Vibration transmits
through the surface
which supports the tonearm
in various ways. Most significant is “rippling” - not
just a simple 1 or 2 dimensional movement as some
imagine. Ripple exerts twist or angular force into the
structure.
The mechanism of ripple is seen dramatically with
very fast frame photography taken inside ships
undergoing underwater explosive shock. When a mine
explodes under a ship, the inside becomes a death trap
of flying fittings that have become detached due to the
underwater shock wave. Anything attached to a side
wall or part of the ship structure detaches at speeds of
up to 600Km/hour. The reason this happens is due to
the shock waves setting up ripple in the ship structure
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and side walls.
In the micro vibration that occurs in analogue replay,
ripple effects are very important. Unipivots are rigidly
grounded in one sense but decoupled completely
from ripple effects - However and it is a big “however”
- they cannot hold the cartridge well against torsion
exerted by bass notes. Widely spaced conventional
bearings reduce ripple effects as do floated bearings.
However they have the added benefit of holding the
cartridge rigidly which results in a more dynamic bass
performance.
Fitting OL arms
ll Origin Live arms have identical base geometry
A
to Rega arms. This makes them very easy to
mount, especially when replacing Rega arms. Most
turntable manufacturers will supply a Rega arm mount
if you do not already have one.
importantly minimizes environmental vibration from
affecting the arm. This effect can be likened to putting
the tonearm on ice. The ice can ripple but due to low
friction and inertia the tonearm is affected much less
in terms of vibration and motion.
Excellent conductivity
he quality of cable required to transmit the
T
extremely low level of signals generated by
cartridges needs to be of the highest calibre. Origin
Live has invested exhaustive research into this critical
area over many years and have developed the best
sounding cable possible.
LP12 owners
If you own an LP12, we supply a pre-drilled
armboard as a drop in replacement. Fitting
Origin Live arms to all versions of LP12 is very
straightforward.
For the Encounter arm and above
we have designed a shorter arm
mount that enables the arm to drop
straight into the Linn along with a
VTA adjuster that enables you to set
VTA in the same way as the Akito, Ittok
and Ekos.
Attention DJ’s
Please see pages on OL1 tonearm for notes on fitting
arms to Technics DJ decks
Low Friction bearings
he Silver tonearm and upwards use
T
special low friction bearings that
improve in specification right up to the
ceramic bearings used in the Conqueror.
Long and intensive research has been
invested in bearing design as it plays a
very significant role in sound quality.
The influence of bearing friction is
surprising and can only be put down
to the fact that it not only allows
improved tonearm tracking but more
Precision Engineering
rm components are manufactured in the UK using
A
precision engineering - For example the Illustrious
headshell shown below is milled from a solid block of
high strength alloy to include torsion side webs, low
mass and low contact area with cartridge.
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TONEARMS
Tonearm features
to provide you with extraordinary performance
eatures of each arm are shown in the
F
chart opposite.
Advanced arm base
Revolutionary bearing house provides
isolation from vibration
Construction materials selected to optimize
performance
Infinitely variable VTA adjuster available
Rega geometry of base fitting enables easy
substitution for standard Rega arms
Slotted arm tube
Machined slots cut along the underside of
armtube minimizes “ringing”
Rigid stub & counterweight
Rear Stub and counterweight modelled on the
highly acclaimed Origin live Rega structural
upgrade
Low loss wiring
Cartridge tags - Gold plated
copper beryllium
Headshell wires - silver plated
and Robust PTFE insulated
Internal wiring - high grade
Litz design
High strength tube
Large diameter, high strength armtube provides massive torsional
strength. Results are superbly
controlled deep bass together
with increased focus, stability
and resolution throughout
the frequency range. Higher
specified armtubes include
taper profiled machined
from solid billets of
aerospace alloy.
