Overview
Aurora
SWIFT
Calypso
Resolution
Sovereign
Voyager

Calypso Turntable

For out-and-out performance, this deck has all the attributes you could ask for. Strengths lie in superb transparency, timing, musicality, dynamics, and tangible soundstaging. Capable of outperforming much more expensive, respected decks, the Calypso MK5 is not going to disappoint you. Also, being neutral and system-friendly, it suits most applications very well.
ADD TO CART FOR £3,170
Calypso Turntable budget audiophile high end award winning turntable rega linn pro-ject

Calypso Turntable

For out-and-out performance, this deck has all the attributes you could ask for. Strengths lie in superb transparency, timing, musicality, dynamics, and tangible soundstaging. Capable of outperforming much more expensive, respected decks, Calypso MK4 is not going to disappoint you. Also, being neutral and system-friendly, it suits most applications very well.

Origin Live Hi-Fi Calypso Turntable Silver tonearm a high end turntable for analogue vinyl audio playback mid century mid-century retro styling
ADD TO CART FOR £3,170
REVIEWS

“The Calypso Multilayer/Silver proves a really impressive performer. It has a big, spacious sound that’s strong on dynamics, involvement and tonal purity, with excellent detail retrieval.” Read the Full Review >
Hi-Fi Choice

“It is still a relatively modest package, yet it produced some of the very best sounds from vinyl that I have heard for a considerable while……. An Audio Excellence rating is amply deserved.” Read the full review >
Hi-Fi Critic

“…It will come as no surprise that I am totally smitten with this player. It is a permanent part of my system and I seriously doubt if there is a player out there that can beat it in terms of outright enjoyment and musical flow. And even in technical and audiophile terms, I’ve not heard a better performance than this.” Read the full review >
Hi-Fi Advice, Christiaan Punter

REVIEWS

“The Aurora MKII sets the musical and sonic standard for its price range. It is capable of communicating the intent of all kinds of music and of triggering the deepest and most exalted musical ecstasy. My wholehearted recommendation.”  Read the full review >
Stereo Times

“Stellar performer with wonderfully realistic presentation… Enticing looks and celestial sounds… Superb attack, rigid bass, excellent dynamics, all of which means continually engrossing performances and edge-of-the-seat listening! …It looks like a star and sounds like heaven – a class leader in every respect…” Read the full review >
What Hi-Fi Group Comparison Test Winner

“The good news is the Aurora does not require a $3,000 cartridge to sound great. Coupled with the OL Silver MK IIIA tonearm and a budget cartridge I could be happy to live with it long term. It offers true high end sound at a reasonable price and has the ability to transport the recorded performance into your listening. I cannot part with it, so I purchased the review sample.” Read the full review >
TNT Audio

Features

Mk5 Motor Power Supply

The Mk5 Motor Power Supply introduces a new PCB in the PSU on all decks offering even more speed stability and improved sonic performance than the former Light Speed Controller. Common problems like speed drift, motor jitter and cogging are avoided. Speed settings for 33.33 and 45 RPM are operated through one knob with no need for belt/platter change.

DC100 Motor

These high-grade Swiss motors demonstrate the powerful, smooth-running needed in a good turntable motor. Ironless cores eliminate eddy currents which result in low “clogging”, low vibration and speed stability. Motors are decoupled to minimize vibration and reduce audible noise.

Belt

The belt is manufactured in house using special material which increases grip and reduces stretch under instantaneous loading, using a unique material which dramatically improves on widely used neoprene rubber  – benefits include increased dynamics and deeper bass performance.

Origin Live Hi-Fi Calypso Turntable Motor Pod Silver tonearm a high end turntable for analogue vinyl audio playback with mid century mid-century retro styling

Features

Mk5 Motor Power Supply

The Mk5 Motor Power Supply introduces a new PCB in the PSU on all decks offering even more speed stability and improved sonic performance than the former Light Speed Controller. Common problems like speed drift, motor jitter and cogging are avoided. Speed settings for 33.33 and 45 RPM are operated through one knob with no need for belt/platter change.

DC200 Motor

The DC200 motor is smoother, quieter and double the power (Torque) of the Aurora’s DC100. You can hear more power in the music with bass gaining in slam, depth and resolution. Dynamics and resolution across all frequencies improve along with all other aspects of music. Ironless cores eliminate eddy currents which result in low “clogging”, low vibration and speed stability. Motors are decoupled to minimize vibration and reduce audible noise.

Belt

The belt is manufactured in house using special material which increases grip and reduces stretch under instantaneous loading, using a unique material which dramatically improves on widely used neoprene rubber  – benefits include increased dynamics and deeper bass performance.

FEATURES CONTINUED

High Specification Power Supply

Carefully selected cables from premium suppliers are attached to motor circuitry that is designed to ensure the motor, the platter and your vinyl are running smoothly on a consistent power supply. 

Pulley

A well researched special plastic pulley enables maximum belt grip, resulting in increased definition and dynamics.

Standard Armboard

Our standard armboard provides premium performance for the price point. Decoupled from the rest of the turntable, the armboard is balanced in equilibrium with the platter and bearing house.

Origin Live Hi-Fi Calypso Turntable encounter tonearm a high end turntable for analogue vinyl audio playback with mid century mid-century retro styling
Origin Live Hi-Fi Calypso Turntable encounter tonearm a high end turntable for analogue vinyl audio playback with mid-century mid century retro styling

FEATURES CONTINUED

High Specification Power Supply

Carefully selected cables from premium suppliers are attached to motor circuitry that is designed to ensure the motor, the platter and your vinyl are running smoothly on a consistent power supply. 

Pulley

A well researched special plastic pulley enables maximum belt grip, resulting in increased definition and dynamics over.

Standard Armboard

Our standard armboard provides premium performance for the price point. Decoupled from the rest of the turntable, the armboard is balanced in equilibrium with the platter and bearing house.

Origin Live Hi-Fi Calypso Turntable encounter tonearm a high end turntable for analogue vinyl audio playback with mid century mid-century retro styling

FEATURES CONTINUED

Origin Live Hi-Fi Calypso Turntable Motor Pod Silver tonearm a high end turntable for analogue vinyl audio playback with mid century mid-century retro styling
Ultra-low Friction Bearing

Made in house, the new MK4 bearing has ultra low levels of vibration. The spindle rotates on a Tungsten carbide ball bearing centered on a hardened thrust pad for low friction and long life. Low bearing friction is essential to avoid vibration. Unlike decks which “float” the platter using air or magnetic bearings, we believe “earthing” the energy out of the platter is essential for sound purity.

High Specification Sub-Chassis

The sub-chassis plate balances the armboard with the platter and bearing house, decoupling both from the turntable plinth. Its mass heavy design also helps to effectively damp vibration travelling through the armboard and platter.

Suspension

Our unique suspension avoids both the softening of leading edges often found in suspended designs and the hardness in many non-suspended designs. The results are:

  • Superior pitch, rhythm, and timing
  • Rock-solid imaging
  • Reduced colouration
  • Refined presentation of low-level information
  • Easy to follow separation in the music and vocals

FEATURES CONTINUED

Suspension

Our unique suspension avoids both the softening of leading edges often found in suspended designs and the hardness in many non-suspended designs. The results are:

  • Superior pitch, rhythm, and timing
  • Rock-solid imaging
  • Reduced colouration
  • Refined presentation of low-level information
  • Easy to follow separation in the music and vocals
High Specification Sub-Chassis

The sub-chassis plate balances the armboard with the platter and bearing house, decoupling both from the turntable plinth. Its mass heavy design also helps to effectively damp vibration travelling through the armboard and platter.

Ultra-low Friction Bearing

Made in house, the new MK4 bearing has ultra low levels of vibration. The spindle rotates on a Tungsten carbide ball bearing centered on a hardened thrust pad for low friction and long life. Low bearing friction is essential to avoid vibration. Unlike decks which “float” the platter using air or magnetic bearings, we believe “earthing” the energy out of the platter is essential for sound purity.

FEATURES CONTINUED

Heavy Inertia Disc

Pictured here beneath the arm board and platter, this stainless steel disc adds a large mass to the plinth, greatly reducing resonance. Placed at the point of its connection to the sub-chassis, this weighs down the plinth, effectively reducing vertical modes of vibration traveling across the plinth and into the sub-chassis. This minimizes any vibration that could travel into the platter or arm board to disturb your vinyl.

Front Loading Inertia Discs x 2

As well as the heavy inertia disc, these smaller inertia discs are positioned at the extremities of the plinth, where the plinth may be susceptible to vibration. The small inertia discs resist rotational forces arising from ground and airborne vibration. This maintains the plinths equilibrium and in turn the equilibrium of the whole turntable.

