DS AUDIO'S new type of cartridge... and phono amp

[struth]

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/ds-audio-ds-003-optical-phono-cartridge/

sure this will be more attractive now the price has dropped.

[hifi_dave]

Well that's still $6000 and usually + tax in the US.

[Barry]

That review, and others like it, are one of the reasons why I stopped subscribing to TAS.

[Barry]

Further to the above, I recall reading about the first DS cartridge many years ago (I think it was a review written by Paul Messenger) and being interested in hearing it.

The use of a modulated light source as an electromechanical transducer is not new: Sony developed one back in the '70s, the DS design was a development of the idea.

The first DS cartridge was demonstrated at one of the London audio shows, so I went along to hear it. Sadly, as we all know, audio shows are usually the last places to hear an item of equipment at its best. This was no exception. The room was very small, so you were almost on top of the speakers, all of the equipment was new to me - and I thought the overall performance quite average. Pity really.

[losepete]

On a related note: Anyone heard 1 of these play? https://www.elpj.com/