External wiring selected to optimize low
level signal transmission
High grade phono
plugs with up to 4 times the
conductivity of brass phono
connectors resulting in audible
improvements
Separate earth lead from
headshell for optimum earthing
and screening
Low friction bearings
Highly specified bearings, positioned outside the arm tube
and widely spaced
Advanced bearing house within the yoke reduces
resonance within the tube and increases torsional stability
- both of which result in very marked improvements over
conventional arms
Advanced headshell
Minimum resonant parts
Elimination of springs and magnets for
tracking force & side bias means increased
signal purity
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High strength, low mass sculpted headshell machined
from solid alloy block to include flanges
Headshell decoupled and yet rigidly attached to the
armtube provides a large performance improvement over
conventional single piece arm tubes
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Comparison chart - Which arm is right for you?
ach feature shown below results in higher levels of performance. Choice of arm
E
depends on your final aspirations.
Feature Improve-
ment
% rating
Structural upgrade 70
High Grade Internal Wire 12
High Grade External Wire 12
High Conductivity Phono Plugs 1
Slotted Arm Tube 55
Bullet Plugs 4
New Horizontal Bearings 30
Bearings located in Yoke not arm 20
High Strength Arm Tube 65
Tapered Arm Tube machined from
solid billet of aerospace alloy
Widely spaced bearings 5
Highly specified Bearings 10
Special Yoke Assembly 25
Advanced arm base 35
Headshell with torsion webs 20
Light weight milled plate for arm clip 3
Very highly specified bearings 15
High inertia yoke 15
Advanced bearing decoupling 15
Aesthetic lift / lower handle 0
Ultra low resonance arm tube 120
Highly advanced bearing decoupling 20
Ceramic Bearings 45
Silver bullet plugs 8
Highest grade materials throughout 15
75
OL1 all
Silver Encounter
I
llustrious
mods
�
Conqueror
OL1 without upgrades
Silver
Encounter
Illustrious
Conqueror
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TONEARMS
OL1 Tonearm & upgrades
plus upgrades for Rega arms
OL1 with Structural upgrade
“With its superior bearing arrangement and no
tracking force spring to add resonance’s, it’s a true
giant killer. It has all the dynamic power and seismic
bass of a £2000 super arm but costs a fraction to buy.
With Origin Live’s rewiring, it’s one of the best arms
money can buy and no less a bargain.”
UPGRADES ON REGA RB250 - HI-FI WORLD
he OL1 arm and Rega RB250
T
are budget arms that can be
transformed with our renowned
upgrades.
Upgrades for :
OL1 arm - offered by Origin Live and
manufactured by Rega
All Rega arms
he OL1 arm and Rega arms can be utterly transformed
T
by Origin Live upgrades - it’s worth it! Over 5 reviewers
in the past have used an Origin Live upgraded OL1
tonearm as their reference tonearm in preference to pick up
arms costing over 6 times as much. All Rega arms can be
transformed to outperform arms at many times their price,
using the stunning range of Origin Live upgrades (no hype!).
These unique upgrades transform rega manufactured arms
in such a way that every aspect of performance benefits. The
results have astonished users who report the difference as a
night and day experience.
“I have to say the Rega upgrades turn this humble
arm into a real Giant killer. Gone is the rather grey,
sterile sound of the cooking Rega. Instead, tonal
colour is fresh, dynamics have great speed and
impact, and the sound stage is huge.”
UPGRADE TO REGA RB300 & RB250 - HI-FI WORLD
“In short, the performance boost was striking. The
most obvious improvement concerns scale. With
the modified arm, the stereo image is much wider
and deeper enabling each musician to be placed
with accuracy within the sound stage. Focus is better
too and improved bass depth increases solidity
and weight. In fact, there isn’t an area in which
the standard arm betters the modified. Dynamic
swings are faster and tonal colours far more vivid,
making the standard RB250 seem almost grey by
comparison.”
FOR STRUCTURAL UPGRADE
“The overall musical and sonic performance of
the Origin Live RB250 is simply astounding.
Considering its sub-$500 price, the only appropriate
reaction is to yell, ‘Eureka!’ The Origin Live upgrade
of the RB250 appears to be the new giant-killer.”
UPGRADES TO RB250 - STEREO TIMES
A £100 cartridge in these arms will
comfortably outperform a £600 cartridge
mounted in lesser arms
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“If you have any…Rega RB250 or 300, dismount the
arm and send it off for the mods NOW. You have no
idea what you are missing.”
