Origin Live Agile Tonearm

Description

Origin Live Agile Tonearm – The Agile High End Tonearm

The Agile tonearm comes from an ambitious undertaking: to create a high end tonearm which improves on all that came before it. To achieve this it would have to surpass tough competition from within our own ranks, that of the Enterprise.

To deliver this definitive performance we scrutinised every aspect of design — Design that has been world-leading before* and is now. The Agile has undergone lengthy experimentation to achieve the lowest resonance possible, with every component tested, redesigned and revised to bring you an arm that is truly capable of getting the best from your music.

The thing you first notice is a remarkable increase in definition and clarity. Singers are more tangible. Instruments have more texture. There is less overhang in the bass so the mid-range becomes even more transparent. We are happy to present a high-end tonearm to lead the market and to bring the original sound, that much closer to you.

The Agile improves significantly on the Enterprise by:

• Higher grade materials in the arm tube, rear stub, counterweight and turret plate.
• More advanced stiffening techniques employed within the arm tube itself.
• Larger Yoke with greater energy absorption capacity.
• S-version Silver Hybrid cable on internal and external wiring.

Features

Higher-strength, Low Resonance Arm Tube

The high-grade aircraft alloy tube is further stiffened with coatings and carbon fibre. The tube is also specially machined for improved resonance control. A long rear stub sleeve provides further reinforcement and this is carefully interfaced to provide maximum energy dissipation and minimal reflections. This frees up your cartridge to perform as it should – away from the colouration and disruption caused by resonance and reflected vibration.

Origin Live Agile tonearm Rear Sleeve for analogue vinyl audio playback, high-end hifi at its ultimate sound with mid-century stunning styling.

Sleeved Rear-stub

The sleeved rear-stub is further strengthened over lower models by using superior material and processing. This improves counterweight stability in vibration – thus enabling the arm tube to hold the cartridge more steadily.

Origin Live Agile tonearm Rear Sleeve for analogue vinyl audio playback, high-end hifi at its ultimate sound with mid-century stunning styling.

Rigidly Attached Counterweight

The counterweight attachment has been carefully engineered to hold the arm tube more rigidly for cartridge stability whilst at the same time decoupling itself to minimize energy reflection back down the tube. The results are clearly heard in improved dynamics and a sense of power and control in the bass.

Origin Live Agile tonearm Rear Sleeve for analogue vinyl audio playback, high-end hifi at its ultimate sound with mid-century stunning styling.

Low Resonance Counterweight

Counterweight resonance is reduced using a higher grade material and then applying a dampening coating.

Origin Live Agile tonearm Rear Sleeve for analogue vinyl audio playback, high-end hifi at its ultimate sound with mid-century stunning styling.

Counterweight Fine Adjuster

Allows you to easily set the tracking force with a high degree of accuracy.

Headshell

The headshell features improved de-coupling and a lightweight finger-lift.

Sophisticated Yoke Design

The yoke provides stability for the arm tube because the mass in the right place enhances dynamics and bass performance. The Agile yoke provides rock-solid stability without energy reflection. To minimize resonance it includes carefully machined cutouts.

Sophisticated Yoke Decoupling

Includes several additional isolation interfaces from the vertical bearings.

Dual Pivot Bearings

For vertical arm movement, the bearings consist of ultra-hard tungsten carbide points sitting in hardened and burnished steel cups. This combination not only delivers incredibly low friction levels but is also much more robust than jeweled bearings which tend to shatter under stress. These dual pivots feature a more refined design than arms below the Enterprise which further improves de-coupling. The results are incredible transparency, fluidity, and retrieval of fine detail.

Ceramic Bearings

For horizontal arm movement, the ball bearings are upgraded to highly specified ultra-low friction ceramic bearings.

Mirror Finished Yoke

The yoke is finished with a true mirror surface and coated in Chrome Nitride. Using the same supplier as Rolex, this Chrome Nitride coating achieves an extremely high level of quality and durability.

Precise & Accessible VTA Adjuster

VTA can be adjusted precisely and infinitely using a large diameter calibrated dial. A further advantage is that all adjustments can be carried out above the arm-board (unlike lower arms in the range which demand access below the arm-board).

Azimuth Adjustment

Allows for precise alignment adjustments to optimize performance.

Falling Weight Side Bias

Tests show this to be the highest performing method of achieving side bias. It has lower friction, better constant force, and lower resonance than other alternatives such as magnets, springs, levers, and twisted threads.

Internal Wiring

Features ultra-low loss Silver Hybrid-S version producing greater transparency, detail, and freedom from artifacts.

Silver-plated Headshell Clips

At such low signal levels, electrical interfaces can be heard and silver marginally outperforms gold.

External Cable is 1m Silver Hybrid-S version

A groundbreaking design with high-grade single point RCA plugs fits directly into your phono-stage or amplifier. This cable outperforms most on the market up to, and over £4000. It is described fully in the cable section of the website but suffice to say that even alone, it has produced a level of improvement which has kept many a listener up into the late hours re-listening to their record collection.

Rhodium-plated Single Point RCA Plugs

After testing numerous high-end RCA plugs these were selected for their outstanding performance. Single point contact has the advantage of reducing eddy currents and Rhodium with its ultra-smooth surface seems to provide a better interface for electrical joints.

Build Quality

In the same way, great singers have better voices, all materials resonate differently and have a “voice” in micro-vibration. There is an argument that says the ideal material is totally dead, but this oversimplification ignores the fact that to absorb energy, the material has to vibrate. The argument also omits to consider that if a material is too soft (like a sponge to take an extreme example) then it will lack rigidity. Conversely, if a material is too hard then it reflects energy which is disastrous. Because all these factors conflict with one another it renders correct material choice much more complex than many imagine.

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.

Intensive Research and Innovative Thinking

The design of our tonearms is the key to their performance. Over 25 years of continuous development has gone into these arms. However, it’s the “outside the box” thinking, which make them special. Origin Live arms are extremely innovative, not only in concept but also in the choice of superior build materials. Wherever possible high-grade alloys are included. These alloys are expensive to machine and finish but the results are so worthwhile in terms of performance.

Most arms look great on the outside so it is easy to miss the massive hidden differences. With an Origin Live arm, you can be sure that it’s not just a matter of high-grade components but far more importantly, you have a design that really delivers in terms of performance.

REVIEWS FOR THE Origin Live Agile Tonearm

“The first impression is similar to attending a live concert after listening to a stereo system for some time. The difference is unmistakable. The sound field is more than just a sound stage. With the Agile in play, the image expands to include the entire acoustic of the hall, offering a fully energized environment controlled by the music. The 3D effect is very informative of the original recording space. Each instrument is allowed to blossom and develop in its own location in a very well-developed 3-dimensional acoustic space… The dynamic performance is outstanding. You feel every drum hit, cymbal tap and other percussive sound.” — Read the full review >
10 Audio

“If you are in this market then you have got to shortlist this turntable. Its just absolutely fabulous.”
“Thats the first time I’ve heard it in such detail with such space around the instruments, and I can really understand again what they were trying to do in the studio. I don’t think I’ve heard that before. I thought that was absolutely sensational”
“…Almost like hearing it for the first time, really quite amazing”
“Quite frankly I am not sure what could be better”
“It’s Like Having a New Album!” – Watch – Full Review >
Hi-Fi Riff (David Price and Mike Evans)