Suberb Styling

The Calypso’s circular forms evoke curving mid-century designs. The unmistakable profile and black polished finish make it an eye-catching asset for any decor.

Origin Live Hi-Fi Calypso Turntable Motor Pod Silver tonearm a high end turntable for analogue vinyl audio playback with mid century mid-century retro styling
Origin Live Hi-Fi Calypso Turntable Motor Pod Silver tonearm a high end turntable for analogue vinyl audio playback with mid century mid-century retrostyling

Compare Turntable Features

TURNTABLE Aurora Calypso Resolution Sovereign Voyager
Multi-layer Platter
No No No Yes Yes
High Performance Armboard No No Yes Yes Yes
Motor
DC100 DC100 DC100 DC100 DC100 x 2
Sub-Chassis Inertia Disc No Yes Yes No No
Heavyweight Plinth
No No No Yes Yes
Maximum Decouping on Main Bearing
No No Yes Yes Yes
“Footprint” of deck & Minimum Dimensions of Support Surface (cm) (WxD) 40 x 29 40 x 29 40 x 29 40 x 29 40 x 37
Overall Size with 9.5 inch arm see top line (cm) (Width x Depth x Height)
For 12 inch arms use lower line
49x36x17
55x36x17
49x36x17
55x36x17
49x36x17
55x36x17
50x38x19
55x39x19
Weight (kg) 10.3 11.5 12.1 28.4
Shipping Dimensions (cm) (Width x Depth x Height)
60 x 45 x 16 60 x 45 x 16 60 x 45 x 16 60 x 50 x 30
Weight Packaged (kg) (Width x Depth x Height)
12 13.3 13.9 32

Choosing Turntables

KEY INFORMATION & FAQs
Key Information

It helps to understand what separates exceptional decks from the numerous other choices available. The following article explains why turntables make more difference than almost any other component in a system. It also reveals the difficulties in achieving the dramatic performance improvements that vinyl is capable of. Understanding this will help you choose the best possible turntable.

With Hundreds of Turntables To Choose From, Why is it Estimated That Only 3% Are Star Performers?
How do you find the best turntable with such a colossal choice? If you visit a large international Hi-Fi show you will be struck by the vast array of different turntables. Many of which, you will never see in a national Hi-Fi magazine. I counted over 400 different models at the Munich show alone. As a rough estimate, there must be upwards of 1500 different turntable models on the market. This conservative number is increasing weekly.
Even if you see a “turntable of the year award” in the latest magazine, it usually only applies to turntables (or new versions) launched that year. There can be a host of far better performers not considered for the award concerned.

The Best Turntable May Look Outwardly Similar But Sound Radically Different To Others
At first glance, turntables appear very similar to one another. They are surely simple devices to spin a record at a fixed speed? Since the first appearance in 1877, little has fundamentally changed. Admittedly old gramophones were cranked by hand and are now driven by electric motors. But still, essentially all you have is a rotating platter on which you place your records. So where’s the magic?
I selected my first Hi-Fi system over 35 years ago. Being new to Hi-Fi, my choice of the turntable was made with no knowledge of the massive performance differences which exist between different models. It was only later on that I studied the Hi-Fi press and found that in those days they stated long and hard the priority of a good turntable in System hierarchy. Hi-Fi hierarchy assesses the significance of each item of equipment in the Hi-Fi chain and lists them in sequential order of importance. I found it difficult to believe that an expensive turntable could be worth what sounded like a high investment. Only when by chance I eavesdropped on a shop demonstration was I instantly convinced.
This compared two decks that looked similar but the sonic difference between them was massive. Listening to the better one, the cohesion, dynamics and ability to follow the music was simply jaw-dropping. I left the shop, wondering how such colossal differences could possibly exist.
Appreciating What The Best Turntable Does Differently

The Challenges of Vinyl Replay
Appreciating the awesome challenges presented in vinyl replay is the first step to avoid rushing into a decision. Most analogue reviewers consider their turntable to be THE single most important component in their entire system. To achieve great results from any system, the signal at the beginning of the chain must be of the highest quality or you simply experience “rubbish in, rubbish out”.
Firstly, the reason turntables have such an enormous effect on sound quality, is that they generate a super low-level signal. This is then instantly magnified beyond imagination. Much more than a specimen magnified by an extremely powerful microscope. As your cartridge tracks the record grooves, minuscule mechanical movements of the stylus convert into electrical signals. These are then amplified a colossal 8000 times before they reach your speakers. This is just the magnification, but the resolving power is even more impressive.

The Incredible Resolving Power of The Best Turntables
If we appreciate the astonishing resolving power of the best turntables we will understand their importance. In the magnification of images, the quality of magnification depends on the resolution. The same is true for amplifying sound from a signal. The resultant quality is entirely dependent on the resolution capability of your signal measurement. The most powerful conventional optical microscope resolves images at no more than 100 times magnification. Although they can magnify higher than this, the image just gets bigger but with no increase in quality (resolution). It never becomes more defined due to the wavelength of light which imposes limits. Electron microscopes on the other hand to reach down to levels of 500,000 X magnification with resolution.
Although the magnification of a cartridge signal is 8000 X, the resolution is much much greater. This is so high you could ask the question of whether the ear is capable of differentiating such levels. An article written by the H.E.A.R organisation states ” The eardrum moves only a thousand-millionths of a centimetre (less than the diameter of a hydrogen atom) in response to the minimal sound you can hear at 1,000 Hz. Its sensitivity is greater than any microphone. If it were any more sensitive, we would hear the constant noise of air molecules hitting our eardrums.”

The Influence of Vibration
Once these factors are properly appreciated, it’s not difficult to grasp that the slightest vibrational artefact will massively affect the accuracy of the original signal. The turntable is so much more than simply a device to rotate records – it’s actually a super sensitive measuring platform.
Some may question how analogue delivers more information to the ear than digital sources? After all, most modern records are produced from digital recordings. This is a good question and one we discuss in the article “Analogue vs Digital” at the bottom of the page.
The Path To A Pure Signal, Free Of Unwanted Vibration
The resolution of electron microscopes can be destroyed by the slightest vibration in their environment. For this reason, incredible measures are taken to ensure total mechanical isolation. Scientists resort to advanced techniques such as air flotation platforms and other sophisticated devices. The expense is astronomical.
The challenge of obtaining high resolution from a turntable is arguably more complex than that of an electron microscope. The behaviours are intensely intricate and conflicting. We would suggest that anyone who thinks otherwise has no conception of what’s going on. Some years ago, Origin Live was approached by microscope companies who were interested in our award-winning turntable isolation platforms. The ensuing conversations highlighted some of the additional complexity that turntables experience over powerful microscopes. Namely, that the primary vibration problems are generated internally. It’s not just a matter of stopping vibration from getting into the deck. But how do you absorb with the least amount of flexural movement and resonance?

What Makes A Good Turntable?
Internally Generated Vibration Emanates From:
The motor drive system – electrical effects, motor vibration, pulley eccentricity, belt resonance and slip
The platter bearing
Resonant feedback created by the cartridge vibration
Airborne acoustic energy created by the speakers
Resonance initiated by ground-borne vibration from traffic, underground pumps etc
The intuitive answers to these problems usually lead to disaster. For example, the pursuit of low flexure might lead one to imagine that a thick, solid granite platter would give fantastic results. The problem with this idea is that the vibration from the record cannot escape through solid granite. So instead it simply bounces back into the record, causing destructive resonance in the vinyl.
Matters are further complicated by the need to absorb all frequencies evenly. If one frequency is absorbed quickly and another slowly, there will be timing issues that affect musicality.
The critical demand for excellent energy absorption and low flexure would seem contradictory and insoluble for many. It is this puzzle that makes turntable design such a fascinating and contradictory subject of debate. However, over many years Origin Live have found little known methods to resolve such paradoxes.

Conclusion – Control Of Micro-vibration Is What Massively Differentiates The Best Turntables From The Rest
Every component of a turntable influences micro-vibration in conflicting and complex ways. Origin Live’s experience in upgrading over 30 brands of the turntable has resulted in hearing what different design approaches sound like. This puts us in a better position than most, to understand, by comparison, the question – what makes the best turntable? Certain traits always result in a certain sound that remains embedded in the musical results, whatever the system it’s played on.
Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different design aspects is a giant leap towards creating an ultimate design. We look at design in more depth later on, but for now, we’ve seen that the best turntable will handle micro-vibration better than others. This must include both wanted vibration from the stylus and unwanted vibration from resonance and reflection.

