Origin Live - Conqueror - tonearm

One of the very best tonearms on sale at any price, aptly named the Conqueror. Yet, this isn’t an overblown or showy performer – it’s not voiced to impress some of the people, some of the time. Rather, it’s exceptionally even-handed and balanced in its presentation and sounds sublime across a wide range of music. An immensely high-resolution measuring instrument, it is nevertheless consummately musical and organic sounding. A real ‘fit and forget’ product, no matter what you play, it just dissolves away.

Compared to more affordable Origin Live tonearms, there’s an obvious increase in transparency, and with it a heightened sense of realism. Music sounds more natural and less processed, as if a bright light has been shone on the recording and it’s there in front of you, in all its glory. Yet it confers an uncanny smoothness on the music, too; there’s a wonderful sense of ease and rhythmic ebb and flow. Bass is yet more powerful and defined than Illustrious, which is no small feat. Vocals shimmer with natural timbre, and stereo imaging is almost holographic.

Conqueror Features

• Hybrid arm tube composed of 5 materials, for superb energy dissipation

• Ultra-low friction dual-pivot bearings for optimum treble performance

• Floating vertical bearings decouple the armtube from the deck, reducing coloration

• High strength aircraft alloy headshell for increased dynamics

• Internal high-grade copper Litz wire with gold-plated copper beryllium cartridge tags

• Silver Hybrid external arm cable

• Copper Harmony single point contact RCA plugs for high conductivity and minimal eddy currents

• Integral VTA adjustment

• Fits all Rega armboard cutouts – old style threaded base or new 3-point mounting

Now in MK4 version, the arm looks similar to the previous MK3C but MK4 arms are easily identified by a slot in the rear stub for the counterweight clamp bolt. Other visual differences include a slimmer lighter armplate for reduced resonance and a more stylish slanted arm clip.

The MK4 version represents a major leap forward in performance through a stiffer arm tube. It also introduces a number of improved decoupling devices within the armtube itself. This included a new interface with the counterweight which is attached differently. These new features result in significant improvements to: definition, transient speed, dynamics, separation, timing and overall musicality to name but a few.