Basis Audio Fans

Bais tables have always been about their VERY tight tolerances. I've heard the 2001 and Debut and was very impressed. 

IMHO, it takes a lot to better a mid range Basis, and the top of the line models are SOTA.

@daveyf , the Inspiration is certainly up there with the very best tables. The level of machining is far beyond anything Origin Live ever dreamed of. This is the kind of rubbish you get from people who like Tekton loudspeakers. It is the loudspeakers that tell you whether or not the person knows what he is listening to. I would take the least expensive Basis over any Origin Live table in a heartbeat.

+1 @mijostyn couldn't agree more!

Somehow I get the impression that you like Origin Live. Certainly a lot less expensive than Basis, and for some reason it has never gained traction?

I wonder why??

The longer more complete answer is I think marketing. The truth is the best product in the world is useless unless people hear about it and try it. Especially important in high end audio.

Origin Live is a small shop, apparently doing quite well in their domestic UK market and these things don’t just magically expand to other markets, it takes effort and planning. Which, evidently not interested in.

The products however, my first Conqueror arm was truly impressive. When I went searching turntables, knowing what I know from having built and modified them it was apparent Mark Baker is on another level. Sorry, I know there are fans of others (who studiously avoid appearing as fans, even thought they are- at least I am honest about what I really like) but they are simply not on the same level.

This is not just me saying this. I do a lot of research and one thing I came across was a Michael Fremer review of some years ago. This was the Resolution turntable, one model down from the Sovereign I wound up buying. Fremer praised it mightily, ultimately concluding it is not just one of the best turntables he ever heard regardless of price, but one of the best components he ever heard. Period.

How ya gonna top that? Eh? Look it up. When it comes to his top Voyager table and Renown arm, there’s an even more compelling review, if you can believe that, on their site. Then there’s the owners, who when I mentioned getting mine one chimes in how easily his Sovereign trounces much more expensive VPI, etc. So the lack of traction, here in the US anyway, is nothing to do with performance. That’s for sure.

In doing my due diligence I researched all the Origin Live US dealers. At first glance it would appear they are pretty well represented with half a dozen in a lot of the right markets. Dig deeper though and not a one of them has so much as a single piece of product in inventory, save one I found with the Gravity One record weight. VPI, etc the more commonly known names they do have.

These guys aren’t dummies. They know full well it is a lot easier to sell what the customer is already familiar with than to try and take the time to educate them why OL is better, and why they should take the risk of the less familiar.