In the same way, great singers have better voices, all materials resonate differently and have a “voice” in micro-vibration. This factor is often dismissed by theoreticians who prefer to work conceptually and short cut the laborious process of evaluating the sonic signature of different materials.

High-Grade Materials for Turntables & Tonearm
The nature of mechanical playback means that every material chosen plays a role in performance. Specifications and theory can only play a limited role here. If pure measurements were the answer, you could use a computer to judge the talent of singers on shows like the Voice or the X-factor. The problem is that any measurement system can only measure what it’s programmed to. Understanding the physics of what makes one voice more preferable to another would probably take more than a lifetime. For this reason, we conduct hundreds of listening tests to determine the best choices.
Origin Live pay obsessive attention to the types of material used throughout the construction of turntables. This is one reason our Platter Mat (offered as an accessory) upgrades 99% of turntables on the market. The same is true for our turntable belts and oil, both of which receive remarkable reviews from satisfied clients. These may seem trivial examples but they indicate a fanatical thoroughness in research that extends to much more important areas in our turntables.

Speed control is electronically switched between 33rpm and 45 rpm. A smooth powerful motor drives the platter at a constant speed with no measurable deviation from absolute speed. The remarkable speed accuracy is achieved using advanced speed control. This is not only accurate but avoids introducing the serious motor jitter prevalent in most turntables.

If you wish to see details such as size measurements, weights and a breakdown of features please use the link below.

Specifications included on all turntables
  • Speed 33rpm & 45rpm
  • Mains Voltage can be 220 – 240V or 110V (Deck is configured for your country of residence).
  • Armboard will accept 9.5″ and 12″ Origin Live Arms (to order). Rega arms also accepted.
  • The Voyager deck will accept any brand of tonearm (to order).

Fit & Forget
• Nothing to go out of tune so you save the cost of yearly servicing.
• Simple to set up for beginners.
• Proven reliability from time tested design.
• Simple to run using a single switch.
• Upgradable with Tonearm and motor drive options.

Easy Set-Up
The deck is simple to set up for beginners. The instructions are written assuming you’ve never had a turntable before. From the box arriving and after reading the instructions, set up takes between 5 and 15 minutes. This includes fitting the arm (not the cartridge).
In contrast, many Suspended turntable designs can take well over 2 hours to assemble due to complex spring assemblies, levelling and other issues.
All our decks are easy to level with adjustable feet.
Arm fitting and VTA adjustment are convenient, with open access to the underside of the armboard.

Near Zero Maintenance, High Reliability & Low Running Costs
Nothing requires tuning thanks to a non-suspended design which means you save the cost of yearly servicing.
Speed will not vary into the future (see Light Speed Controller LSC). In contrast, the speed of most turntables changes over time unless they are serviced by a dealer. Even then the accuracy may be no better than 0.5% not to mention inconvenience and cost.
The level of reliability is proven by time tested design.

Easy To Upgrade
Various turntable upgrades are available depending on the deck model. These can be seen as options on order pages or on the turntable upgrade pages
Upgrading the Tonearm is especially easy due to the simple fit.

Simple To Run
Our decks are simple to run using a single switch.

Multi-Layer Platter
The Multilayer platter is an option available for the Aurora, Calypso and Resolution decks. It is included as standard on Sovereign turntables. This option makes a colossal difference to the performance (more so than the difference between the 2 turntable models).
Notable are increased dynamics, ultra-fast transients, deeper bass and improved definition throughout the range. However all aspects of the music benefit from the multi-layer platter. Hi-Fi Critic Magazine made the following comments on the multi-layer:
“The sonic outcome of fitting the new platter to the Calypso was not marginal in a “well, it might as well stay now it’s on there” kind-of-way. It was shockingly effective, resulting in a 50% plus uplift in performance over stock…… It is a masterpiece of voicing that must have taken heaven only knows how long to get right. It works evenly, top to bottom, removing the fog from recordings. Timing, dynamics and tonal veracity are all improved. For full comments see the link below.

Fully Balanced Upgrade Transformer
The performance of the deck can be significantly upgraded with the “Fully balanced Upgrade Transformer”. This option is applicable to all turntables below the Sovereign.

Clear Acrylic Lid
You can order a bespoke Lid from various online plastic stores. – This is a good idea if you have young children or pets and need a completely enclosed solution. If however you just need to keep dust off the platter and arm then the Michell Unicover will suffice.

Turntable Options & Additions

12″ Arm Mounting Option
The 12″ sub-chassis enables you to fit all Origin Live 12″ inch arms. If you are considering this option, then it is easier and less costly to specify the 12″ sub-chassis with the deck at the time of order rather than considering it as an option for the future.

Notes:
If you would like to learn about the advantages of 12-inch arms over 9″ arms, you can read our helpful article.
The method commonly employed by other brands, for fitting 12-inch arms is to change the armboard. This is not possible for Origin Live arm boards because they are integrated into the structure of the sub-chassis.
Only 12-inch Origin Live tonearms will normally fit this option – other 12-inch arm brands can be quoted on a case by case basis.
To include the 12-inch sub-chassis when you order your deck – select it in the options list that appears when you order your deck.
If you already have a standard Origin Live deck and wish to change to a 12-inch arm mount, the only solution is to swap over the entire sub-chassis assembly. This is only possible on MK3 decks and also involves more expense than including the 12-inch arm mount in the first place. To order a 12-inch sub-chassis in this instance please go look at our upgrades page. You will need to return your current sub-chassis for this option. We will send you a guide on how to carry out this operation which is straightforward to do yourself.

Dual Arm Mounting
The dual armboard allows 2 Origin Live or Rega’s arms to be fitted to the deck. Reasons for this are as below:
• If you have dirty or damaged records you can play them through a cheap cartridge without needing to keep changing the cartridge
• You may have 2 cartridges for particular applications such as a mono cartridge for mono records
• If you set up the arms for different record thicknesses it avoids needing to keep adjusting the VTA
• Dealers use them to enable quick comparisons of different tonearms with the same cartridge
If you are considering this option, then it is easier and saves money to order the dual armboard sub-chassis with the deck and not at a later date.

If you already have a standard Origin Live deck and wish to change to a dual armboard, the only solution is to swap over the entire sub-chassis assembly. This option is only possible on MK3 decks and also involves considerably more expense than ordering the deck with a dual armboard included.
Please note that the dual armboard for the Aurora and Calypso is different and more economical than that of the one for the Resolution and Sovereign decks. You can order this option on the turntable ordering page.

Multi-Layer Platter
Performance
The multi-layer platter is difficult to produce but the performance improvements are worth it. Notable are increased dynamics, ultra-fast transients, deeper bass and improved definition throughout the range. However, all aspects of the music benefit when you install this platter.

Features
The Multi-layer platter uses advanced energy dissipation techniques to both support the record with minimum resonance whilst at the same time allowing energy to escape. This item solves complex issues that plague sonic purity and derives from massive research and development. The closer structures get to the actual record the more they have to be right.

Applications
This option is included as standard on the Sovereign deck and above. However, it may be added as an optional extra to the Calypso & Resolution. If coupled with the upgrade transformer this brings the performance of the Resolution to almost the same level as the Sovereign Turntable.

Review
“My final move was to change the Calypso’s standard acrylic platter for the upgrade multi-layer affair. Acrylic may well be a popular platter material, but its detractors observe that it may suck some of the energy from transients resulting in a soft-focus ‘Vaseline-on-the-lens’ presentation. Alternative platter materials can sound more dynamic, but none is without its own drawbacks. Origin Live’s response was to develop a platter with multiple layers. Thick acrylic forms the base; then a thin layer of what looks like aluminium, with intricately machined perforations; followed by a slightly thicker layer of what might well be Delrin; and finally Origin Live’s own platter mat. I am certainly correct about the first and the fourth, but the middle two in the sandwich must remain guesses. (Origin Live declined to discuss the composition.) The sonic outcome of fitting the new platter to the Calypso was not marginal in a “well, it might as well stay now it’s on there” kind of way. It was shockingly effective, resulting in a 50% plus uplift in performance overstock. Invitation, a recording of Jaco Pastorius’ One Truth Band made when on tour in Japan has been a vinyl staple of mine for some years. Musically exceptional, tracks that I had listened to many times had a freshness, immediacy, power and resolution on the Origin Live rig that rocked me back in my seat This platter doesn’t accentuate one band of frequencies at the expense of others. It is a masterpiece of voicing that must have taken heaven only knows how long to get right. It works evenly, top to bottom, removing the fog from recordings. Timing, dynamics and tonal veracity are all improved. I had thought that the supporting musicians on Invitation had got a bit loose and ahead of themselves on a few occasions (particularly on Fannie Mae/Eleven where the entire band brings the recording to a raucous sustained climax), but the Calypso demonstrated that they don’t get sloppy at all. Fine timing, agile dynamics and a lack of slurring and ringing revealed space between notes where I had heard little or none previously. Now the track made perfect sense, sounding busy, but tight and disciplined. This upgrade platter enables the Calypso to dig deep into the lowest octaves, with more power and articulation than any other non-suspended turntable that I have heard, and better than most suspended designs too. Impressively, if the grooves say ‘loud and powerful, that’s just what the Calypso delivers, and its tonal density is rich and satisfying too, which doesn’t imply colouration, but a closer to real-life presentation. The exceptional gains that resulted from the change to the multi-layer platter would not have been realised had the extra tonal density, tight timing and powerful dynamics not been there in the first place, waiting to be revealed. That they were is a credit to the Illustrious, a middle-tier tonearm in the Origin Live catalogue, but a quite exceptionally resolving, musical and well-engineered product in its own right.” – Read Full Review >
Hi-Fi Critic

