Post by Owen Y on Aug 15, 2017 17:25:47 GMT 12
DS AUDIO DS-002 optical cartridge: This is interesting.... although a redux of an idea from the 60s, it's a welcome re-think of current MC cartridge design, by Japanese company DS Audio (Digital Stream Corp). Using conventional Shibata stylus-in-groove design, but combined with miniature laser-optics instead of magnetic coils, to produce music signal voltage. The price with its associated Equaliser/PSU box is not cheap (US$5k) but needs no phono-stage, outputting 0.5V direct to an amplifier line input. www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/ds-audio-ds-002-opt   
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Post by Owen Y on Aug 15, 2017 19:44:16 GMT 12
Reading between the lines, it seems that bass is not as stellar (as the rest of the freq range), which speaks to me about a 'power' delivery issue. I'm sure it can be refined - if there is any uptake. However, price is restrictive 
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Pundit
Post by Gryffles on Aug 15, 2017 21:26:10 GMT 12
No phono stage but it comes with what they call an equalizer.
So for 5k US you get a cart and equalizer and you no longer need a phono stage.
Hopefully I'll be able to have a listen to one of these soon. Will let you know
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Post by sub on Sept 12, 2017 16:04:42 GMT 12
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Post by Owen Y on Oct 29, 2018 14:22:06 GMT 12
I really think I need one of these.... audioFi.net in Malaysia talks to DS Audio President Tetsuaki Aoyagi, who sheds a little more light (hahaha ) on their on their optical cartridge technology. " There is no need for RIAA to overlay the resulting waveform as voltage is no longer correlated to frequency. Our analogue waveform is reproduced more accurately and relayed through an equaliser, and subsequently becomes the output signal that’s fed directly into a preamplifier or integrated amplifier. You don’t need an RIAA phono stage. "   
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Post by Citroen on Oct 29, 2018 17:01:35 GMT 12
Great concept. Even $8995 is a bit steep for me though!
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Post by michaelw on Oct 29, 2018 17:34:10 GMT 12
riaa not needed ?
what is the equaliser doing ?
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Post by colinf on Oct 29, 2018 19:14:17 GMT 12
The optical cartridge responds to stylus position, not velocity. In a magnetic cartridge, the faster the stylus moves with the same magnitude, the more output voltage is generated which leads to increasing output with increase in frequency. So RIAA is employed to reduce the output with increase in frequency. Strain gauge cartridges also detect the position of the stylus, not its velocity. There is a slight discrepancy between the RIAA curve that records are cut with, and the output of a stylus position-sensing cartridge; so the equaliser is there to correct that. It affects mainly midrange frequencies. Good to see optical cartridges making a comeback. Since the equaliser is included you can’t use your own selected phono stage.
AMR-iFi R&D
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Post by Owen Y on Mar 2, 2021 14:58:42 GMT 12
In a move to broaden the popularity of DS AUDIO optical cartridges, DS AUDIO is making available free of charge, DS AUDIO’s technology and expertise " in order to help others enter the market". “ My goal is that optical cartridges move from being ‘unique’ to ‘popular’ ” (Tetsuaki Aoyagi, CEO and DS AUDIO chief designer.) DS AUDIO are hoping that manufacturers of high-end electronics will begin to build in optical cartridge-friendly tech into their phono stage and amplifier designs, doing away with the need for a DS AUDIO external Equaliser unit. Circuit diagrams can now be viewed on the DS AUDIO website. DS AUDIO are also offering to review any proposed designs, with no license or consultancy fee & then officially certify the design. You can see from these graphs from the webpage, that phono EQ for a DS AUDIO optical cartridge is a less demanding exercise, gain-wise. Already, EMM LABS (USA) & Soul-Note (Japan) have produced Phono EQ units compatible with DS-AUDIO optical pick-up cartridges.  
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Post by Owen Y on Mar 2, 2021 15:10:32 GMT 12
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Pundit
Post by Neil on Mar 2, 2021 21:23:53 GMT 12
I've had a good listen to these. They have a fantastic ease about them. Super open sounding. I was/am seriously considering buying one. Just the baby one though. We did have the top one and its EQ, and that was pretty spectacular.
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Post by Owen Y on Mar 18, 2021 15:19:03 GMT 12
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Post by Citroen on Oct 25, 2022 17:33:05 GMT 12
"DS Audio Introduces New "Light" Pickup and Phono EQ Unit 10/05/2022 The most successful photo-optical phono cartridge model from the Japanese manufacturer DS Audio received a major update." "According to DS Audio, a resonance-reducing shape was chosen for the aluminum housing of the pickup. All of these measures – together with the also revised, purely analog Phono EQ unit belonging to the system – are supposed to deliver improved signal-to-noise ratios as well as higher dynamics and finer resolution." stereo-magazine.com/article/ds-audio-introduces-new-light-pickup-and-phono-eq-unit
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