2. analog
  3. 1080279531

Origin DC Motor in LP12: Marketing or reality?

I have asked this before and gotten NO (zero, nada, zilch, bupkis, null...) response. From what I can tell, there is 10 times (100x?) the amount of promotional material as there is personal experience of this upgrade on the internet. I am starting to wonder if they have ever sold any.

My TT is a Linn LP12, with Linn Basik Plus arm and Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood MkII cartridge, and it is fitted with the Valhalla board. I have a great isolation stand that gives me incredibly musical and natural sound and I love this in my system. I do not want to screw up the sound, but I'm willing to try to improve it without spending big bucks. I can afford about $400-600 for a large upgrade at a time, once or twice a year.

Everyone I know who has added a motor drive (Lingo, Walker, Clearaudio, VPI) reports fantastic results, and I have heard it myself on many of those systems.

I have considered, on and off, trying to upgrade with the Origin Live DC Motor Drive, but I can only find about 2-3 professional reviews, and no individual (amateur) critiques, just comments from people who have read about but haven't actually installed one.

Have any of you actually tried this upgrade? Would I get a great improvement over the Valhalla board? How does it compare to a Lingo? What are the pros and the cons?

p.s. Does anyone else notice that there are certain products that are very heavily promoted in this and other sites (classified and dealer), but rarely see comments about someone who bought the product?
Ag insider logo xs@2xpbowne
dcaudio
86 posts
 
So now I have the turntable. Running nicely. A little more noisy than the original Oracle motor. However, don't hear it when playing a record.
Much more torque. The platter does not slow down at all when you use a recod brush.
Seems completely stable speed.
I like it so far.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
pbowne OP
75 posts
 
DCAudio...what do you hear as a result of the new motor? Are the dynamics changed? How is the soundstaging? Low/high ends? Is the music more 'musical'?
tlen52275
1 posts
 
I replaced my Valhalla with the OL DC system and am pleased
with it. Distortions that I thought were caused by
catridge mistracking have disappeared. The bass is better
balanced, previously the bass was somewhat over emphasized
on some recordings, to the point of boominess. There was
a slight reduction in PRAT, but the Vahalla Linn seemed
overemphasized in this area anyway. I listen to
primarily acoustic jazz and the rythmic quality is just
fine. Have noticed no loss of overall dynamics. I
wouldn't necessarily describe the change as fantastic, but
have never for a moment entertained the desire to return to the stock motor.
par3n1
40 posts
 
please excuse my ignorance but what is PRAT ?
Thanks
dcaudio
86 posts
 
I have now had the turntable two weekends. Sorry to say, but this table was not working properly for a long time and sat in my basement. It is not going to compare before and after new motor. What I can say is that this table playing "Back to the U.S.S.R." from the Beatles White Album reproduced the jet engine at an unheard dynamic level. The cymbals played by Phil Collins on "Face Value" are fantastic and finally the glasses and bottles on "Jazz at the Pawnshop" are reproduced so well that you think someone is sitting next to you with a bottle. If it is the motor, the turntable, the arm or the cartidge. Who knows. It beats my SACD set-up by a mile.
More to discover