FAQs

Digital vs Analogue Sound Quality
Observation and comments on the difference between Analogue (vinyl) and digital formats. It is easy to be carried away with the marvels and speed of the advance of digital mediums. It, therefore, surprises some that highly respected audio experts will say a top-flight record player far surpasses the sound quality of all digital sources. They passionately own vinyl as their first choice in sound quality and will tell you this will remain so into the foreseeable future. They see it as the pinnacle of sound quality because it’s more natural, smoother, more coherent, and more musical presentation than digital. In comparison, digital can often sound harsh, disjointed and a musical mess that the ear finds unattractive.
In spite of this digital has advantages and the discussion regarding format superiority has many aspects which make it a controversial area. For example at the very budget end of the market, the price for price, digital has better sound quality, convenience and availability than vinyl. However, once you get beyond £500 for a good record player, this state of affairs is reversed in terms of sound quality.
At the extreme high end, Germany’s largest Hi-Fi magazine (Audio) declared that a top turntable outperformed their reference Digital player comprehensively on EVERY aspect of music.

Technically, both Digital and Viny face challenges and neither can claim superiority on this basis. For this reason, judgements should be based on observation rather than dogma. It’s interesting that in photography, digital has still not claimed supremacy in the high end. The highest resolution cameras for producing Imax cinema film are analogue, not digital (although they use digital for lower quality productions).

Limits Of This Article
Time will not permit this discussion to look at all aspects of Digital vs Analogue so we will confine ourselves to the single aspect of sound quality. This leaves out the more well known and conflicting aspects of cost, convenience, speed of access, mobility, wear, longevity, tangibility, nostalgia, retro, availability of older recordings in digital etc. There are important advantages and disadvantages in both formats and your preference will vary from others. If sound quality is important to you then the following discussion should be relevant.

Reasons For The Perception Of Digital Sound Superiority
CDs first started the transition away from vinyl LPs back in 1985 promising “pure, perfect sound forever” – “no more crackles pops and hiss”. Vanishingly low distortion was quoted at 0.001% at 1kHz. What wasn’t there to love?
The proof of digital sound superiority was simple – Compare it to an average record player. Of course, most people found CD sounded better.
The world domination of digital vs analogue became overwhelming – pockets of analogue resistance held out. Strangely those who loved the analogue sound were viewed to have a mild form of benign insanity. This was eventually to prove an infectious disorder. So much so, that there was a steady growth of those reverting to the medium and this continues to this day.
The disorder gets so bad that we regularly receive letters like “your turntable has rendered my CD player unlistenable”.
To hear that vinyl is not just subjectively preferable but also technically superior still comes as a shock to the vast majority of people whose main exposure to formats is moulded by a huge industry marketing machine.
The purpose of this article is to shed fresh light on why so many top reviewers and music lovers still prefer vinyl and will continue to do so.

Mistakes Of The Past
To save repeating the mistakes of the past it’s worth understanding why many turntables hugely under-perform to the extent that many never hear what analogue is capable of. The main culprit was probably the low-quality electronics used for turntable amplification. These were often inadequate to resolve and properly amplify the very low signal levels of a turntable (over 200 times lower than CD output). As if this was not enough, the design and build of an average non-specialist turntable were not capable of high sound quality.

Why Analogue For Best Sound?
This is a complex and controversial area where not much is what it seems at face value. For example, the low distortion figures of CD are fantastic at 1kHz but far from fantastic at lower frequencies where vinyl does far better. To save getting bogged down in technical aspects where even the experts disagree, we will look at observations, principles and leading arguments.

Infinite Resolution
Firstly analogue has an infinite resolution (theoretically) which digital is always attempting to reproduce using limited and finite resolution. The Universe functions on the infinite analogue resolution as seen in light waves, sound waves, water waves, atomic vibration and on it goes. The ear loves infinite resolution. Of course, it is realized that resolution is not quite infinite because of finite aspects and there are limitations such as the size of atoms ultimately.

The Ear Identifies Digital As Fake Analogue
The ear is incredibly discriminating at a sub-conscious level and prefers pure analogue without the artefacts introduced by digital conversion.

The Complexity Of Converting Digital Back To Analogue
To play music, all digital sources must convert a digital signal back into an analogue one. The conversion process is fraught with issues beyond the comprehension of even the experts in this area. In fact, it took years before it was acknowledged by some that CD players sounded different to one another. It took many more years before anyone was able to prove the reasons why. Then people started noticing that digital cables sounded different. This is still incomprehensible and denied by many digital experts. However, there are a few brave souls who talk about phase problems causing this phenomenon.
Some digital to analogue converters (DACs) are much better than others but all depend on complex mathematical algorithms which are flawed in one respect or another. We highly respect and applaud those who manage to achieve acceptable results in this area as it’s incredibly challenging.

Compression Losses In recording And Transmission
The results of recording a high-quality record player onto a digital recorder using a good digital convertor are surprising. The results can be very close to the original sound heard on the record player. The only standout area is the bass where digital never seems to quite get it (figures show 30% more distortion in the bass of CD players than turntables).

This seems contradictory at first so why is it an exception. Or to put it another way, why is the normal experience of digital not this good?
Firstly many CDs and digital sources are compressed to the extent that over 60% of the original information is lost. This enables faster production and download speeds but wrecks sound quality whatever the claims to the contrary. The compression process is inevitably flawed as is the decompression and conversion back to analogue.

Converting Your Analogue To Digital
It’s possible to create genuinely high-quality digital recordings from Vinyl records that will far surpass the CD versions of the same records. Of course, it’s a complete disaster to expect a low-cost record player and phono stage to carry out this task as it’s simply “rubbish in, rubbish out”. This is where it’s essential to invest in a very high-grade turntable and phono stage plus a decent analogue to digital convertor.
The major advantage of doing this is that it will save your records from wearing when you only want to listen to your collection as background music. An added benefit is that you can listen to much higher quality music if you take it with you on the move.

What “High Resolution & Lossless” Can Really Be
In an honest world, the words high resolution and lossless would be good news. The problem is that the whole truth is often not being told which is why these formats still sound terrible. You can take a low-resolution recording in a format such as MP3 and upsample it into a high-resolution format then call it high resolution. Problem solved? Far from it! This is like taking a blurred photograph and putting it through sharpening filters. The result will never come close to an authentic high-quality image taken in focus.

Why Analogue Recordings From Digital Sources Sound Better Than The Original Digital?
It’s a source of amazement to some, that many analogue vinyl records are made from digital recordings. How can they possibly sound better? The answer to this is almost certain that the process of converting digital onto a vinyl record is mechanical. This has the effect of “upsampling” the original digital signal from limited resolution into infinite resolution. The ear finds this more acceptable as it’s free of the digital artefacts which plague algorithm-driven conversion.
Michael Fremmer made an interesting remark that quite a number of turntable designers come from Silicon Valley and worked on designing chips for DACS (which convert digital to analogue). These individuals are fully aware of the flaws in chip designs and prefer turntables.

Published Magazine Article on Digital vs Analogue
Back in February 2004, Hi Fi World asked me along with a number of others to contribute answers to a series of questions. I have republished my answers below as they have as much relevance now as they did then:

[1] THEORETICALLY, WHICH IS BETTER – DIGITAL OR ANALOGUE?
Theoretically, each format could claim superiority if the technology behaved perfectly. However, the discussion ultimately boils down to the fact that both mediums have technical issues to overcome. Which is better depends on the limitations of existing technology and knowledge. When CD was first launched, people cited the technical superiority of the medium over vinyl – better dynamic range, lower distortion etc. The same old rhetoric is being repeated for the new digital formats – In the effort to claim technical superiority and the advance of technology, the issue of subjective sound quality appears to have become merely incidental.
In spite of the claims for the new formats, it is plain that much is still not understood about the exact nature of digital. Things that look perfect on paper turn out to be far from perfect in practice. CD’s were eventually discovered to have up to 30% distortion in the bass which is nowhere near as good as vinyl. This is just one example but there is also a raft of other misconceptions – were the designers not aware of these problems?

