The Japanese company DS Audio, using high-precision laser technology, has made the revival of the legendary optical cartridge possible!

You might think that "optical" means "digital". No way - the DS-001 optical cartridge is an analog system.

When playing a vinyl record, the DS-001 does not have any digital processes. Recording from a plate is read using an optical method,

not an electromagnetic one. Moreover, the beam of light itself is the purest analog signal. Just enjoy optical sound.

DS-001 is the only optical cartridge on the market. DS Audio has provided a device that allows you to enjoy analog audio in a new way.

Some audiophiles remember how many years ago some companies already offered optical cartridges.

Listening to those cartridges was simply amazing with the quality of their sound. That sound was comparable in purity to the best whiskey,

in power to a waterfall. However, contrary to expectations, optical cartridges quickly disappeared from the market.

This is because the precision optics used in the cartridges were too complex for those times (which caused a lot of problems). In addition,

the era of digital sound (CDs) was coming. But for those who managed to enjoy this truly authentic sound, optical cartridges have become a legend.

Unlike MM/MC cartridges, which are based on electromagnetic induction, the optical cartridge reads the vibrations of the stylus using a beam of light.

This made it possible to get rid of the electromagnetic oscillations that are present in MM / MC cartridges.

Recent developments in laser optics have made possible the renaissance of the optical cartridge.

After many years of research and experimentation, the DS-001 has finally been released, which will be a real gift for true connoisseurs of analog sound.

DS Audio is proud to present the DS-001.

Recall that in MM pickup heads, a permanent magnet is installed on the needle holder, located between two fixed coils (in a stereo cartridge),

which forms a miniature electromagnetic generator. The magnet vibrates according to the movement of the needle, generating current in the coils.

The design of MC cartridges is also a small electromagnetic generator, but, unlike the MM type, the coils move in the field of a permanent magnet.

The coils are very small and made of very thin wires. In both cases, the principle of operation of the cartridge is based on Faraday's law.

At the same time, in both MM and MC cartridges, it is not possible to eliminate electromagnetic oscillations that occur according to Lenz's law.

In terms of audio, this means that according to Lenz's law, the stylus vibrations receive additional electromagnetic vibrations,

as a result of which MM / MC cartridges can never accurately reproduce the stylus vibrations.

As a result, it is necessary to come to an understanding that only the absence of electromagnetic induction can have an impeccable fidelity of reproduction from a plate.

There are two ways to play vinyl records: proportional to speed and proportional to amplitude. MM/MC cartridges use the velocity proportional method.

According to this method, the read signal depends on how fast the magnet (or coil) is moving in the magnetic field. At low frequency,

the magnet moves slowly, so the signal level is very small. At high frequency, the magnet moves faster, the signal level increases.

Thus, a phono equalizer is needed to compensate/correct the read signal. Essentially, MM/MC signals are time derivatives of analog musical information.

Signal reproduction requires the integration of read signals, which forces the use of additional electrical circuits.

Unlike MM/MC cartridges, the optical cartridge works according to the amplitude-proportional method,

in which the read signal depends on how far the stylus has moved. Therefore, there is no frequency dependency and no need for equalization.

In conclusion, an optical reading cartridge needs a very simple circuit to achieve clear reproduction of a vinyl record without any processing.

In addition, simple and effective equalization using amplitude-proportional readout results in excellent signal-to-noise ratio.

Using the DS-001 optical cartridge does not require any changes to your turntable or arm.

True, you still have to give up the phono stage due to the DS-001 being equipped with its own converter.

Optical cartridge

Signal output - photoelectric conversion

Output signal level - 500mV and more (at the output of the converter)

Channel separation - 20dB or more

Downforce - 1.3g-1.7g (recommended 1.5g)

Cantilever - aluminum

Needle - Line-Contact

Weight - 6.5g

Housing material - machined aluminum

Optical cartridge converter

Rated output voltage - 500mV (1kHz)

Input - RCA

Output - RCA (standard, Subsonic)

Dimensions 325W x 96H x 210D (mm)

Impedance - 120 Ohm

Weight - 5.5 kg