Calypso Turntable

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" This turntable gets the thumbs up it thoroughly deserves for the fine performance it provided" Malcolm Steward HI FI CHOICE DEC 2007

The Calypso improves on the performance and looks of the Aurora Gold of which it was written -
"This is one of the few turntables I could listen to for days at a time with no hint of listening fatigue. It presents the music as it was recorded....Pace is second to none along with precisionand an extremely believable sound stage. Even with the least expensive pick up arm, this turntable projects an image that is frighteningly realistic....Overall an extremely fine piece of engineering with factory support of the highest order. I can recommend this record deck with complete confidence." HI FI WORLD 2004

Aurora Gold - Winner of Stereo Times “most wanted component of the year Award 2004” in combination with the Illustrious tonearm.
“Simply stated, the Origin Live Illustrious tonearm/Aurora Gold turntable produce the best musical results of any turntable I’ve ever heard, regardless of price. Since I’ve been listening for turntables professionally for 32 years and am aware of the pitfalls of ultimate proclamations, I hesitate somewhat to make this statement. Nevertheless, it is true. The level of musical communication available from the Illustrious/Aurora Gold is in a class by itself. It sets a new reference.
The overall pre-occupation with stereoscopy and with sonic special effects of most High End record players pays too little attention to the core values of musical communication. Consequently I find these tables turgid, dissecting, prosaic and unable to dance: you hear everything about the sonic event except what the music means.....The most obvious aspect of the Illustrious/Aurora Gold is the utter coherence of rhythm, timing, dynamic variation, and musical phrasing. It’s articulation in the bass is simply unequalled. My long time reference for these qualities has been the Linn LP12. It is my reference no more. The OL combination outperformed it in every aspect of sonic and musical values, including the famed boogie factor”

STEREO TIMES
For full review

Introduction

For out and out performance this deck has it all . Capablility includes outperforming most decks on the market at many times it’s price - the Calypso is simply without peer.

High grade parts are employed for exceptional performance. The Calypso maintains its stature in comparison with other turntables even when fitted with inexpensive tonearms and cartridges. Investing that little bit extra in the turntable can therefore result in a considerable overall saving.

The strengths of the Calypso lie in its superb transparency, coupled with tangible sound staging and imaging. It is very neutral and will suit most systems exceptionally well. You can expect this turntable to give you many years of listening pleasure.

CALYPSO IN CLEAR FINISH OPTION

CALYPSO IN POLISHED WHITE

Design Profile for High Performance

Before exploring the design philosophy of the Aurora Gold, it is worth clarifying some performance objectives. These may be simply stated as follows:

* The turntable must rotate the record at a constant speed of 33 or 45 rpm, free from vibration.
* It must also support the tonearm in a fixed position relative to the platter, free from vibration.

Vibration control is absolutely critical for performance. The Aurora Gold overcomes many of the complex problems arising from unwanted vibration in the following ways:
1. It minimises resonance within components. Resonance is caused primarily by shock waves generated by the interaction of stylus and record.
2. It minimises vibrational 'noise' created by the motor.
3. It excludes environmental vibration. This can be caused by anything from loudspeaker feedback (groundborne and airborne) to underground pumps and road traffic.

Each of these areas has its own set of problems and solutions. They are listed above in order of priority. Theories of energy management and vibrational control within turntables vary considerably. A basic understanding of these theories is useful to understanding the secret of the superb performance exhibited by Origin Live turntables.

Theory of Energy Management

In principle a turntable is one of the simplest items of Hi-Fi equipment. However, from a technical point of view, understanding the principles governing performance is much more involved than first meets the eye.

The Priority of Source Signal Purity

Controlling vibration is the key to turntable design due to the nature of the stylus mechanism. The movements of the stylus as it tracks the record groove are extremely small. As the stylus moves, it acts within the signal generator of the cartridge and this signal is duly transmitted to the amplifier. Much has been written about the amazingly tortuous job that a stylus carries out. The stylus undergoes forces measured in tons per square inch, and the vinyl melts momentarily as the stylus passes over it.

The stylus vibrations are so small that they must be amplified thousands of times to produce an output at the speakers. This means that the slightest source of unwanted vibration is also amplified thousands of times. It is the successful elimination of this unwanted vibration that results in the huge differences between mediocre record players and star performers.

Vibration is a highly complex area. Put simply, the following are the most relevant parameters from an audio point of view:

1. Speed of energy transmission
2. Speed of energy absorption - storage of vibrational energy (resonance) vs vibration absorption (damping).
3. Resonant frequency of the material (how does it behave within the audio band?).

Design of Components

From the above, it follows that the tiniest details all contribute to the overall sonic character of a turntable. In the Aurora Gold, meticulous attention has been paid to every detail and design option. The key variables researched are listed below:

a) Types of material used at each point in the structure.
b) Choice of which materials to interface together.
c) Dimensioning of materials.
d) Shape and form of components: solid, hollow, plate, flanged, tube, etc.
e) Method of attachment: bolting, gluing, welding, screwing, etc.
f) Decoupling methods: springs, spikes, elastic bands, rubber, foam, air cushion, etc.
g) Motor positioning and method of mounting.

These critical areas, and many others, have all been tested extremely thoroughly, resulting in the outstanding performance of the Aurora Gold turntable.

Hear for yourself

This page provides some explanation of the design principles behind the performance of the Calypso turntable. The turntable embodies more than fifteen years of intensive and exhaustive testing. These have been distilled into a high end product that appears deceptively simple and yet will yield astounding results. Why not discover for yourself the astonishing potential of the world’s highest performing medium for the reproduction of music?

Features & Specifications

SUPERB STYLING

The turntable is sculpted in stylish curved profiles that will look at home in most surroundings. There is a choice of finishes.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

The Calypso is similar to the Aurora MK2 at first glance but offers considerably higher performance. This is by virtue of the following -

A thicker plinth for reduced resonant deflection leading to greater stability for the cartridge to track your records

Heavy inertia disc for mounting the sub-chassis - this reduces the effects of vertical modes of vibration.

Inertia disc pods to resist rotational forces due to ground bourn and air bourn vibration

“Ultra” control circuit - higher grade components and improved performance

Power supply

The regulated power supply of this motor is load compensating as well as being stable across a wide range of temperatures. Speed control is easily switched electronically between 33 and 45 rpm (78 rpm is also available on request).

Setting up

There is nothing to go "out of tune" on the Calypso turntable. The turntable is a non-suspended design and the centre loading makes it simple to set up and fuss free. VTA arm adjustment is provided for Rega and Origin Live arms, which makes setting the arm height much easier.

Retail £1470 - excluding arm

OPTIONS

Upgrade transformer - To significantly improve the performance of the deck you can add the Origin Live upgrade transformer for £195

Origin Live performance platter mat - A highly cost effective addition to add further transarency, depth and dynamics - £49

Finishes - Mirror finish black is the standard plinth finish however we offer clear polished acrylic, frosted acrylic and polished white as other options for £150

Different arm fitting - The Calypso can accomodate most arms by simply changing the sub-chassis plate. Subchassis plates are available for SME, Linn, Graham, Hadcock arms for an additional £47 as these are specials - All Roksan arms can be fitted using an adaptor at £25. Arms not listed in the above can be quoted individualy.

Ordering or arranging for a demonstration - You can arrange for a demonstration of an Origin Live turntable by:-
A) Contacting one of our dealers.
B) Alternatively you can order one directly using the online shop. If you order direct then all turntable orders carry a one month, no risk money back guarantee should you wish to return the deck for any reason. This means that you can evaluate the turntable 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.