The Unknown Difficulties
At face value it may seem straightforward to translate a digital code into analogue, so where does it go wrong? is it sampling rates? Even with the new high sampling rate formats, the translation from digital to analogue is bound to degrade the signal significantly. This is due to the limitations of the devices that read the information on the discs – not all the information is read perfectly and disc reading errors occur continuously. The electronics required to compensate for the ensuing mess has a host of side effects that are most unpleasant. Severe and complex problems lie in the multitude of activities that the electronics must perform. The outcome is that the new digital formats are severely flawed as far as the human ear is concerned.

Solutions?
According to a number of expert opinions outside the digital marketing departments, there are specific technical problems with the new formats which mean that they will never outclass vinyl in terms of sound quality. One easily understood issue is the “watermark” that is put on an increasing number of digital discs to prevent copying. This alone is known to cause significant sound degradation with no solution on the horizon. Yet another issue is the need to rectify disc reading errors – can a DTA converter really take an educated guess to fill in missing information with accuracy – it doesn’t appear so. A crude analogy of the problem is that of cutting up a prime fillet steak into tiny chunks – no matter how finely you cut it and try to put it back together, you still end up with a hamburger not fillet steak.

Vinyl Analogue Replay, On The Other Hand, Has The following Advantages
• No sampling rate unless you call infinity a sampling rate
• The conversion of an analogue mechanical signal into the final analogue electrical signal is much simpler than a digital to analogue conversion
• The minimal errors of a cartridge do not need “correction”. Although distortion may be higher it does not have the “nasty” nature of digital distortion that is thoroughly offensive to the ear

[2] WHICH SYSTEM DO YOU PERSONALLY PREFER – AND WHY?
Not surprisingly I prefer Analogue! It has a fluid sound quality as opposed to digital which can be distinctly edgy at times. There are numerous other subjective differences particularly in the bass region which is where analogue scores so heavily over digital. Analogue portrays an effortless and authoritative bass which forms the foundation of music. Digital sources seldom have this quality – partly because the digital recording itself has been rolled off early and no player can play the music that has simply been removed. However, in addition to this, the players seem unable to convey the warmth and subtleties present in the bass areas of the music. As for midrange, treble, and musicality, you only have to listen, and the superiority of vinyl is obvious to most people. There will be people who prefer digital but it may depend to some extent on the way they process music in their brain – some people prefer an electronic keyboard over a real piano.

WHAT ARE THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ANALOGUE?
• Analogue is now perceived as “the new high-end format” by those who have listened to modern turntables and phono stages. For out and out sound quality there is nothing to touch it and this state of affairs will continue due to the inherent problems of digital formats.
Many of the recordings on vinyl have not been wrecked by digital remastering and this alone is often highly significant. The phrase “digitally remastered” fills most analogue lovers with horror because they have heard the results – How some of the marketing men involved with the digital format get away with the total nonsense they deliver to an unsuspecting public is beyond me. It is also partly responsible in my view for the long term decline in cd sales. By this, I mean that although short term sales may seem to increase due to people believing false claims about superior sound quality, in the long run, many people wonder why they are finding their new “digitally remastered” recordings are not really touching them at an emotional level.
The disadvantages of analogue are the availability of records although this situation is steadily changing for the better as more and more recordings are repressed and made available through specialist internet mail order companies.
The cost of hardware for analogue is much less than digital (outside the budget end of the market) – in other words, a £1000 record deck will outperform a £12,000 CD player.
Turntables are wonderful looking pieces of kit – some of them resemble a work of art. This lends a certain romance to them that CD players don’t possess.
Turntables are upgradable with better tonearms, cartridges and power supplies. The upgrade path far surpasses digital as an investment because the performance ceiling is so much higher.
There are vast quantities of cheap 2nd hand vinyl around.

[3] DIGITAL?
ADVANTAGES
• Digital is a very convenient medium and easy to record. It is a good successor to audio tape as it has better sound quality and does not suffer degradation with age unless badly treated.
• CD’s can be played on portable ghetto blasters and car audio.
• Convenience and flexibility – CD’s are small and portable, people can skip tracks using a remote control and the players are more fuss-free than record players.
DISADVANTAGES
• Sound quality is hard, edgy, lacks timing, bass warmth and subtlety compared to analogue.
• The lasers of CD players have a limited life. After 3 years your laser may easily break down and it is impossible to find a replacement due to the short lifespan of most players.

[4] WHY DO YOU THINK THE MUSIC AND AUDIO INDUSTRY MOVED TO DIGITAL IN THE THE EIGHTIES?
The Industry moved to digital because of the following opportunities.
• The incredibly poor quality of most record players of the day meant that CD would be perceived as a leap forward in sound quality. Hence there would be a big market for CD’s and the required hardware to play them. The claim of perfect sound quality on an indestructible disc would be highly attractive and perceived as true by the vast mass of people.
• On a commercial basis, CD’s were cheaper to produce than vinyl records.
• Digital had a wider market as CD’s were playable on portable ghetto blasters and car audio.

[5] WHY DO YOU THINK THERE WAS A VINYL REVIVAL IN THE NINETIES?
The revival was partly due to discerning listeners with decent record players – these individuals recognized that CD was actually a backward step in terms of a high-quality format The problem with vinyl had not really been a format issue but the low quality of most turntables. These individuals realized that pursuing better and better CD players was never going to make up for the fact that the medium itself was fatally flawed. By way of contrast, Vinyl players were making huge advances. We have now reached the current state of affairs in which the new Goldring turntable at £140 will outperform most CD players.
The DJ Influence On The Analogue vs Digital Debate
The other factor was that DJ’s still used vinyl. This partly explains why it is cool for youngsters to have a turntable in their room. DJ’s have an amazing following and are influential in their own right. The great bass quality of analogue is of course a key aspect for dance floors and apart from scratching this is another reason why it is the favoured medium of DJ’s. Night clubs are becoming more aware of the potential of analogue and have started fitting our arms to their technics decks with astounding results. Currently, one of the clubs in New York which use our arms has been shortlisted in the top 5 best sounding clubs in the world.

[6] DO THE NEW HIGH RES DIGITAL FORMATS (SACD, DVD-A) HAVE A FUTURE?
The average person does care about sound quality – if they didn’t, CD’s would never have caught on in the first place. People want to have the best but are easily misled. The accountants and PR people obviously realize this – everything is touted as having “high sound quality”. Many people are starting to get disillusioned with format change and the uncertainty of format wars. The new formats are still fatally flawed according to most experts who give an honest opinion in the magazines. Dilution of the market place will lead to less profitability and higher prices – the music industry is doing itself damage through this pursuit. The hope is that the new formats will revive sales because everyone is going to rush out and want the best sound quality available. However, there are problems with this perception:
• The improvements are not great and will never surpass vinyl replay.
• The formats can be pirated – if some form of encryption is put on the format then sound quality is severely degraded and the purpose of the change is lost.
• The hardware necessary to play all the different formats will mean either several players or a universal player. More players get expensive and space-consuming. Universal players mean degradation in sound quality and additional expense.
My honest opinion is that the new formats may have limited success but are unlikely to last for any significant length of time due to the rate of change in the technology of digital storage. Soon there will be further advances in sampling rates and increased storage capacity. However, in spite of a number of possibilities, the fundamental technical problems associated with digital to analogue conversion are likely to remain unsolved.

The Case For Promoting Analogue
If the accountants and PR people made a smart analysis, there is a great argument for promoting Vinyl records as the “new high-end format”. The reasons are obvious.
• Vinyl outperforms the new mediums even on inexpensive modern turntables like the Pro-Ject Debut II. Higher Grade turntables simply run rings around all digital players which is one reason why our turntable was voted by the public as “best sound at the show” recently in Vienna.
• Vinyl cannot be pirated without the loss of sound quality associated with CDs etc. People cannot produce another vinyl record whereas a digital recording can be perfectly copied.
• In the long term vinyl will give far more musical satisfaction than digital formats which will mean increased sales of music.

[7] WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, ARE THEIR RESPECTIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OVER CD?
The new formats are not quite as edgy as CD and have a better bass with no disadvantages in comparison.

