Welcome to the very first issue of the new Origin Live newsletter. Thank you for signing up and for your interest.

It is our aim through this publication, to offer the reader a free and regular update as to the goings on here at Origin Live. This not only includes new product updates and reviews, but also the opportunity to benefit from special offers and enter into competitions.

In our experience as a long standing hi-fi manufacturer and reseller we understand the high degree of confusion and misunderstanding when it comes to choosing hi-fi - particularily the age old art of vinyl replay. Sure magazines and online sources are a help; but in an area so complex, with so many different ideas and so much to buy anyone would be entitled to be confused. It is our aim with the newsletter to cut through this mass of information and offer simple, valuable advice. Each month this will include a column article to shed some light on an often confusing and misunderstood area of hi-fi in order to help you in your views.

This month we will be addressing the idea of under-slung counterweights, and whether they really make any difference. Also every month we will offer our own comments on what we feel is a class leading product. Finally we will be running a serialized guide into one of the most important and misunderstood areas we have come across: hi-fi setup. This month we will begin with tonearm & cartridge setup.

We hope you enjoy the read!!

As a result of continued development on the flagship Illustrious tonearm, we have been able to dramatically improve the performance of this arm. Consequently we have launched a special edition of the arm known as the Illustrious Signature.

Similar in looks to the original illustrious, the arm contains more advanced components and dramatic improvements equating to a large leap in performance.

A good example of the true extent of the improvement is reflected in the un-edited comments of one of our first German owners to upgrade from the Illustrious to the Signature model.

"I can really not describe my impression. I am now engaged in this Hobby for nearly 30 years. During that period I did have a lot of TT, arms and cartridges. But yesterday evening the sound was blowing me of my feet.
Rhythmic, rocking sound and tremendous midband as well as clarity in the high signals. Very much detailed and with a soundstage that I never did hear before. In every phase the control of the arm was overwhelming. No fine tuning took place to now and being aware that I am anxious already what I will achieve by doing a little fine tuning.

No doubt: This is the best arm I ever did use. In the league of high end pivoted arms in my mind there is really nothing that is comparable to this arm. May be it is the best arm in the world?!"

The new arm retails at 2500.00 GPB or 3495.00 USD, and are available now.

The new External DC Motor Upgrade suitable for practically all turntables has also been so successful that we are now discontinuing the old internally installed model. The advantages of the new model include:
· External aluminum control box for simplicity and ease of installation
· Improved transformer performance
· Improved circuit design
· Improved connections and wiring
· Option of silent running motor for an extra 39.00 GBP

Overall this has resulted in a motor kit that is about 20-30% up on performance and very easy to install as an upgrade on almost all known decks .Many decks have benefited from this superb upgrade much to the delight of their owners who did not believe the level of improvement obtained was possible: If you are wondering if your own deck is eligible then we have listed decks that have been successfully upgraded as follows

Linn Lp12 Valhulla / Lingo, Michell – gyro / orbe DC, Oracle, Pink Triangle, Rega, Well Tempered, Rock, Systemdek, Roksan, VPI, Linn Axis, Thorens, Pro-Ject , Voyd, Alpheson Etc (this list is not exhaustive).

The external DC Motor Kit retails for 299.00 GPB or 425.00 USD and is available now.

Origin Live have been offering counterweight modification for the Rega tonearm for over 10 years with much reviewer acclaim and thousands of satisfied customers.

In recent times a number of manufactures have also introduced counterweight and stub modifications of there own; all offering very different theories and styling.

The obvious advantage of this is that there is a lot of choice for people and a lot of options to try. The disadvantage, and we have come across this a lot through enquiries and over the newsgroups, is knowing which one works the best and gives the biggest improvement in performance. Our opinion is that at the end of the day theory is theory; some work and some don’t and everyone has their own – they must be backed up by actual performance. Audiophiles are generally not engineers and scientists. They would rather be using the piece of equipment, which offers the best performance rather than the best marketing brochure. It is not a coincidence that we are the only manufacturer of tonearm modifications that have years of quality & independent reviews to call upon and we are one of the few offering a full money back guarantee with our product.

The 10x5 is the latest release from what is now one of the worlds leading moving coil cartridge manufacturers - Dynavector. Much of this success can be attributed to the sheer brilliance of the old 10X4 model, which has received unequivocal acclaim from reviews and audiophiles alike. The new 10X5 builds on the strengths of the 10x4, utilizing magnetic flux dampening and softened magnetism along with a powerful neodymium magnet. The 10x5 also now features a newly designed aluminum head block to provide a rigid platform for the cartridge motor and secure fixing to the tonearm.

The apparent neutrality of the cartridge also has the effect of revealing the respective tonal balance of the other components in the turntable. As such the cartridge will sound beautifully warm and musical with for example a Nottingham deck and fast and revealing with a Michell. As a result of this we do recommend using a neutral arm to get best out of the cartridge. It works well with a standard 250 or 300 arm, but is brilliant in partnership with the modified OL1 and the Origin Live range of arms. The cartridge is also one of the fastest you will come across; punching out the sound with impeccable timing.

This has the result of offering perceptibly much higher levels of musical separation and detail as well as the beguiling toe taping sensation that can only really be experienced with high quality vinyl replay. One comment that has been levied against the dynavector range as a whole is that it is perhaps a little light when it comes to bass extension. In practice what we have found is that the extra levels of detail and the true neutrality of the Dynavector means that the bass is less obvious but no less present; and with a short period of listening the overall completeness of the sound becomes the most obvious factor.

