DS Audio DS-E1 Optical Cartridge experience

[opt817]

Hello,

I'm enjoing my new turntable Technics 1200G, which I've bought second hand few months ago.
I'm enjoing new toy very much, for simplicity of operation, simplicity of adjusting cartridges and very good sound from it.
I expected big precise sound of CD machine, but it is analogue in best sense of it.

Currently I'm using it with old Grado Statement 2 MI cartridge with high output.
Few day I have read very good recension from Mr. Kessler on optical cartridge, DS Audio DS-E1 Cartridge.

Link: https://www.hifinews.com/content/ds-...s-e1-cartridge

Can anybody confirm such review or have personal experiences with optical cartridges from DS audio?
Thanks for opinions.
Happy holidays and a lot of audio enjoyment.

[Barry]

I heard one at a Hi-Fi show some time ago.

Unfortunately the associated amplification and speakers used were new to me, which with the less than favourable acoustics of the hotel room, meant it was very difficult to assess the performance of the cartridge. All in all, I wasn't that impressed.

[paulf-2007]

So rather than a rusty nail scratching the vinyl groove it’s optical reading the groove ?

[Ali Tait]

No still uses a stylus

[TAD12]

Have a look at this vid, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1A-98G695U. Steve Guttenberg, Audiophiliac. Excellent commentary website with no BS!!!!

[opt817]

Thanks TAD for Guttenbergs review.
He is really enthusiastic about basic model E1 of optical cartridge, which still uses elliptic stylus to exctract information, but readout is done optically.
Also comes with dedicated energizer, phono equalizer.
No magnetic fields and any magnetic interaction of any kind, no coils, no magnets. I'm now even more interested.

[TAD12]

Hiya Ales.
Yep, looks a winner, but a bit too rich for my pocket. I'll stick with my Michell Odyssey, suitably modded with rubber suspension and feet. See elsewhere on this site for a full description. If you buy the DSE1 , please leave a review. ?? I wonder if the styli are expensive to replace.
Kind regards, T.

[opt817]

Hello, has anybody audio listening experience with optical cartridges from DS Audio?

[AJSki2fly]

Hello, has anybody audio listening experience with optical cartridges from DS Audio?

A very good friend of mine who has a very nice system has listened to several demos of DS Audio carts, and was pretty impressed, he was considering getting a DS3 with its specific pre-amp.

However he changed his speakers first to some used Avalons (not cheap at £18K but the equivalent new ones are over £40K) and said that the issue was not his TT/Cart/Phono set(SME TT/Arm/Benz LP-S /Allnic H1500II phono) up but the speakers were masking the details. I have not heard his system since the change so cannot pass on my personal view on SQ, but I respect his opinion so what he says his likely to be correct. He now says there is no way he will be changing the cartridge.

[hifi_dave]

I've heard a couple of models and they sound like a cartridge on vinyl. Good but not that different.

[opt817]

Hello Dave,
thanks for your reply. In fact I was looking for information if optical pick-ups are superior to ordinary MC's or MI's I'm currently using.
Main problem is that in my country nobody has a optical cartridge for demonstartion, to hear audio similarities and differences.

[hifi_dave]

They are good and I could easily live with one but after reading a couple of rave reviews I was expecting spectacular. That wasn't the result, just like going from one make of MC to another.

[opt817]

Hello Dave,
thanks for your opinion.

[paulf-2007]

No still uses a stylus
So what makes it optical

[Barry]

So what makes it optical

Inside the cartridge is a miniature LED is positioned between the stylus tip and cantilever fulcrum, its light output modulated by an extremely fine optical plate, just 100μm thick, fixed to the rear of the cantilever. This shines on a photocell which generates an electrical current, directly mirroring the passage of the stylus through the analogue groove.

Unlike conventional electrodynamic generators where the output level is proportional to the velocity of the stylus tip, the output from a modulated photocell is proportional to the displacement amplitude of the stylus. It thus requires a different equalisation curve to that of conventional MM/MC designs.