Illustrious Tonearm

Current arms are now in the MK 3version - these have a much higher performance due to their dual pivot bearings and MK2 arm tube which consists of a superior alloy to the MK1. Older arms can be upgraded to MK2 or MK3 specification - the improvement is worth far more than this in terms of performance. Upgrading and identifying MK versions

Best of 2005 Award - Hi Fi World

"The best tonearm I've heard to date ....brilliantly detailed yet utterly musical, this arm is set to join the ranks of the all time greats. Wholeheartedly recommended!"
 David Price - Hi-Fi World 2003

"The apparent width of the perceived image was enormous, as the image was so large that my living room walls seemed to melt away. This was complemented with a precision of spatial characteristics that made listening to the Illustrious an absolute pleasure... moreover the extra dynamic range over all the other arms here was simply stunning....Along with firecracker dynamics, something SME users will know, it possessed a seamless rhythmic ease and flow which SME V users will not! This is a beautifully fluid listen, yet gives nothing away in terms of grip and focus...bringing almost all the fluidity of the best unipivot with vastly improved grip and incision - the best of both worlds, if you like.

and the winner is... the Origin Live Illustrious, a pick up arm that is quite simply breathtaking. Its ability to display a three dimensional stereo image is above critisism, as is its transparency and lack of artifice. It also has amazing tonal accuracy, which lets the "flavour" of each instrument or voice flood out of the speakers. This is the respect in which it is most obviously superior to the SME.... on any deck ... this is surely the best.
Albert Lee - Hi-Fi World 2004 Group comparison test of 7 tonearms

Won Stereo Times "most wanted component of the year Award 2004" in combination with the Resolution Turntable

The absence of misbehavior that makes you forget about hi-fi and just engage the music. And then the side ends, and you realize you are in a state of exhilaration. That is analog (ue)! ...... Combining the sonic virtues of both unipivot and gimbaled bearings in a fuss-free package, it should work exceedingly well with a wide variety of cartridges and turntables. It is certainly the best all-around tonearm I've ever had in my own system. Highly recommended!Bruce Kinch - Positive Feedback magazine 2008  FULL REVIEW

Ground-breaking design is behind the astonishing performance of the Illustrious arm. This award winning arm has been highly acclaimed as a true performance leader.

Feature highlights

Arm tube:
High ridgidity accounts for tight, powerful and completely natural bass.

Dual pivot bearing:
 see dual pivot explained

Yoke design for optimum inertia values
The yoke offers high inertia in the horizontal plane for cartridge stability but minimizes inertia in the vertical plane to enable excellent tracking.

Highly specified bearings improve on the already amazing level of tonal and sound-staging of the Encounter arm.

Headshell:
Holographic images of headshells taken during record playing reveal that most headshells flex and twist significantly. To prevent this microscopic twisting the Illustrious headshell is machined from high strength alloy.

Retails at £1770    Export £1506.38 GBP

Features & comparison chart for all toenarms pdf

Specifications for all arms

Upgrading and identifying MK versions

Balanced configuration and XLRs

To order or arrange for a demonstration the following options are available
a) Contact one of our dealers.
b) You may not have an Origin Live dealer in your locality, or your local dealer may not stock the product you are interested in. For these reasons we offer the opportunity to order directly using the online shop. To enable a risk free demonstration, a tonearm direct order carries a one month, money back guarantee, should you wish to return the arm for any reason. This means that you can evaluate the arm against your existing one ( or another) in your own system and room acoustics. If you live outside the UK, then you should refer to our guidelines on ordering.

© Copyright Origin Live 2003