@daveyf , Sorry if I was a bit harsh. But if Rega were McDonalds and Basis were Wolgang Puck's, Origin live would be The Red Roof Inn. AJ could not get a belt ground to his specifications anywhere. There was always too much variation in thickness. So he set himself up with the right equipment to make aerospace turntable belts. Each one is measured for thickness over it's entire length. I do not recall what his tolerances were but they were very tight.
Showing 8 responses by mijostyn
I live right around the corner from Basis an as far as I know they are doing just fine. The table to buy is the Inspiration. It is the current version of the Debut. @ferrari275 , I would lean towards the Helix. It has the best isolation available. It is not as sexy as the Inspiration but I would guess it is the better performer. It is also a $60,000 table and it has not gotten it's act together with vacuum clamping yet and a lot of use are waiting until that gets done. |
@daveyf , the Inspiration is certainly up there with the very best tables. The level of machining is far beyond anything Origin Live ever dreamed of. This is the kind of rubbish you get from people who like Tekton loudspeakers. It is the loudspeakers that tell you whether or not the person knows what he is listening to. I would take the least expensive Basis over any Origin Live table in a heartbeat. |
@daveyf , It is not a matter of hearing. It is a matter of precision. I do not own any Basis products but I have been to the factory. Had I the financial capability I might well own one of their turntables. I have never even remotely considered an Origin Live table. Is that just me? I don't think so. |
@daveyf, I thought the Tekton comment was a bit on the harsh side. @larryi , and that, AJ would tell you was his major problem. He let himself get buried by the details or rather he'd go after those details until he buried them, hang the expense. He marvelled at how Dave Fletcher (Sota, Sumiko and long time friend) could make such a good turntable for so little money, something he could not manage to do. David had a hang for knowing what details he could pass over to save money. The suspension and vacuum designs were David's. I never owned a Basis but came very close once. If I were to get one now it would be the Inspiration in clear acrylic. Warning, do not get one in black or you will drive yourself nuts trying to keep the dust off of it! |
I believe but I am not certain that Graham uses the Rega standard which is 222 mm spindle to pivot. You can confirm that by measuring. Anything +- 3 mm will be fine. In that case the SME V is back on the market. The Schroder CB (the arm I currently use) is getting rave reviews all over and I love mine. I believe the Tri Planar and Reed Arms will fit. You also have to measure the hole in your tonearm board. The Schroder has a 25mm (1") post so it needs a 1" hole. I am not sure what the others use. That will take a little research. There is also the Graham Phantom Supreme which I personally think is severely overpriced but it is a good arm. I think the first three stand about the others. |
@xagwell do it right and do it once. Good for you @rooze , if you really want to rock your bass you might consider switching tonearms. My own personal favorite Basis is the Inspiration. AJ always felt a suspension was mandatory, at least when I spoke to him. The work of art is suspended. I am not sure where the Transcendent came from, but there is an itch that tells me it was not entirely his thinking. If you really want a steel platter you can have the Transcendent's platter put on the Inspiration. I would not do that, but that is me. I have the hots for the Helix and the two are close enough price wise that price is not a factor between the two. I will not get a Helix until it has vacuum clamping. It is suppose to get it but they sure are taking their time. In the mean while the Inspiration with vacuum is IMHO the best turntable you can get all things considered. If you are after a serious value than the Sota Cosmos Vacuum is it. |