DS Audio Optical cartridge

I heard the DS Audio optical cart at my local dealer and did not like it at all. It was on a $50,000 Acoustic Signature Ascona TT. Pre amp was  a VAC and the amps were VAC mono's hooked up to a pair of Wilson Alexx speakers. The sound was hard and harsh. With the same setup  and a $3500 Dynavector TE Kaitora cart w/a Sutherland Double stack phono there was a very smooth detailed top end sound. If you have a really good phono you'll have to put it in the closet and use the phono that comes w/the cart. If you decide to use something other than a DS audio that phono you get w/the DS audio is useless. Can't be used w/any other cart.

Hi lohanimal,

it is definitively right that the DS-Audios are playing in the top league.
Keeping the price tags often including the phono stage in mind, they
are real bargains.

We have checked here several well known competitors vs. DS-Audio.
The dynamic, detail and high end capabilities of the DS-W1 are
outstanding and carts like the Lyra Atlas, Lyra Etna or ZYX Atmos
could not match that.
Only the soundstage of the ZYX was maybe a bit broader than that
of the DS-W1.

Very interesting is the new DS-002 as well. It has the best soundstage
I ever had heard in my system and combines the DS-Audio pros with
that plus having an "analog warmth".

One of my friends hearing it said: "Wow, that combines high end audio
with my Shindo-SPU!"

The Master-1 I have not heard in my system so far.

The Cable Company sells them. I would call them and have a demo unit sent out to you.