We at Origin Live feel that the 10X5 is a brilliant performer and one of the best cartridges around below the 350.00 GPB price point. A terrific match with Origin Live arms and Decks this is a true entry to the high end.

As we supply most makes of hi-fi cartridge we get asked questions from time to time about various issues regarding set up and care. To help newcomers to this area we have produced the following setup guide. Please note:These guidelines are of a general nature - we publish them only to be of help and although widely accepted they are not formally authoritative - we cannot accept liability if you choose to use them and neither do we encourage the time consuming occupation of answering queries surrounding the procedures outlined - these are best referred to the manufacturer of your specific hi-fi cartridge.
For those new or inexperienced to fitting hi-fi cartridges we would state that this is NOT difficult and much of the detail and perfectionism outlined below is for those who like to experiment. We ourselves do not normally check azimuth, or vary tracking forces from the manufacturers recommendations - neither would we worry if the arm was up to 3mm away from the recommended distance from the spindle - although all these details are audible they are generally of a relatively low order, although tracking force and VTA are worth trying should you feel anything is lacking. If things seem complicated we would encourage you not to be put off as it all becomes clear once you get started.

Importance of overall set up
Hi-Fi cartridges travel like a bobsleigh through the grooves of a record only a few thousandths of an inch wide. You hear groove displacements of the order of a few millionths. (That’s like splitting a hair into one thousand pieces.) Every bit of motion or vibration allowed at this level can be heard enormously amplified through your speakers. For this reason it is good to set up the turntable and arm correctly so that the audio cartridge can do it's job properly. For instance a turntable out of level can produce side forces on the pickup cartridge tip that will wear it more on one side than the other as well as have a slightly degrading effect on the wear of your records.

Levelness
When a turntable goes out of level, the platter bearing performance and the arm’s dynamics, specifically anti-skate, are negatively affected. So be sure your turntable platter and tonearm mounting board are level - use a spirit level. If the platter is out of level, first adjust the surface that the deck stands on. The suspension (in the case of a suspended sub-chassis design) may also need leveling if it has subsided over time. If the arm board is not level (which means the arm pivot is not vertical), either return it to your dealer for repair or re-level it yourself by shimming between the mounting board and it’s support.

Azimuth
Viewed from head on, the stylus must be perpendicular in the groove so as not to favour one groove wall, and therefore one channel, over the other wall/channel; this is Azimuth.
Vertical tracking angle (VTA)
Viewed from the side, the stylus must sit correctly in the groove, at the same angle as the original cutter; this is Vertical Tracking/Stylus Rake Angle. (VTA, however, varies from record to record. Therefore, this alignment must be set by ear, even more than is the case with the other adjustments.) Also check that the distance from the centre of the arm pillar (the upright post) to the spindle (usually fixed by the arm mounting board) is correct as this will affect the ability to achieve the tangency adjustments. This "L dimension varies with every pivoted arm — check your manual or with the manufacturer ( in the case of Rega arms this measurement is 222mm).

Aligning Tools
Tools required are an alignment gauge, a tracking force gauge, a FLAT record, a screwdriver or Allen keys of the right size (usually 2mm), a good light may also be helpful. Small needle-nose pliers and a magnifying glass all help. It also helps to have the hi-fi news test record. Treat the arm with care as some parts are fragile. To this end ensure that tightening of any bolts is carried out gently and without causing undue strain. Do not adjust bearing tightness - this is carefully set at factory - it may seem that there is slight “play” in the bearings - this is deliberate and must be left alone or degradation will result - it is not actually play in the bearings but carefully designed clearance tolerances of other components. Check hi-fi cartridge clip connections and mounting

Tonearm wiring uses a standard color code for channel and polarity ID: White = L Hot, Blue = L Ground, Red = R Hot, and Green = R Ground. If the cartridge pins aren't color-coded the same way, they will have letter identifications next to them. Make sure that the arm’s wires, wire clips, and solder joints are in very good condition. At minimum, clean the contact between cartridge pins and wire clips by removing and replacing each clip. Holding the clips with needle-nose pliers can make this easier, but be careful that you don’t strain the wires where they join the clip. Check the clips for a proper fit on the cartridge pins, and adjust them if necessary. "Proper" means snug but not tight. To check clip size, hold the cartridge tail-up close to the head wires, grasp a clip firmly right behind its tubular part with the tweezers, line it up with the cartridge pin, and press. If it does not slide on with moderate force, the clip needs opening-up. If it slides on easily but flops around when attached, it needs tightening. Sizing is the operation most likely to detach a clip. The trick is to avoid bending the wire at its attachment point or putting too much tension on it. To avoid either, always hold the clip with its wire slightly slack-looped behind it while adjusting. For opening a clip, hold it firmly with the tweezers or needle-noses, right behind its tubular section, and press the tip of the jeweler's screwdriver into the open end of its longitudinal slot until you see this widen very slightly. (Here's where you'll probably need the headband magnifier or reading glasses.) You're dealing with thousandths of an inch here, so a barely visible spreading may be all that's needed. Try it for fit, and repeat until it does. For tightening a clip, press a toothpick inside it as far as it will go, then use the needle-nose pliers to gently squeeze together the sides of the clip near its free end, while watching the slot for any change. (Attempting to squeeze a clip without the toothpick inside it will flatten its sides.) Try it for size, and resqueeze if necessary until the fit is correct. When it is, close up the middle section of the tube to match the end
Cartridge mounting screws (usually 2.5mm allen bolts) should be tight. Steel allen bolts are the best for mounting hi-fi cartridges - aluminum or brass are OK but difficult to tighten.
..Continued in part 2 next week..