Origin Live • Ultra DC Motor Kit
The Origin Live Ultra is an upgraded power supply motor kit available for many turntables, including the Linn Sondek LP12 (the turntable I used to modify during this review). The kit uses a DC motor and offers two speed settings: a must for those who wish to have 33.3 and 45 RPM on the fly. A list of the turntables that can be modified is on Origin Live’s web site, www.turntable-power-supply.com/list-of-decks.htm
Origin Live Options
There are three levels of kit offered with options. There are two motor options, two controller options, and an upgraded transformer. All kits come with extra small parts needed to fit the motor to the LP12 and a strobe disc to help set speed.
The Standard kit has basic components in the switch box, the DC100 motor and a standard wall-wart transformer. It sells for £339. The only dealer in the United States is Audio Revelation in Carlsbad, California and the web site has pricing for the Advanced and Ultra kit. The Advanced kit ($550) comes with better circuitry while the Ultra kit ($850) has a black box (instead of silver) and features further circuit upgrades and parts that are claimed to reduce electrical noise, response time, and improve current delivery. The improved DC200 motor adds $220 and the upgraded transformer adds $250.
LP12 Power Supply Options
There have been (and still are) quite a few different power supply options available for the LP12. The most common today are the Linn Lingo—which now sells for more than $1,800—and the $1,700 Naim Armageddon (which only does 33.3 RPM). Many reviews claim the Origin Live offers the best performance of these three, so it is the one I requested. Aside from my desire to add 45 RPM capability, I was interested to see how much (if any) sonic improvement the upgrade would bring. The Origin Live web site offers many reasons why a motor upgrade is a benefit.
Sound Quality
Before starting the installation of the Origin Live components I spent some time listening to the turntable with the fitted Valhalla power supply. I used my Dell laptop and Tascam sound card/mixer to record several tracks for later comparison with the modified power supply.
The tracks I used were: Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas; Sirius/Eye in the Sky by The Alan Parsons Project; What I Am by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians; How Deep Is Your Love from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack; Tell Everybody I Know by Keb Mo; and Body and Soul performed by Richie Cole at the Village Vanguard.
After the supply was broken in for three days (constant playing) and then speed adjusted, I re-recorded the same songs. Later I burned them to CD for comparison. I performed casual listening with the modified turntable as well.
Installation
As with any construction project it is a good idea to read through the entire manual for the kit before beginning. The Origin Live was no exception. The turntable had been unplugged for a couple of days (45 minutes is recommended), so I carefully removed the bottom cover and removed the old cord, the Valhalla board, and disconnected the motor. I almost ran into trouble with the small Allen screws that hold the motor in place, but used a small wrench from the underside and avoided stripping the screws.
It is crucial not to damage at least one of these screws as the kit requires you to re-use one with the new motor installation. There are special instructions for the LP12 that start on page six (which you’d know if you read through the whole instructions before starting like I did). It is possible to leave the Valhalla supply in place if you like, but the manual suggested better performance would be achieved by removing it. Lastly, I took out the power supply switch. As this leaves a hole in the top of the metal plate, the kit comes with a metallic-looking label that can be affixed to the top and hide the hole the original power switch removal leaves. I removed the belt guard as well as it is not needed.
The manual recommends attaching the motor with a single screw for the best sound quality and adjusting the distance from the pulley centre to platter centre to 127-129 mm. I didn’t hear any excessive noise although a friend clearly heard the motor running when standing close. I didn’t have any vibration issues, although the manual covers ways to reduce this—even adjusting the screws on the motor itself.
I was not able to get correct speed with positioning alone (the turntable ran too fast), so I adjusted the speed on the back of the control box. I used my trusty KAB strobe disc and strobe to adjust speed. Once adjusted, the speed was almost exactly at 33.3. How easy is that?!
Just in case of trouble, the manual includes a complete section on troubleshooting to help get you up and running. All in all, I’d say that anyone handy with setting up a turntable could install this kit.
Listening and Other Impressions
There is no doubt that turning the knob on the controller is an incredibly easy way to turn the unit on and changing speed was as simple as turning one more click on the box. One drawback of an external supply is simply the extra real estate needed. Instead of a single box (the turntable), now I had three: the turntable, a transformer box with about four feet of cord, and a separate controller that connected to about three feet of cord coming off the motor. I suppose if space were really tight you could lie the controller on its side and hide the transformer away somewhere. By the way, the controller has small cork feet while the transformer has rubber feet (for those who care about such details).
I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect (sonically) and from the way people usually talk about “tweaks” like this I always approach them with a grain of salt. If your system all of sudden sounds twice as good after tweaking then there was probably something wrong with your system to begin with (or you have an inclination towards exaggeration).
With the Origin Live there was definitely a difference with the first listening. I wouldn’t describe it as huge or earth-shattering, but it was there. The turntable now started up rather quickly and with authority—something that should impress the audiophile crowd. The original Linn switch never had a solid feel to it while the one on the Ultra controller was quite the opposite.
After auditioning the CD I made and going back and forth numerous times, I’d say the biggest differences were the sense of space and dynamics (both micro and macro). With the Kansas cut the sound was meatier and easy to listen to longer. I’m not sure what distortions were eliminated and won’t try to guess, I’m just reporting what I heard. With the Keb Mo cut the voice came across more powerful and richer (the same as the “meatier” difference on the Kansas). The focus was improved (a speed accuracy improvement perhaps?) With the Brickell cut the layering of sound was better and vocals were slightly improved. The Bee Gees cut had better focus and rhythm, pace and dynamics seemed better. The other difference was lower background noise, this being one of the expected changes due to the better motor.
Conclusion
It’s easy to be skeptical about modifications to equipment. Usually the added cost just isn’t worth the price and it is better to upgrade to a newer, better piece of gear. However, some audiophiles have an attachment to a particular item (much like an old sweater). The LP12 is one of those components with a strong following, even after so many years. If you really love your turntable but want to improve its performance and you’ve already upgraded other components in the system and replaced the cartridge (for instance), then a power supply upgrade might just be in order.
So, did the Origin Live Ultra offer a huge improvement in sound? No. I’d say it was somewhere between a 5-10% change overall. Even though the difference wasn’t bigger, the small difference was clearly significant on some cuts. While direct comparison was required to hear the difference with some music, tracks one and five just plain sounded more musically satisfying.
If the Advanced kit offers an improvement similar to the Ultra, then it could very well be an outstanding value. As there is a 30-day money back guarantee, there is really nothing to lose. You just might find you breathe new life into an older component and improve system performance. Check it out!
Specifications
Description Turntable motor upgrade kit.
Speeds 33.3 and 45 RPM.
Drift < 0.1% at 33.3 RPM, ref 3150 Hz.
Wow and flutter < 0.06% DIN peak.
Serial number of unit reviewed 100111.
Price From £339 to £879 as tested.
Warranty Two years non-transferable.
Manufacturer
Origin Live Ltd
Unit 5, 362B Spring Road,
Sholing, Hampshire SO19 2PB
England
+44 2380 578877
www.turntable-power-supply.com
Associated Equipment
Analogue source Linn LP12 Turntable with Valhalla board and Ittok LVII tonearm.
Phono cartridge Benz Wood L2.
Phono stage Sonneteer Sedley.
Integrated amplifier Krell S-300i.
Speakers Bowers & Wilkins CM9.
Cables Interconnects: Audioquest Diamondback. Speaker: Audioquest Rocket 44. AC: stock.
Accessories Tascam US-122 Mk II sound card/mixer; Dell Studio 1537 laptop.