[8] (HOW) CAN WE IMPROVE:
• ANALOGUE VINYL?
Besides improving turntables, one of the most neglected areas of vinyl replay is the phono stage. Listening to the GSP gram amp 2 SE at a mere £179 was a revelation to me a few years ago. This moving magnet phono stage caused me to realize how many people have never appreciated the quality of vinyl simply because of the dire quality of integrated amplifier phono inputs. Phono stage design has advanced tremendously over the latter years and inexpensive but excellent phono stages like the Gram amp 1 at £85 could be much better promoted.
• DIGITAL AUDIO?
The transports and mechanisms to read the discs need such massive improvement that I suspect an entirely new technology of reading information is required. At present, the need for DTA converters to carry out oversampling and then take educated guesses to fill in the information missed by the laser is a cause of untold sound degradation. At the end of the day, the information needs to be read perfectly and fully without the need for electronics to fill in the gaps and make up its own version of the music. Sound quality must not yet again become victim to technical arrogance and false claims to superiority.[9] WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE:
• ANALOGUE PRODUCT (i.e. turntable, tape deck) The Origin Live Sovereign turntable with Conqueror tonearm
• DIGITAL PRODUCT (i.e. CD, DVD-A player) The Shanling CD player
AND WHY?
I like the Origin Live Sovereign turntable with Conqueror tonearm because it’s the closest thing I’ve heard to live music. It also looks eye-catching with an engineering quality that begs to be listened to.
The Shanling CD player looks absolutely superb and is overall one of the best sounding in my opinion although it is rather on the euphonic side and does not have the best bass quality.

Digital vs Analogue Sound Quality
Observation and comments on the difference between Analogue (vinyl) and digital formats. It is easy to be carried away with the marvels and speed of the advance of digital mediums. It, therefore, surprises some that highly respected audio experts will say a top-flight record player far surpasses the sound quality of all digital sources. They passionately own vinyl as their first choice in sound quality and will tell you this will remain so into the foreseeable future. They see it as the pinnacle of sound quality because it’s more natural, smoother, more coherent, and more musical presentation than digital. In comparison, digital can often sound harsh, disjointed and a musical mess that the ear finds unattractive.
In spite of this digital has advantages and the discussion regarding format superiority has many aspects which make it a controversial area. For example at the very budget end of the market, the price for price, digital has better sound quality, convenience and availability than vinyl. However, once you get beyond £500 for a good record player, this state of affairs is reversed in terms of sound quality.
At the extreme high end, Germany’s largest Hi-Fi magazine (Audio) declared that a top turntable outperformed their reference Digital player comprehensively on EVERY aspect of music.

Technically, both Digital and Viny face challenges and neither can claim superiority on this basis. For this reason, judgements should be based on observation rather than dogma. It’s interesting that in photography, digital has still not claimed supremacy in the high end. The highest resolution cameras for producing Imax cinema film are analogue, not digital (although they use digital for lower quality productions).

Limits Of This Article
Time will not permit this discussion to look at all aspects of Digital vs Analogue so we will confine ourselves to the single aspect of sound quality. This leaves out the more well known and conflicting aspects of cost, convenience, speed of access, mobility, wear, longevity, tangibility, nostalgia, retro, availability of older recordings in digital etc. There are important advantages and disadvantages in both formats and your preference will vary from others. If sound quality is important to you then the following discussion should be relevant.

Reasons For The Perception Of Digital Sound Superiority
CDs first started the transition away from vinyl LPs back in 1985 promising “pure, perfect sound forever” – “no more crackles pops and hiss”. Vanishingly low distortion was quoted at 0.001% at 1kHz. What wasn’t there to love?
The proof of digital sound superiority was simple – Compare it to an average record player. Of course, most people found CD sounded better.
The world domination of digital vs analogue became overwhelming – pockets of analogue resistance held out. Strangely those who loved the analogue sound were viewed to have a mild form of benign insanity. This was eventually to prove an infectious disorder. So much so, that there was a steady growth of those reverting to the medium and this continues to this day.
The disorder gets so bad that we regularly receive letters like “your turntable has rendered my CD player unlistenable”.
To hear that vinyl is not just subjectively preferable but also technically superior still comes as a shock to the vast majority of people whose main exposure to formats is moulded by a huge industry marketing machine.
The purpose of this article is to shed fresh light on why so many top reviewers and music lovers still prefer vinyl and will continue to do so.

Mistakes Of The Past
To save repeating the mistakes of the past it’s worth understanding why many turntables hugely under-perform to the extent that many never hear what analogue is capable of. The main culprit was probably the low-quality electronics used for turntable amplification. These were often inadequate to resolve and properly amplify the very low signal levels of a turntable (over 200 times lower than CD output). As if this was not enough, the design and build of an average non-specialist turntable were not capable of high sound quality.

Why Analogue For Best Sound?
This is a complex and controversial area where not much is what it seems at face value. For example, the low distortion figures of CD are fantastic at 1kHz but far from fantastic at lower frequencies where vinyl does far better. To save getting bogged down in technical aspects where even the experts disagree, we will look at observations, principles and leading arguments.

Infinite Resolution
Firstly analogue has an infinite resolution (theoretically) which digital is always attempting to reproduce using limited and finite resolution. The Universe functions on the infinite analogue resolution as seen in light waves, sound waves, water waves, atomic vibration and on it goes. The ear loves infinite resolution. Of course, it is realized that resolution is not quite infinite because of finite aspects and there are limitations such as the size of atoms ultimately.

The Ear Identifies Digital As Fake Analogue
The ear is incredibly discriminating at a sub-conscious level and prefers pure analogue without the artefacts introduced by digital conversion.

The Complexity Of Converting Digital Back To Analogue
To play music, all digital sources must convert a digital signal back into an analogue one. The conversion process is fraught with issues beyond the comprehension of even the experts in this area. In fact, it took years before it was acknowledged by some that CD players sounded different to one another. It took many more years before anyone was able to prove the reasons why. Then people started noticing that digital cables sounded different. This is still incomprehensible and denied by many digital experts. However, there are a few brave souls who talk about phase problems causing this phenomenon.
Some digital to analogue converters (DACs) are much better than others but all depend on complex mathematical algorithms which are flawed in one respect or another. We highly respect and applaud those who manage to achieve acceptable results in this area as it’s incredibly challenging.

Compression Losses In recording And Transmission
The results of recording a high-quality record player onto a digital recorder using a good digital convertor are surprising. The results can be very close to the original sound heard on the record player. The only standout area is the bass where digital never seems to quite get it (figures show 30% more distortion in the bass of CD players than turntables).

This seems contradictory at first so why is it an exception. Or to put it another way, why is the normal experience of digital not this good?
Firstly many CDs and digital sources are compressed to the extent that over 60% of the original information is lost. This enables faster production and download speeds but wrecks sound quality whatever the claims to the contrary. The compression process is inevitably flawed as is the decompression and conversion back to analogue.

Converting Your Analogue To Digital
It’s possible to create genuinely high-quality digital recordings from Vinyl records that will far surpass the CD versions of the same records. Of course, it’s a complete disaster to expect a low-cost record player and phono stage to carry out this task as it’s simply “rubbish in, rubbish out”. This is where it’s essential to invest in a very high-grade turntable and phono stage plus a decent analogue to digital convertor.
The major advantage of doing this is that it will save your records from wearing when you only want to listen to your collection as background music. An added benefit is that you can listen to much higher quality music if you take it with you on the move.

What “High Resolution & Lossless” Can Really Be
In an honest world, the words high resolution and lossless would be good news. The problem is that the whole truth is often not being told which is why these formats still sound terrible. You can take a low-resolution recording in a format such as MP3 and upsample it into a high-resolution format then call it high resolution. Problem solved? Far from it! This is like taking a blurred photograph and putting it through sharpening filters. The result will never come close to an authentic high-quality image taken in focus.

Why Analogue Recordings From Digital Sources Sound Better Than The Original Digital?
It’s a source of amazement to some, that many analogue vinyl records are made from digital recordings. How can they possibly sound better? The answer to this is almost certain that the process of converting digital onto a vinyl record is mechanical. This has the effect of “upsampling” the original digital signal from limited resolution into infinite resolution. The ear finds this more acceptable as it’s free of the digital artefacts which plague algorithm-driven conversion.
Michael Fremmer made an interesting remark that quite a number of turntable designers come from Silicon Valley and worked on designing chips for DACS (which convert digital to analogue). These individuals are fully aware of the flaws in chip designs and prefer turntables.