UPGRADES ON RB250 - TNT MAGAZINE
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Summary of
Upgrades
rigin Live upgrades
O
sequence and combination
to suit your budget.
To see the performance
improvement of each upgrade, refer
to in the arm comparison chart.
Structural upgrade
R
structural upgrade to the Rega / OL1 arm
is far more significant. The upgrade entails
reconstructing the rear end of the rega arm
on which the counter weight is attached.
This is an extremely critical area, as the
counterweight represents by far the highest
moving mass in the arm and affects
tonearm performance more than can be
imagined. The work involves removing the
existing rear end stub (which is normally
just screwed into the end of the Rega arm
- a sonic disaster), and replacing it with a
new stub, torqued onto the arm by a thin
high tensile bolt. The new stub is designed
to present a low contact area with the arm
tube. It is therefore semi-decoupled, yet far
more rigid than the original.
On an unmodified arm, the counterweight
must not be rigidly coupled in this way
due to the poor vibration characteristics
of the standard arm / rear stub joint. This
ingenious Origin Live upgrade elevates
a good tonearm into the same league as
much more expensive arms and at an
insignificant outlay.
The structural upgrade applies to the
RB250, RB300, RB600, RB900 and the
RB1000 although the RB250 is the best
arm in the range to have upgraded - in
fact an upgraded RB250 will comfortably
outperform an upgraded rega RB300,
can be added in any
ewiring is known to do wonders for
the RB250 & RB300, however the
RB600, or RB900 tonearm - see FAQ on
the Origin Live web site for reasons why.
The cost of the structural upgrade
has been kept well below it’s actual
performance value so that it is within
reach of those with budget turntables.
For the upgraded OL1 or RB250 you will
need a stylus balance or force gauge to set
the tracking force. If you do not have a
stylus balance we can supply one.
Slotted arm tube
he “slotted armtube” upgrade is
T
identifiable by a highly polished silver
arm tube - The upgrade involves removing
the powder coat from the arm tube which
enables faster energy transmission and
prevents the arm being over damped. A
slot is then machined in the underside of
the arm to reduce ringing effects. Lastly
the arm tube is highly polished giving it
a very high grade appearance. Please note
that Origin Live internal rewiring must be
already included in your arm or ordered
for this upgrade to be possible. The effect
of this upgrade is to improve the musical
transparency and incisiveness of the arm.
Particularly noticable is that notes have
very natural decay due to the reduced
“ringing” effects in the arm tube.
Rewiring
ewiring yields overall improvements
R
to most aspects of performance,
particularly bass weight and transparency.
Internal Rewire
High grade Litz wire is used inside the
arm tube. The Litz is to Origin Live’s
specification and design. An internal
dedicated earth lead is attached at the head
shell and runs through to your amplifier).
The old cartridge tags are replaced with
gold plated, copper beryllium versions.
The headshell wires are upgraded with
robust, silver plated, PTFE insulated wire.
External Rewire
A special low resistance cable, optimized
for low level signals, replaces the existing
cable - Origin Live have carried out tests
on literally hundreds of different cable
designs. Not many line level interconnect
designs work well for the very low signal
output of cartridges and so optimum
design is crucial.
Tests have shown that it is more important
to optimize the external cable than to use
a very thin non-jointed wire all the way
from the headshell to the amplifier.
High Grade aluminium phono
plugs
Standard brass phono plugs are replaced
with high conductivity aluminium ones
– Over twice as conductive as brass.
Tonearm options
for DJ’s
All Origin Live and Rega arms
are superb for DJ use.
The Technics SL1200 and
derivatives are surprisingly good
decks, but let down seriously on
account of their existing tonearm.
To overcome this lamentable
situation, Origin Live offer a DJ
armboard specially developed
for the Technics SL1200 which
enables you to fit any of the
above arms with unbelievable
results.
There is also an option for a 2m
external rewire instead of the
standard 1.2m at no extra cost
than the 1.2m rewire option.
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TONEARMS
Silver
he Silver is a leading high
T
performance tonearm offered at a
fraction of the cost of it’s rivals.
