Origin Live Silver Tonearm review
Every time I go to Origin Live, in Southampton, I end up coming away with something different to what I expected to get. But in a very good way.
The first thing to say about Origin Live is that they are a little cottage industry making the most amazing turntables and tonearms. They’re based in a little industrial unit in Southampton and, as such, they were of more interest to me being close enough to actually visit (rather than just exchange emails, payment and receive goods from).
So, you arrive at the industrial estate and spend ages trying to find Origin Live (they’re hiddenright at the back round a bit that looks closed). Then you ring the bell – no answer – so you push the door and enter and find yourself in a small workshop with metal turnings all over the place and nobody to be seen.
You call out, “hello?” but there’s no answer. Nobody is around but you can see in the workshop many new tonearms in the process of being made, and turntable bits and pieces all over the place.
Eventually the postman will come in and tell you that someone “might be in that room” pointing to another door, which, upon entering you discover a little office and Mark Baker, the man behind Origin Live as well as the designer of their very well reviewed turntables and tonearms.
So, this time, I had taken my Origin Live OL1 tonearm with some cash in hand and the intention of getting it upgraded with the remaining three or four upgrades so I’d have a £400 tonearm which should sound very good. (I’d already bought the OL1 tonearm with my Ultra turntable and had done the structural modification myself).
Instead, Mark said, “Well you could do that…or you could get a Silver tonearm which is far, far better”. He explained that the OL1 fully upgraded would sound very good, but that the Silver sounds much better, and that I wouldn’t get anything near it for under £2,000.
“But, I only have £250 with me to pay for these arm upgrades”, I said, sounding rather pathetic. (The Silver costs £600 and was financially out of my reach).
But Mark retaliated with an amazing offer; part exchange my OL1 tonearm, pay my £250 cash and walk away with the Silver tonearm, and pay the remainder in a month’s time. It was an incredibly generous offer, the kind of thing you only get from this kind of small cottage industry where they are passionate about what they do. The amazing thing was Mark was offering me £190 for my OL1 tonearm in part exchange – and it had only cost £195! And I had been using it for a year!
So I waited while they finished making me a Silver tonearm and walked away with something I had not expected (similar to the story of my Origin Live Ultra turntable – see review which I will post soon). Of course, I was a very happy and excited bunny at this point.
Sound quality
OK, so I’ve got home and installed the tonearm. The arm is a slender polished metal, very sturdy polished headshell and Origin Live’s minimalist bearing.
I had previously wanted to upgrade the phono stage because I felt the soundstage was not very expansive compared to my CD player and also that vinyl sounded a bit thin. Mark Baker had suggested, by email, that a tonearm upgrade was actually going to make a lot more difference than a better phono stage – and, by god, he was right!
The sound was instantly so much better than before, it was like opening a window onto the music. Now the music was so much clearer and smoother, it opened out hugely. I could suddenly really see into the music, the level of separation was so good. At last, I had a turntable which really makes my CD player sound two dimensional and flat. The Silver really does add depth, clarity and separation.
I don’t think it really added a lot to the timbre and texture of the sounds, but then they were already extremely good, instead it was like a mist lifting to reveal an entire scene. Also, the bass became noticably tighter and smoother.
Conclusion
The conclusion is actually that if you live near a manufacturer like Origin Live, go and see them, support your local cottage industries!
September 16th, 2007 at 9:31 am
I can’t believe they sell a tonearm for 4 grand.
September 16th, 2007 at 11:24 am
It’s like any goods really, there’s always going to be a really expensive top band of products which promise to deliver for those really discerning (or rich) customers.
Problem with hi-fi, in a way, is that the really outrageously expensive products often aren’t hugely better than more moderately priced products. If you look at cars, or houses, or cameras…or almost anything else, you can relatively easily see what you are getting for the extra money.
Still, whatever turns you on, right? I think music, more than anything else, inspires me, motivates me and keeps me going through good times and bad. Unfortunately I really get a buzz by listening to realistically reproduced music, but on the other hand I’ve discovered many ways to get this quality without spending an arm and a leg – I guess that is partly what this site is about.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Actually, I think a similar thing can be said for cameras. Yes I can see the difference between the various different qualities of lenses, but sometimes when I see results obtained with cheaper equipment, the line (in terms of value for money) sort of blurs a bit.
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:15 pm
[...] instrument, every voice, is more clear and separated. This clarity is similar to the effect the Origin Live Silver tonearm had, only, of course, adding to the extra clarity the arm [...]