Published Magazine Article on Digital vs Analogue
Back in February 2004, Hi Fi World asked me along with a number of others to contribute answers to a series of questions. I have republished my answers below as they have as much relevance now as they did then:

[1] THEORETICALLY, WHICH IS BETTER – DIGITAL OR ANALOGUE?
Theoretically, each format could claim superiority if the technology behaved perfectly. However, the discussion ultimately boils down to the fact that both mediums have technical issues to overcome. Which is better depends on the limitations of existing technology and knowledge. When CD was first launched, people cited the technical superiority of the medium over vinyl – better dynamic range, lower distortion etc. The same old rhetoric is being repeated for the new digital formats – In the effort to claim technical superiority and the advance of technology, the issue of subjective sound quality appears to have become merely incidental.
In spite of the claims for the new formats, it is plain that much is still not understood about the exact nature of digital. Things that look perfect on paper turn out to be far from perfect in practice. CD’s were eventually discovered to have up to 30% distortion in the bass which is nowhere near as good as vinyl. This is just one example but there is also a raft of other misconceptions – were the designers not aware of these problems?

The Unknown Difficulties
At face value it may seem straightforward to translate a digital code into analogue, so where does it go wrong? is it sampling rates? Even with the new high sampling rate formats, the translation from digital to analogue is bound to degrade the signal significantly. This is due to the limitations of the devices that read the information on the discs – not all the information is read perfectly and disc reading errors occur continuously. The electronics required to compensate for the ensuing mess has a host of side effects that are most unpleasant. Severe and complex problems lie in the multitude of activities that the electronics must perform. The outcome is that the new digital formats are severely flawed as far as the human ear is concerned.

Solutions?
According to a number of expert opinions outside the digital marketing departments, there are specific technical problems with the new formats which mean that they will never outclass vinyl in terms of sound quality. One easily understood issue is the “watermark” that is put on an increasing number of digital discs to prevent copying. This alone is known to cause significant sound degradation with no solution on the horizon. Yet another issue is the need to rectify disc reading errors – can a DTA converter really take an educated guess to fill in missing information with accuracy – it doesn’t appear so. A crude analogy of the problem is that of cutting up a prime fillet steak into tiny chunks – no matter how finely you cut it and try to put it back together, you still end up with a hamburger not fillet steak.

Vinyl Analogue Replay, On The Other Hand, Has The following Advantages
• No sampling rate unless you call infinity a sampling rate
• The conversion of an analogue mechanical signal into the final analogue electrical signal is much simpler than a digital to analogue conversion
• The minimal errors of a cartridge do not need “correction”. Although distortion may be higher it does not have the “nasty” nature of digital distortion that is thoroughly offensive to the ear

[2] WHICH SYSTEM DO YOU PERSONALLY PREFER – AND WHY?
Not surprisingly I prefer Analogue! It has a fluid sound quality as opposed to digital which can be distinctly edgy at times. There are numerous other subjective differences particularly in the bass region which is where analogue scores so heavily over digital. Analogue portrays an effortless and authoritative bass which forms the foundation of music. Digital sources seldom have this quality – partly because the digital recording itself has been rolled off early and no player can play the music that has simply been removed. However, in addition to this, the players seem unable to convey the warmth and subtleties present in the bass areas of the music. As for midrange, treble, and musicality, you only have to listen, and the superiority of vinyl is obvious to most people. There will be people who prefer digital but it may depend to some extent on the way they process music in their brain – some people prefer an electronic keyboard over a real piano.

WHAT ARE THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ANALOGUE?
• Analogue is now perceived as “the new high-end format” by those who have listened to modern turntables and phono stages. For out and out sound quality there is nothing to touch it and this state of affairs will continue due to the inherent problems of digital formats.
Many of the recordings on vinyl have not been wrecked by digital remastering and this alone is often highly significant. The phrase “digitally remastered” fills most analogue lovers with horror because they have heard the results – How some of the marketing men involved with the digital format get away with the total nonsense they deliver to an unsuspecting public is beyond me. It is also partly responsible in my view for the long term decline in cd sales. By this, I mean that although short term sales may seem to increase due to people believing false claims about superior sound quality, in the long run, many people wonder why they are finding their new “digitally remastered” recordings are not really touching them at an emotional level.
The disadvantages of analogue are the availability of records although this situation is steadily changing for the better as more and more recordings are repressed and made available through specialist internet mail order companies.
The cost of hardware for analogue is much less than digital (outside the budget end of the market) – in other words, a £1000 record deck will outperform a £12,000 CD player.
Turntables are wonderful looking pieces of kit – some of them resemble a work of art. This lends a certain romance to them that CD players don’t possess.
Turntables are upgradable with better tonearms, cartridges and power supplies. The upgrade path far surpasses digital as an investment because the performance ceiling is so much higher.
There are vast quantities of cheap 2nd hand vinyl around.

[3] DIGITAL?
ADVANTAGES
• Digital is a very convenient medium and easy to record. It is a good successor to audio tape as it has better sound quality and does not suffer degradation with age unless badly treated.
• CD’s can be played on portable ghetto blasters and car audio.
• Convenience and flexibility – CD’s are small and portable, people can skip tracks using a remote control and the players are more fuss-free than record players.
DISADVANTAGES
• Sound quality is hard, edgy, lacks timing, bass warmth and subtlety compared to analogue.
• The lasers of CD players have a limited life. After 3 years your laser may easily break down and it is impossible to find a replacement due to the short lifespan of most players.

[4] WHY DO YOU THINK THE MUSIC AND AUDIO INDUSTRY MOVED TO DIGITAL IN THE THE EIGHTIES?
The Industry moved to digital because of the following opportunities.
• The incredibly poor quality of most record players of the day meant that CD would be perceived as a leap forward in sound quality. Hence there would be a big market for CD’s and the required hardware to play them. The claim of perfect sound quality on an indestructible disc would be highly attractive and perceived as true by the vast mass of people.
• On a commercial basis, CD’s were cheaper to produce than vinyl records.
• Digital had a wider market as CD’s were playable on portable ghetto blasters and car audio.

[5] WHY DO YOU THINK THERE WAS A VINYL REVIVAL IN THE NINETIES?
The revival was partly due to discerning listeners with decent record players – these individuals recognized that CD was actually a backward step in terms of a high-quality format The problem with vinyl had not really been a format issue but the low quality of most turntables. These individuals realized that pursuing better and better CD players was never going to make up for the fact that the medium itself was fatally flawed. By way of contrast, Vinyl players were making huge advances. We have now reached the current state of affairs in which the new Goldring turntable at £140 will outperform most CD players.
The DJ Influence On The Analogue vs Digital Debate
The other factor was that DJ’s still used vinyl. This partly explains why it is cool for youngsters to have a turntable in their room. DJ’s have an amazing following and are influential in their own right. The great bass quality of analogue is of course a key aspect for dance floors and apart from scratching this is another reason why it is the favoured medium of DJ’s. Night clubs are becoming more aware of the potential of analogue and have started fitting our arms to their technics decks with astounding results. Currently, one of the clubs in New York which use our arms has been shortlisted in the top 5 best sounding clubs in the world.

[6] DO THE NEW HIGH RES DIGITAL FORMATS (SACD, DVD-A) HAVE A FUTURE?
The average person does care about sound quality – if they didn’t, CD’s would never have caught on in the first place. People want to have the best but are easily misled. The accountants and PR people obviously realize this – everything is touted as having “high sound quality”. Many people are starting to get disillusioned with format change and the uncertainty of format wars. The new formats are still fatally flawed according to most experts who give an honest opinion in the magazines. Dilution of the market place will lead to less profitability and higher prices – the music industry is doing itself damage through this pursuit. The hope is that the new formats will revive sales because everyone is going to rush out and want the best sound quality available. However, there are problems with this perception:
• The improvements are not great and will never surpass vinyl replay.
• The formats can be pirated – if some form of encryption is put on the format then sound quality is severely degraded and the purpose of the change is lost.
• The hardware necessary to play all the different formats will mean either several players or a universal player. More players get expensive and space-consuming. Universal players mean degradation in sound quality and additional expense.
My honest opinion is that the new formats may have limited success but are unlikely to last for any significant length of time due to the rate of change in the technology of digital storage. Soon there will be further advances in sampling rates and increased storage capacity. However, in spite of a number of possibilities, the fundamental technical problems associated with digital to analogue conversion are likely to remain unsolved.

The Case For Promoting Analogue
If the accountants and PR people made a smart analysis, there is a great argument for promoting Vinyl records as the “new high-end format”. The reasons are obvious.
• Vinyl outperforms the new mediums even on inexpensive modern turntables like the Pro-Ject Debut II. Higher Grade turntables simply run rings around all digital players which is one reason why our turntable was voted by the public as “best sound at the show” recently in Vienna.
• Vinyl cannot be pirated without the loss of sound quality associated with CDs etc. People cannot produce another vinyl record whereas a digital recording can be perfectly copied.
• In the long term vinyl will give far more musical satisfaction than digital formats which will mean increased sales of music.

