Reviews
Winner of Stereo Times “most wanted component of the year Award
2004” in combination with the Illustrious tonearm.
“Simply stated, the Origin Live Illustrious tonearm/Aurora Gold turntable
produce the best musical results of any turntable I’ve ever heard,
regardless of price. Since I’ve been listening for turntables professionally
for 32 years and am aware of the pitfalls of ultimate proclamations, I
hesitate somewhat to make this statement. Nevertheless, it is true. The
level of musical communication available from the Illustrious/Aurora Gold
is in a class by itself. It sets a new reference.
The overall pre-occupation with stereoscopy and with sonic special effects
of most High End record players pays too little attention to the core values
of musical communication. Consequently I find these tables turgid, dissecting,
prosaic and unable to dance: you hear everything about the sonic event
except what the music means.....The most obvious aspect of the Illustrious/Aurora
Gold is the utter coherence of rhythm, timing, dynamic variation, and musical
phrasing. It’s articulation in the bass is simply unequalled. My
long time reference for these qualities has been the Linn LP12. It is my
reference no more. The OL combination outperformed it in every aspect of
sonic and musical values, including the famed boogie factor”
STEREO TIMES
For
full review
Design Profile for High Performance
Before exploring the design philosophy of the Aurora Gold, it is worth clarifying some performance objectives. These may be simply stated as follows:
* The turntable must rotate the record at a constant speed of 33 or 45
rpm, free from vibration.
* It must also support the tonearm in a fixed position relative to the
platter, free from vibration.
Vibration control is absolutely critical for performance. The Aurora Gold
overcomes many of the complex problems arising from unwanted vibration
in the following ways:
1. It minimises resonance within components. Resonance is caused primarily
by shock waves generated by the interaction of stylus and record.
2. It minimises vibrational 'noise' created by the motor.
3. It excludes environmental vibration. This can be caused by anything
from loudspeaker feedback (groundborne and airborne) to underground pumps
and road traffic.
Each of these areas has its own set of problems and solutions. They are listed above in order of priority. Theories of energy management and vibrational control within turntables vary considerably. A basic understanding of these theories is useful to understanding the secret of the superb performance exhibited by Origin Live turntables.
Theory of Energy Management
In principle a turntable is one of the simplest items of Hi-Fi equipment. However, from a technical point of view, understanding the principles governing performance is much more involved than first meets the eye.
The Priority of Source Signal Purity
Controlling vibration is the key to turntable design due to the nature of the stylus mechanism. The movements of the stylus as it tracks the record groove are extremely small. As the stylus moves, it acts within the signal generator of the cartridge and this signal is duly transmitted to the amplifier. Much has been written about the amazingly tortuous job that a stylus carries out. The stylus undergoes forces measured in tons per square inch, and the vinyl melts momentarily as the stylus passes over it.
The stylus vibrations are so small that they must be amplified thousands of times to produce an output at the speakers. This means that the slightest source of unwanted vibration is also amplified thousands of times. It is the successful elimination of this unwanted vibration that results in the huge differences between mediocre record players and star performers.
Vibration is a highly complex area. Put simply, the following are the most relevant parameters from an audio point of view:
1. Speed of energy transmission
2. Speed of energy absorption - storage of vibrational energy (resonance)
vs vibration absorption (damping).
3. Resonant frequency of the material (how does it behave within the audio
band?).
Design of Components
From the above, it follows that the tiniest details all contribute to the overall sonic character of a turntable. In the Aurora Gold, meticulous attention has been paid to every detail and design option. The key variables researched are listed below:
a) Types of material used at each point in the structure.
b) Choice of which materials to interface together.
c) Dimensioning of materials.
d) Shape and form of components: solid, hollow, plate, flanged, tube, etc.
e) Method of attachment: bolting, gluing, welding, screwing, etc.
f) Decoupling methods: springs, spikes, elastic bands, rubber, foam, air
cushion, etc.
g) Motor positioning and method of mounting.
These critical areas, and many others, have all been tested extremely thoroughly, resulting in the outstanding performance of the Aurora Gold turntable.
Hear for yourself
This page provides some explanation of the design principles behind the performance of the Aurora Gold turntable. In this turntable you will hear the results of more than ten years of intensive and exhaustive testing. These have been distilled into a high end product that appears deceptively simple and yet will yield astounding results. Why not discover for yourself the astonishing potential of the world’s highest performing medium for the reproduction of music?
Features & Specifications
Superb styling & looks
The turntable is sculpted in stylish curved profiles that will look at home in most surroundings. There is a choice of black or satin silver finish.
High grade parts
Profiled acrylic platter.
Platter de-coupled with an inert sub-platter.
Low tolerance and low friction bearing.
High-grade military specification Arctic oil is used in the bearing.
The turntable sub-chassis is very rigid and exhibits low resonance due
to its unique, centre point support arrangement.
The motor is an ironless DC design with no 'cogging' effect.
Power supply
The regulated power supply of this motor is load compensating as well as being stable across a wide range of temperatures. Speed control is easily switched electronically between 33 and 45 rpm (78 rpm is also available on request).
Setting up
There is nothing to go "out of tune" on the Aurora Gold turntable.
The turntable is a sprung suspended design but the centre spring loading
makes it simple to set up and fuss free. VTA arm adjustment is provided
for Rega and Origin Live arms, which makes setting the arm height much
easier.