The arm builds on the success of the highly acclaimed
Origin Live upgrades. The fully upgraded OL1 is listed
among the world’s “super arms” for performance and
frequently mentioned alongside names such as the Linn
Ekos, Naim Aro, SME V, Graham etc - these arms all
have certain strengths and excel over one another in
different areas. However none could really be
said to have all the musical characteristics
necessary in a tonearm.
The
Silver
addresses
this
situation by
possessing a superb
blend of qualities. It is
this blend that makes it a truly
great all round performer, able to
excel in all aspects of music.
“The Silver is...the very best tonearm I’ve ever heard…
awsomely tight bottom end...the midband - glass clear,
incredibly liquid, fantastic image precision, walkaround
soundstaging and incredible timbral realism...the treble
is shockingly open and airy up top...the £599 price tag
is laughably low...could probably charge 5 times this
amount...words can’t express how good this is - one of
the designs of the decade.”
HI-FI WORLD
All critical components are upgraded using
advanced alloys and innovative techniques. The
result of these changes is an incredibly transparent arm
with superb tonal balance. The sound produced is free
from coloration allowing previously unheard low level
information to be noticed clearly. The arm exhibits a
clean dynamic sound coupled with a tight and powerful
bass
Go ahead, compare this arm with the very best available.
“A terrific arm, a terrific bargain, and obviously , the
highest of recommendations”
STEREO TIMES
“There may be better value propositions around to
upgrade your system but if there is I haven’t heard them
....A fantastic product then from Origin Live and this
particular audiophiles dream review tool”.
TNT AUDIO
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Encounter
he Encounter arm builds on
the outstanding performance
T
design and quality of all components.
This is not just a development - it is a
complete redesign.
For example the armtube of the Encounter has a special
large diameter taper profile, to achieve high strength and
low resonance. To further increase strength the tube is
machined from a solid billet of aerospace alloy - not a
low strength casting. The Silver arm by way of contrast is
manufactured from tube. The tapered arm-tube provides
massive torsional strength, which manifests itself in
outstanding deep bass along with increased
of the Silver by improving the
new benchmark for musical communication,
“A
natural detail and timbral truth. All at a price that,
considering the quality of its performance, can only be
called a bargain.”
STEREO TIMES MAGAZINE
reference Audio used this arm at a large
P
show in Vienna and were
awarded “the best sound at the
show award”. The decision
was made using voting
forms handed out by
the show organisers
to all members of
the public
attending the
show. Against very
stiff competition from
other high end turntables,
not to mention all the other new
format players.
VIENNA SHOW
focus, stability and resolution
through all frequencies. The
tight and powerful bass carries the
hallmark of authority and adds so
much to the musical experience.
In addition the arm dramatically
improves the great transparency, tonal
balance and sound-staging of the Silver arm. It produces a
wonderful “live” feel to the music, with fabulous transient
speed and “air”.
have owned about 60 different tonearms so
“I
far, including Immedia, Wheaton, SME V,
Forsell, Mission Mechanic, Linn Ekos, Naim
Aro, the above mentioned Audio Note and many
others. And what counts more: it [the Encounter]
is the best conventional (gimballed) one in that
class, and the best UK tonearm, too......At it’s
price point I consider the Origin Live a best buy”
(square bracketed text added by Origin Live for
clarity).
TNT AUDIO
ne of the truly special products I’ve
“O
“T
reviewed in the past 18 years....Overall
the Encounter’s look, feel and fit’n finish are
exceptionally high for it’s modest price of $1495”.
STEREOPHILE
here’s a lovely airy quality about the treble.
It’s very clean too....The bottom end is tight
and clean. Low frequencies ...when they’re present,
boy are they present... A gorgeous tonearm”.
HI FI +
The Encounter arm is outstanding - yes it is that good.
For full list of features see “comparison chart”
Voted best sound at the show award
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TONEARMS
I
llustrious
Feature highlights
Arm tube:
Aerospace alloy accounts for tight, powerful
and completely natural bass.
Yoke and arm base:
These house a revolutionary design to
decouple the bearings and thus isolate the
armtube.
