ORIGIN LIVE DISCOVERY 1 PHONO AMPLIFIER REVIEW., SMALL FOOTPRINT AND EASY TO USE

[@DrGIzmoBRad]

Just received the Origin Live Phono Stage upon your recommendation. Hard to believe it keeps up with my Arthur Loesch all tube directly coupled RIAA phono stage. This little solid state box is phenomenally good regardless of its topology. Many thanks for steering me to this wonderful choice.

[@ibaneye]

Thanks for the review Paul! I highly recommend Paul as a source of information for all things audiophile. Such a nice guy and so willing to help.

[@alexbradley3731]

Oh well !, Still sticking with the Schiit Mani £ for £ my ears would not notice the difference and the Mani is a beast. Nice review as always.

[@alexbradley3731]

@@moonytheloony6516 Easy, you only have 4 options(Download the User manual. In reality 2 for MM, the middle 2 listed in the manual, Gains of 42db and 48db). Ok first , take a look at your cartridge say you are using a Audio technia AT--VM95e it has an output voltage 0f 4.0Mv, this is standard as in MM are from 3 to 6mv, anything below this is Moving coil and needs boosting higher. All MM stylus will have an output voltage, you can find this out by searching on the net. Using the mani user manual guide(you can download this) you select the positions in Gain 1, Gain 2(both have a high and low position) and Output setting (2 options 47K or 47- there are 2 switches with this but set both to 47Kas default). All you do now is try and listen to your record on either the 42db or the 48db gain setups and if one is distorted then try switching to the other and tweak if necessary the Output 47k to 47 on both of the Output switches and see if this stops or helps with the sound. I hope i have not made this appear more difficult than it sounds, in reality the lower or higher the output voltage will determine the lower or higher the gain db and output load you need. Good Luck

[@DrGIzmoBRad]

Hi Paul, If any of your viewers want to use a moving coil SUT (Step-up-Transformer), adding a 33nF capacitor between the Discovery 1's phono ground and its chassis to eliminate the hum from the noise floor. For example I used a 50 ohm to 50K ohm SUT and the 1.0mv sensitivity setting on the Discovery 1 to get my Ortofon MC20 to have the same gain as the outputs of my Meridian Director & Explorer 2 DACs.

[@myles7522]

Out of my price range Paul, but love watching what you have to say…..gives food for thought…👍

[@DrGIzmoBRad]

Thank you for your in-depth review of this phono amplifier. Your descriptive analogies of how the discovery 1 portrays soundstage complexities while retaining underlying subtleties conveys just how well this direct coupled amplifier performs. I've a Loesch RIAA phono amp / line stage that takes in a moving magnet output directly as well, but into a 6DJ8 vacuum tube front end loaded with only a parallel combo of 47K and 200pF to ground. To interfacing with moving coils, I use a pair of Triad JO-3 Step-up Transformers between the pick-up and the amp's inputs. Returning to your review, it's nice to see that companies are creating high performance single box solutions. The added convenience of loading and gain adjustments on the front panel is a real plus. Are there distributors of Origin live in the states or must one order from the UK? Many Thanks :)

[@TheAudiophileMan]

Thanks Bradley - here's a useful link for you: www.originlive.com/dealer-network/north-american-dealers/

[@DrGIzmoBRad]

Paul, from your list of vendors here in the US, I ordered one from Analog Matters in northern Florida. Will let you know how it sounds when I receive it. Thanks again for your help.

[@WACONimages]

Nice review again! Would love to see phono/line-in preamp reviews with high res usb output(ADC)

[@jameshiggins8360]

Looks very like a Graham Slee product. Are these made by Graham for Origin Live, I wonder ? Graham Slee makes wonderful phono stages that with performance exceeding price, so that would not be a bad thing.

[@TheAudiophileMan]

NOTE: There are clickable chapter headings available in the Description.

[@NickP333]

What type of cart or carts did you use to audition this phono stage? Btw, yes, old 70’s mastering is very satisfying to listen to the vast majority of the time! Thanks for the fantastic review of the Origin Live Discovery One! 🎶👍🔊

[@TheAudiophileMan]

No problem, Nick: Benz Micro Ace, Goldring 1042 & van den Hul Crimson Strad.

[@Bwstevens1]

Thank you again Paul for a thorough and entertaining review! In your opinion, will I hear a real upgrade in sound quality swapping out my Rega Fono Mini A2D with the Origin Discovery 1? Or, should I look at upgrading other parts of my system first? Always appreciate your time.

[@TheAudiophileMan]

Yes. The Discovery is well worth the investment. I've no idea about the other points because you haven't listed your HiFi or budget.

[@DrGIzmoBRad]

Forgot to ask what cartridge(s) you used during your evaluation of the Discovery 1 phono stage. I used an older Ortofon MC20 and a newer Project S2 MM, both of which sounded quite good indeed.

[@TheAudiophileMan]

Hi Bradley - it was the Goldring 1042.

[@arifnizami3378]

Which is 'better', This OL or the Vertere Phono 1. Both are in the same price range and you have reviewed each of them.

[@TheAudiophileMan]

Cant be absolutely sure - because I had to return my Vertere so couldn't do a direct comparison. Both are excellent and you won't be disappointed if you opted for either one. From memory (that's all I have for now) I'd lean towards the Origin but both, as I say, are top notch.

