Origin Live Tonearms


Hi All,

I’m still modifying my Thorens TD 160 MK 1 and it will stay a dedicated mono table.   I’m not satisfied with the original TP-16 tonearm so I’m considering either the OL Silver or the Zephyr. I read somewhere that there is no sonic improvement between the two. Being dedicated to a mono cartridge, I can’t see moving too far up the chain since vertical tracking is a non factor. So if the Silver will achieve my goal, then I’d rather not spend the extra money on the Zephyr. I also see a number of used OL Silver tonearms on the used market. Any suggestions or insights are of course welcome.
Thanks!
GF

goofyfoot

@goofyfoot , anti skating is not a hindrance. It is a very important mechanism for any offset arm, 12" included. 9" arms are superior in every aspect except tracking angle error and the difference in tracking angle error is inconsequential. 

@goofyfoot Note: I have no vested interest in any of the items referred to in the following, I have been receiving invites, to be part of the assessment team during the evolving R&D.

The Tonearms in question are now, following a very successful working Prototype,  Blinged for the Aesthetic Appearance and produced as a Batch in this Aesthetic.,

The assembly is to be assessed for consistency in performance of the finished item.

Once the Mechanical Consistency is evident, Arms will be compared as identical builds in the differing Wand Lengths.

Other Wand Lengths will have a different Wand Wire, to make discoveries about the Signal Path. 

This is where the introduction of other Tonearms will enter into the assessment period.

When all is done, the Tonearm will receive a Model Name and there will be a Brand Name as well, as the producer, has their own range of EE Items to take to the Market. 

@pindac All-right, I misunderstood. So you're involved in research and development. I'm assuming you get paid for this? I had a friend, now passed, who I had encouraged to develop a tonearm due to his level of skill, experience and knowledge but he had no ambition and stated that there was no money in it. These bespoke tonearms are certainly nice (and usually expensive) but I have to wonder how they can compete with big companies like Kuzma or SME. There's the, 'I can build a beautiful and refined sounding tonearm of the highest quality' side and there's the business 'I need to make as much money as possible ' side and I'm not so certain that very many folk can do both.

@goofyfoot , beats the thunder out of me. Look at the arms from well established companies such as SME, Kuzma, Schroder, Reed, Origin Live, Basis, SAT and so forth. You see any of them without anti skating on any of their offset, pivoted arms?

Here is a rule of thumb, any offset pivoted arm without antiskating is junk. The maker has no concept of the physical forces involved trying to get a cartridge to track a groove accurately.  

If you do not like anti skating you do have choices. The Reed 5A and 5T, the Schroder LT, The Clearaudio linear tracking arms, the Kuzma Air Line and other air bearing arms all lack anti skate mechanisms. The one thing they all have in common is they all have straight arm wands, no offset.