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Origin live Cartridge Enabler - a review

This is a basic review aimed at those who are in a similar middle lane of the audiophile analogue motorway.
Enhancements are plentiful for turntables and provoke much intense debate. However I feel as though the use of them is particularly relevant for those like me who have turntables at a lower end level.
So after much review and forum research I decided on Origin live also because I could save on delivery by obtaining a few items at the same time. Analogueseduction is another good option in this regard. Unfortunately, the platter mat I also ordered hadn’t been packed, so I only had their brush and the enabler to enjoy.

I`m aware that the theory is to channel unwanted disturbances from the cartridge into the arm, but I`ve always considered that just damping them would be better. Anyhow that in simple terms is the Enablers job.

The turntable itself is a 1990`s Roksan Xerses, the (platter is aluminium). I have an old Ringmat as platter mat at present. The arm an SME IV, the cartridge a VD Hul retipped Koetsu Black.

I became familiar with a fine pressing of Alan Parsons Eve, first track Lucifer which has quite a lot of detail before installation of the Enabler.

So installation was a bit fiddly, and note well, you will need bolts that are at least 5 mm longer to successfully complete the job. I made every effort to set the VTA as it was before installation, and checked alignments and the settings to make sure that they hadn’t changed.

The very first impression is that the sound is slightly thinner. Straight after that you realize that is because some of the – ringing, bloom? has been removed. So for example, a percussive tap, ting or knock is more definite. Again the bass is slightly lighter, but far less boomy. I player a Peter Gabriel track that sounded overblown in the bass when I listened a couple of days before. Now the bass was tuneful and balanced in tone with the rest of the instruments.

So initial impressions are ones of a satisfactory improvement, and again I maintain that with more modest equipment, if care is taken with the details, the end result can result in a worthwhile improvement. So as the professional reviewers say – highly recommended!

128x128lastperfectdaymusic
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@lewm 

If the OP switches to the Hana, which is said to be excellent by those who have heard it  

I've heard a dosen of MC cartridges made by Excel Sound Corporation, from low to high output with 3 different cantilevers. Even the old prototype of their new Etsuro. In my opinion carefully selected vintage MM are better than all of them. My personal experience, yes. 

Enabler or not, a good cartridge sound fantastic without enables.

A dark sounding entry level new koetsu black may be improved with some fansy tricks, but the improvement will be 100 times better if the OP will change his Koetsu Black to something better, then maybe there is no need for enables at all.   

lewm
12,543 posts
 
I agree with the general principle that basic upgrades (like buying a better sounding cartridge or a better sounding anything) are generally a better way to go, in terms of pleasure per dollar, to spending on tweaks (like the Enabler or the SR PDT) of some lesser product. As I mentioned, I’ve never heard either the Koetsu Black or the Hana SL, so I cannot comment on the degree to which one might be better than the other. Whereas you seem to have auditioned many dozens of cartridges in recent years.

I apologize if I came down on you too hard for recommending the AT ML170, but I confess I am a bit tired of reading about its wonderfulness. The OP wants to talk about the Enabler, per se, which seems at least to be cost-effective.

Not to mention the fact that the AT-ML170 is out of production since the 1990s. Where do we buy them, if we wanted to?
hdm
1,055 posts
 
Purchasing an AT-ML 170 is not a problem at the moment Lew. 

Chakster just happens to have a very fine specimen for sale haha!

Very lightly used. 
lastperfectdaymusic's avatar
lastperfectdaymusic OP
48 posts
 
Hi, thanks to all for getting involved. I`m not sure that I have an answer for the arm mass increase issue that lewm was recommending, I mean where do you get these from?
I had the opportunity of another listen last night. Side 1 of `Crime of the century`. I couldn’t believe all the detail, clarity and timbre that I was hearing for the first time. Like looking at a street lamp in the dark with smudged specs, then cleaning them with a microfibre cloth and seeing the difference!
I wonder what other hidden value we have in our turntables through using enhancements?!
I have the Origin live mat waiting at home for using, but first I want to get a good idea of the Enabler.
I appreciate the comments on the cartridges, thank you chakster. I have seen too many positive comments on the Hana SL to be moved, and hopefully it will remain in reach financially in the next few months! Our economy is not in the hands of experts!!
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@lewm I apologize if I came down on you too hard for recommending the AT ML170, but I confess I am a bit tired of reading about its wonderfulness. The OP wants to talk about the Enabler, per se, which seems at least to be cost-effective.

Sorry for that, but even my own threads are always goes to a different direction with comments from different users, it’s always like that. I don’t mind.

Regarding the enables i wish to know why none of the cartridge manufacturers using them or recommend for use them?

I remember my manual for Grado where John Grado adviced NOT to use anything between the cartridge and headshell.

I think it’s all about coloration, some people like it.

@hdm Right, i’ve been praised AT-ML series for years on this forum, actually i’ve learned about it from this forum, but from the users who left the forum long time ago, everyone is fascinated about this model. I had at least 4 samples, upgraded to AT-ML180 (my favorite MM).

It’s pretty sad that we don’t have new discoveries, people only repeating something about Hanna, Grado, Nagaoka ...
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