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

I wish you would offer comparisons of the sound quality to other phono amps at this price point or similar construction, like the one you pulled out size comparison or like the one I just bought made in Germany.

[@TheAudiophileMan]

I did - should have listed them in a Reference list in the Description. I'll add that ASAP. I wanted to keep the video trim. Been producing (possibly too?) large vids of late. The Trichord Dino (fully modded), Blue Horizon Profono and the Musical Surroundings Nova were part of the review.

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

@@TheAudiophileMan Sorry, I guess I was looking for pictures of the other units when you mentioned them.

[@TheAudiophileMan]

@@jeremiahchamberlin4499 I know what you're saying but again, I was looking to trim the video time this time around. (It depends on my workflow at that the time of the video) When I make my videos my intention is that the Comments can be used as an extension for further discussion. The video isn't the be all and end all. I can supply more info here or via links - including images :)

[@danielgeiger7739]

Don't know any of the three phono stages you discussed. I recently purchased an EAT Eglo petite at similar price point (U$$1500). Has quite a bit more adjustment options both for gain, resistance, and even capacitance (for MM). Plus option for tube rolling. Those adjustments are critical, IMHO, so some discussion on cartridge and settings would have been great. I currently use a Ortofon 2M black just as a tie over till my SoundSmith Zephyr MIMC* comes back from repair. The EAT was quite a step-up from my previous Vincent PHO701 with upgraded Brimar tubes (doundstage, detail). Do you think the elimination of that input capacitor is noticeable? Was missing some comment on that.

[@TheAudiophileMan]

Although I've reviewed the company's turntables, I haven't listened to EAT's phono amp, how do you rate it? As for the capacitor in the '1'? I've no idea :) The only way to know for sure would be to have Origin Live insert a capacitor into the phono amp, test it, then ask the company to remove the same and test the difference. But that's not going to happen soon. Hence, why that's not in the sound quality review bit. All I can do is offer my views on the final sound from the end design as a whole. And well, I did notice a very naturalistic, open sound. One with low noise and lots of space. The sort of results that I would expect to find if the sonic pathway has been tweaked to be purer and cleaner in action. So, on that basis, yes the capacitor absence is a 'good thing'.

[@danielgeiger7739]

@@TheAudiophileMan The EAT is the best phono stage I have heard, but I certainly do not have the gamut of experience you have. I have had the Project little MM box ($50-100), the built-in stage in a Rotel RA 1572 (cheap for sure), and the Vincent PHO701 with upgraded tubes ($700). Compared to the Vincent, the EAT is more detailed, has better treble, cleaner bass, and offers much wider soundstage. I recently compared the same recording on CD played through HoloAudio May DAC L2 ($5K) and the vinyl with a mid level Ortofon 2MBlack ($700) on a VPI Super Prime Scout. The CD had a bit more detail, but to my ear/taste sounded too analytical. Vinyl sounded more musical, with a tad less detail. I think with my SoundSmith Zephyr MIMC* cartridge ($2K) back from repair, I will have the best of both words: detailed AND musical. That vinyl can best a top rated DAC says a lot.

[@donk1822]

if my Origin Live DC Advanced motor control box is anything to go by, beware the Amstrad quality knobs on the front. They work of course, but feel cheap and nasty. No click, click, click, more, clunk, clunk, clunk. Paul didn't criticise them, so perhaps Mr Baker paid attention to my complaint regarding Mickey Mouse components on expensive products.

[@TheAudiophileMan]

Thanks for bringing this one up - I should have addressed it in the video so I'm glad to discuss it here, instead. To me, a hifi component's interface can be divided into two areas. Firstly, its usability. Can it do the job it's asked to do. Is it capable of performing the task in hand. Is it 'fit for purpose'. The answer here is absolutely, yes. It does the job simply and directly. Secondly, there's an aesthetic element (in terms of look *and* feel), which leans towards the personal. I'm not sure you will like the '1' because there is - yes - more 'thunk' here than click. For me? That's great. I'm reminded of 70s-era computers and hifi and I like the definite aspect of the selection. It feels meant and permanent. But then again, I'm the kind of guy who dislikes touchscreens and loves toggle switches. Of course you may (and probably now do :) ) dislike the '1' interface intensely. I hope that provides info than that provided in the video.

[@donk1822]

@@TheAudiophileMan Hi Paul, nice of you to reply. I hope you didn't think I was having a dig at your review, perish the thought, I have found your reviews to be most enlightening. Indeed, I will be adding a Goldring Ethos to my turntable soon based solely on your opinion. I just found the switch on my box to feel tacky and mentioned it, just in case. I love toggle switches too, so much so that I have a JVC SEA7070 graphic equaliser among my equipment, on one of the tape loops, just so I can look at, hang on, 1, 2, 3, 4 .......25 of them :).

[@TheAudiophileMan]

No offence taken at all. You had a valid point and I should have addressed it in the video. Thanks for the question.

[@tommccarthy3385]

You seem to be a graduate of William Shatner's Pointless Pause school of vocal delivery. A smoother flow would be more pleasing, imho.

[@TheAudiophileMan]

Then I wouldn't be me, would I Tom? I'm sure that there's are plenty of channels out there whose presentation better suits your expectations and needs.

[@tommccarthy3385]

@@TheAudiophileMan Sorry, not meaning to be trollish. Leave it to an audio nerd such as myself to focus on something so trivial.

[@marcbegine]

Too expansive!