Origin Live Aurora (GBP 825.00 exc arm and cartridge)

Origin Live made their name by offering upgrades to the already superb Rega arms, so when they produce their own turntable, you already know it's going to be special! Shown here with their own Silver tonearm, the Aurora is a beautifully styled mix of black painted metal and acrylic.

The deck is superficially very simple - closer inspection shows a lot of thought has gone into the design. There was a previous Aurora model available - this latest incarnation now has a completely separate freestanding DC motor with adjustable speed.

Sound is very open indeed, with excellent pace and very little overhang (don't mail us for an explanation of these hi-fi enthusiast terms - you either know what they mean or you don't!). If you already know what O.L. arms sound like, then you can guess at the sound of the Aurora - it has the same hallmarks.

We don't even like selling these decks (!) as it takes Les a long, long time to set them up - they have to be built virtually from scratch - but, hey, you can't always have it easy, life wouldn't be any fun!