The yoke offers high inertia in the
horizontal plane for cartridge stability but
minimizes inertia in the vertical plane to
enable excellent tracking.
Highly specified bearings improve on the
already amazing level of tonal accuracy and
sound-staging of the Encounter arm.
Headshell:
he apparent width of
“T
the perceived image was
enormous, as the image was so
large that my living room walls
seemed to melt away. This was
complemented with a precision
of spatial characteristics that
made listening to the Illustrious
an absolute pleasure... moreover
the extra dynamic range over all
the other arms here was simply
stunning....Along with firecracker
dynamics, something SME users
will know, it possessed a seamless
rhythmic ease and flow which
SME V users will not! This is a
beautifully fluid listen, yet gives
nothing away in terms of grip and
focus...bringing almost all the
fluidity of the best unipivot with
vastly improved grip and incision the best of both worlds, if you like.
round-breaking
design is behind
G
the astonishing
performance of the Illustrious
arm. This award winning arm
has been highly acclaimed as a
true performance leader.
Holographic images of headshells taken
during record playing reveal that most
headshells flex and twist significantly.
To prevent this microscopic twisting
the Illustrious headshell is machined
from a solid block of high strength alloy
incorporating side flanges.
he best tonearm I’ve heard to
“T
W
date ....brilliantly detailed yet
utterly musical, this arm is set to
join the ranks of the all time greats.
Wholeheartedly recommended!”
DAVID PRICE - HI-FI WORLD 2003
inner of Stereo Times “most
wanted component of the
year Award 2004” in combination
with the Resolution Turntable
nd the winner is... the Origin
“A
Live Illustrious, a pick up arm
that is quite simply breathtaking.
It’s ability to display a three
dimensional stereo image is above
criticism, as is it’s transparency
and lack of artifice. It also has
amazing tonal accuracy, which lets
the “flavour” of each instrument
or voice flood out of
the speakers. This is
the respect in which
it is most obviously
superior to the
SME.... on any deck
... this is surely the
best.
WINNER OF HI-FI
WORLD 2004 GROUP
COMPARISON TEST OF 7
TONEARMS
10
10
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Conqueror
he Conqueror arm design
is simply light years ahead
T
truly idealistic principles
absolutely extraordinary.
Most noticable is the increase in presence, clarity and focus.
Bass is even more defined and rock solid than the superlative
Illustrious. Vocals take on total realism and freedom from
any confusion. Imaging is also noticably better than the
already remarkable other arms in the range.
Why is the arm so good? Many of the highly
successful techniques used in the Illustrious are
present. More importantly, a number of new ideas
are included and it is these that make the big difference. It’s
performance demonstrates the level of inspiration and engineering
involved.
Feature highlights
Armtube subjected to specialised treatment for complete
freedom from brashness and harshness
of it’s time. Incorporating
translated into engineering
practice, the arm delivers a
level of performance that is
Highest grade materials are used throughout
Yoke incorporates a newly developed de-coupling design to
increase transparency
Superlative ceramic bearings to Origin Live design
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TONEARMS
Specifications and additional notes
Specifications applicable to all Origin Live arms:
Effective length 240 mm
Overhang 17.24 mm
Offset angle 23 degrees
Mounting distance: platter centre to arm hole centre 223 mm
Diameter of mounting hole 24 - 25mm
Size of base mounting nut 32mm A/F (across f lats)
Maximum armboard thickness 27mm
Length of external cable 1.2m except for DJ option of 2m
Capacitance in uF 0.002uF
Resistance in Ohms 0.002 ohms
Variable specifications
Specification
Effective mass in grams 11g
Total Weight in grams 448g 448g 448g 758g 820g 820g
Stylus Force guage included
Threaded VTA adjuster included
Origin Live have a policy of continuous development and reserve the right to change
product specifications and appearance without notice.
OL1
OL1 all
upgrades
11g
Silver Encounter
14g 14.5g 14.5g 14.5g
I
llustrious
Conqueror
Vinyl replay products by
Origin Live include:
12
Tonearms
Power supply upgrades
Turntables
Phono Stages
Interconnects
Origin Live | www.originlive.com | [email protected]
Tel / Fax: 02380 578877
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