Four years ago, the British analogue specialists launched its Mk4 tonearms. Since then, it has conducted ongoing research and development, which has led Origin Live to several improvements in tonearm performance, culminating in the MKV generation arms.

Firstly, all the brand's armtubes will benefit from a new treatment which promises to improve transparency and separation significantly. It's not rubber, foam, or a tube within a tube. Without revealing specifics, Origin Live say it is highly effective without overdamping or leaving residual vibration. This treatment has been quietly included in all arms since September 1st, 2024.

Starting from the Illustrious arm (£2340) upwards, a refined Multi-Layer Counterweight (MLC) is now standard. Origin Live stresses that a counterweight is not merely a way to adjust tracking force but an integral part of controlling the pivot's stability and the tube's resonance. The MLC's multiple layers absorb and diffuse vibration travelling along the arm tube, and crucially, part of its weight is placed on an outrigger that positions mass underneath the pivot. This gives more stability in busy/dynamic vinyl passages that put more strain on the pivot. 

Furthermore, the multi-layer counterweights on the MkV Agile and Renown are more advanced than those in the arms below them, and MkV MLC counterweights can be retrofitted to MkIV arms as a neat upgrade.

Staying in the counterweight area, Origin Live tells us that it has also improved the tracking force adjustment on the Illustrious and above, with the fine adjuster on the multi-layer counterweight now allowing for a more extensive fine adjustment range, making it significantly easier to set tracking force.

As one of the inventors of the dual pivot tonearm over 20 years ago, Origin Live is eager to reassert the importance of this technology. The British manufacturer states that the dual pivot (imagine a unipivot spike and cup on either side of the armtube) has the best torsional resistance, providing the most stability for the azimuth of the cartridge stylus. "Good tonearm design is the compromise of many opposing ideas", Mark Baker says, "For instance, freedom of movement is fundamental to playing a record, but the cartridge also demands rock-like stability from the tonearm tube and pivots. Finding a solution that satisfies both of these demands is not simple. Having tested the latest developments on the market, I'm confident that the dual-pivot remains the best solution."

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On Encounter models and above, Origin Live has introduced a new cable housing, resulting in more unrestrained movement through reduced cable resistance caused by the tonearm cable bending and twisting. This, of course, improves freedom of movement and aids performance.

The official launch of the MkV range is scheduled for February 21st, 2025, at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show.

Visit Origin Live for more information