ORIGIN LIVE ONYX MK4

ORIGIN LIVE Onyx Mk4 Tone arm

PLEASE NOTE: We endeavour to keep the Onyx Arm in stock as it is the perfect replacement for any table that takes Rega geometry, incredible price point, with built in VTA adjustment it offers so much more than a stock RB330. The arm now comes with the same external cable as the Silver and Zephyr, making it a bit of a bargain all round.

“Some interesting further testing of the Onyx against a modified Rega arm that has cardas internal wiring, our new Vinyl Link external cable, and our latest Structural mod kit, the Rega is still the winner, not much in it, but you need to look at a Silver or Zephyr arm now to beat the Rega, however if you are looking to purchase an arm, the Onyx is a no brainer at the price!”

 

“Sounds more human, more analogue, and more musical… represents excellent value for money and comes highly recommended… offers a relaxing, expansive and musical sound hitherto unavailable at its modest price point…the Onyx Tonearm immediately sounded very enjoyable. Tonally full, with sonorous and powerful deep bass, rich and colourful midrange and fluid, open and relaxed treble. This was exactly what the doctor ordered! On top of this, it had excellent tracking and has looked like its costs a lot more than it does. The reviews weren’t wrong: this arm really is very good indeed.

With the SME arm and this cartridge, there was always a lack of midbass presence, making only the most powerful recordings sound balanced but with the Onyx almost every LP sounds like a powerful USA release! Dynamics and speed were now impressive, gone was the former tardiness, replaced with cheerful, upbeat music, but importantly, while retaining smoothness and tonal fullness. On top of this, timbre had also improved massively.”

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Hi-Fi World

“The Onyx is a great looking product. All parts appear to be made by Origin Live including the armlift, something only a mere handful of manufacturers will do these days… Even when fitted to a relatively humble deck and carrying one of Ortofon’s most affordable MC cartridges, it never fails to let the music speak for itself. This high class but friendly priced tonearm is equally elegant in appearance and performance. Handmade in good old Blighty by a devoted company that knows a thing or two about getting good vibes from vinyl, the sonic performance the Onyx delivered in the context of a modest but carefully adjusted setup can be conveyed in three words: unforced, organic and airy. My conclusion needs but one word: recommended.”

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Killian Bakker

 

From OL: The Onyx Tonearm gives you supreme value with a performance that exceeds many £2000 arms. With its superior low friction gimbal bearings, you will expect to hear greater transparency and separation in the sound, giving you a clear defined mid-range. You’ll hear contrast and detail between instruments and vocals giving you an immediate, coherent sound.

Sonically, it marks a significant step up from the Alliance tonearm, with improved resolution, clarity, dynamics and fluidity – and indeed from most tonearms on sale. It comfortably outperforms the original Origin Live Silver MK1, which was thought to be one of the best arms on sale at its release. Indeed, it still outperforms many arms in the £2,000 region.

The Onyx was designed as an affordable performance benchmark – a tonearm that would flatter any budget or mid-price turntable and still be happy on a high-end deck. The Onyx was only possible thanks to Origin Live’s decades of tonearm design expertise. It’s difficult to design a great high-end arm, but harder still to do a brilliant budget product. Knowing where to spend the money in the overall design is why Onyx sounds so good, and that knowledge doesn’t come easy.

Arm Tube

is a single piece, made from high-grade aircraft alloy. Stiffness is critical to provide a stable platform to hold your cartridge steady and reduce movement caused by resonance. The results are better dynamics and tight bass performance.

Superior Yoke Design

encompassing precision bearing fit. This results in an incredibly transparent arm with superb tonal balance.

Bearings

Are highly researched and purpose made to meet our specifications. These bearings are used in both the horizontal and vertical axis.

Integral VTA Adjuster

consisting of a threaded top nut above arm-board and clamping nut underneath 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

High-grade copper Litz wire, Cryogenically frozen to reduce discontinuities in the conductors. This allows great transparency, detail and freedom from artefacts.

External Cable

Well-specified but low cost 1 Meter external cable designed for affordability with nickel-plated RCA plugs to fit directly into your phono-stage or amplifier.