[7] WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, ARE THEIR RESPECTIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OVER CD?
The new formats are not quite as edgy as CD and have a better bass with no disadvantages in comparison.

[8] (HOW) CAN WE IMPROVE:
• ANALOGUE VINYL?
Besides improving turntables, one of the most neglected areas of vinyl replay is the phono stage. Listening to the GSP gram amp 2 SE at a mere £179 was a revelation to me a few years ago. This moving magnet phono stage caused me to realize how many people have never appreciated the quality of vinyl simply because of the dire quality of integrated amplifier phono inputs. Phono stage design has advanced tremendously over the latter years and inexpensive but excellent phono stages like the Gram amp 1 at £85 could be much better promoted.
• DIGITAL AUDIO?
The transports and mechanisms to read the discs need such massive improvement that I suspect an entirely new technology of reading information is required. At present, the need for DTA converters to carry out oversampling and then take educated guesses to fill in the information missed by the laser is a cause of untold sound degradation. At the end of the day, the information needs to be read perfectly and fully without the need for electronics to fill in the gaps and make up its own version of the music. Sound quality must not yet again become victim to technical arrogance and false claims to superiority.[9] WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE:
• ANALOGUE PRODUCT (i.e. turntable, tape deck) The Origin Live Sovereign turntable with Conqueror tonearm
• DIGITAL PRODUCT (i.e. CD, DVD-A player) The Shanling CD player
AND WHY?
I like the Origin Live Sovereign turntable with Conqueror tonearm because it’s the closest thing I’ve heard to live music. It also looks eye-catching with an engineering quality that begs to be listened to.
The Shanling CD player looks absolutely superb and is overall one of the best sounding in my opinion although it is rather on the euphonic side and does not have the best bass quality.

Mk1 to MK2
It is not possible to upgrade MK1 or MK2 decks to MK3 or MK4 specification as so many parts changed. However, trade-in for part exchange is always an option with ourselves or a dealer. Any quote for this is best assessed by the parties concerned as many factors come into play.

MK1 Differences To Later Models
• On Mk1 decks the belt runs on a sub-platter
• Power supplies are not as advanced
• Motor pods are much smaller and electronics are housed in a separate box
• The Aurora and Aurora Gold (renamed Calypso) used metal plates for the plinth
• No platter mat existed
• Neoprene Belts were used
• Bearings are not as advanced in terms of low friction or sound quality
• Motor Pulley Was Metal

Features Of MK3 Over Previous MK2 Models Are:
The MK2 decks ran for over 5 years with few updates or price increases. After making a number of new discoveries, the time came for these to be included in what we named the MK3 turntable versions. The new decks represented a significant increase in performance and value to an already superb sound. Music was replayed with particular improvements in:
• Rock solid imaging
• Reduced colouration
• Refined presentation of low-level information
• Easy to follow separation of individual stands in the music and vocals
Specific Specification changes
• Changed from spring suspension to unique, centre-point support cantilever suspension
• New type of Acrylic platter material with reduced internal stresses
• Increased thickness of platter due to changes in the overall design
• Lower friction bearing along with lower vibration design
• Improved power supply
• Improved belt – hand made from start to finish – surprisingly the belt material makes a big difference to sound quality
• Quieter motor from additional pod damping

MK3-1
Introduced substantially more powerful and smooth-running motors along with improved electronics and temperature compensation.

All Origin Live tonearms fit our decks without the need for adaptors or any other device.

All older Style Rega arms (RB250, RB300 – ones with threaded bases and a large clamping nut) fit our decks with the aid of our threaded VTA adjuster.

Rega arms with the later 3 point mounting ( RB251, RB301, etc.) can be fitted to the Aurora and Calypso with no requirement for additional items.

SME and Linn mount arms can be fitted to the Aurora MK3 and Calypso MK3 at special request as a different sub-chassis is required by special order and will be an additional £280.

Other arms cannot easily be accommodated at this stage without a one-off sub-chassis being made.

All Origin Live tonearms fit our decks without the need for adaptors or any other device.

All older Style Rega arms (RB250, RB300 – ones with threaded bases and a large clamping nut) fit our decks with the aid of our threaded VTA adjuster.

Rega arms with the later 3 point mounting ( RB251, RB301, etc.) can be fitted to the Aurora and Calypso with no requirement for additional items.

SME and Linn mount arms can be fitted to the Aurora MK3 and Calypso MK3 at special request as a different sub-chassis is required by special order and will be an additional £280.

Other arms cannot easily be accommodated at this stage without a one-off sub-chassis being made.

Our Approach To Turntable Development & Production
Origin Live developed breakthrough after breakthrough to produce turntables with a truly magnificent sound. This involved very high levels of investment and engineering excellence.

The Beauty Of Manufacturing In-House
To create advanced designs in the shortest possible time, we needed to accelerate the production and testing of many innovative ideas. Normally only a limited number of prototypes can be produced due to time and cost constraints. We quickly recognized that avoiding sub-contractor’s long lead times meant manufacturing everything ourselves. Acquiring CNC machines were costly but enabled us to produce hundreds of prototypes in a tiny fraction of the time taken normally.

Extraordinary Precision
Most turntable bearings are made using an economic drill and ream process. Ours is produced the slow way, using specialist boring techniques to ensure a dead-straight hole, without the slightest degree of taper or eccentricity. Our bearings are then honed by hand to remove the microscopic surface edges caused by machining processes. All this takes about 40 times as long as doing it the quick way. The results are very audible in terms of increased clarity and freedom in the music. In fact, the quality of bearings used in our decks exceeds those used on many at well over 6 times the price.

High-Grade Materials
Ensure high-grade sound quality requires a careful selection of materials. These are often expensive and hard to manufacture. For example, the grade of acrylic we use is higher than most. Cheaper acrylics cut corners in production by being allowed to cool faster. This lowers costs but results in high internal stresses, which cause sonic degradation. This is just one example of where two deck materials seem identical but are actually very different.

Expertise and Design Talent
The time taken to conduct groundbreaking research by the right people is often overlooked – this is the untold story of many great products born from years of immersion in a specialist field. We are fortunate to have an association with brilliant and talented innovators who share confidential ideas freely with us.

Highest Standards of Workmanship Beginning With Parts Production Through to Final Assembly
Manufacturing parts in-house has the advantage of guaranteed quality. Highly experienced craftsmen ensure the correct materials and manufacturing techniques are used throughout the production process. This delivers you a consistent level of excellence that does not just look the part but is the genuine article.

How Do You Want Your Music To Sound?

If you have never heard of an Origin Live deck it’s hard to imagine the potential benefits to your system. As already stated there are major sonic differences between decks for good technical reasons. The way Origin Live turntables render music is foremostly musical and realistic. If you want music of unrivalled transient speed, musicality and dynamics which could easily be mistaken for real instruments and voices, then Origin Live is for you. If you want music with effortless power, natural rhythm, great tonal shading and balance then Origin Live is for you. Reviewers understanding these qualities are quick to point out the sheer speed and musicality of our decks.

This may not be for everyone – you can read countless opinions on the Internet and there are some who clearly prefer a slowed-down version of events where bass notes are slightly slow and overhung, where instruments are clear but lack tonal richness. Where percussion notes stop short without natural decay. It is fair to say that such systems are often made up of a mix of components that are not exactly neutral. This means that when a neutral component is added, the system becomes bass light or bass-heavy.

Music is very individual and not everyone has similar tastes. On balance we would say that at least 80% of people really want music to sound like real instruments and real voices. Professional musicians love our decks, which is an excellent indicator of how they prefer the portrayal of reality.

It is good to be clear on how you listen to music. Some people like to hear things analytically, where they may be just concentrating on bass notes or treble clarity – the variations are endless but essentially these folk like a predominantly cerebral experience. Others speak of emotional involvement, the cohesiveness and organic nature of the presentation, the ability to connect properly with the performers. This is a bit like discussions on photography, where you have technical photographers who understand all the technicalities but do not take artistic photographs.

If you like your music as close to the real thing as possible, we invite you to open a door that will allow you to enjoy a richer experience than ever before.

When you place an order with us, you have a full 2 week trial period to see if our claims are true. If you are not completely delighted, we will offer a full refund.

You have much to gain from this trial, judging by the many comments from delighted owners who say that they simply cannot envisage how anything could be better. These are not minor improvements, but system transformation.

Your turntable is absolutely foundational for a good front-end. You can have everything else right, but if the deck is below par, your equipment cannot perform at anything like its real potential. We suggest you don’t miss this opportunity and get one of our decks in your system for a trial. We trust this will give you the results you are looking for.