This tonearm sounds astonishing, compared to Origin Live arms further down the range, and its commercial rivals. The ground-breaking design and meticulous attention to detail result most noticeably in an improvement of bass performance. However as always, when you go higher in the Origin Live range, every other aspect improves, notably definition, deep powerful bass, transparency and dynamics.
The result is a tonearm that has been widely acclaimed as a performance benchmark. Both reviewers and enthusiasts love the Illustrious for its outstanding bass power, superb dynamics and consummate musicality. It has supreme transparency too, allowing the finest cartridges to be used. Few designs better this brilliant device.
Features
Higher Strength Arm Tube
The high-grade aircraft alloy tube is reinforced using a long rear stub sleeve which 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.
A Sleeved Rear-Stub
With larger diameter, higher strength and improved energy dissipation. This improves counterweight stability in vibration – thus enabling the arm tube to hold the cartridge more steadily.
A Rigidly Attached Counterweight
The counterweight attachment has been carefully engineered to hold the armtube more rigidly for cartridge stability whilst at the same time decoupling itself to minimize energy reflection back down the tube.
Counterweight Fine Adjuster
Allows you to easily set the tracking force with a high degree of accuracy.
Headshell
Features improved de-coupling and lightweight finger-lift.
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 jewelled bearings which tend to shatter under stress. The results are incredible transparency, fluidity and retrieval of fine detail.
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).
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
Is high-grade copper Litz wire, cryogenically frozen to reduce discontinuities in the conductors. This wire allows great transparency, detail and freedom from artefacts.
Manufacturer Site
