A master stroke
Hi-Fi Choice|November 2021
Trickle-down technology at its finest, DS Audio’s DS 003 photo-electric pick-up from the Grand Master
A master stroke

DETAILS

PRODUCT DS Audio DS 003

ORIGIN Japan

TYPE Optical cartridge

WEIGHT 7.7g

FEATURES

Aluminium cantilever

Line-contact stylus

Aluminium body

DISTRIBUTOR Sound Fowndations Ltd

WEBSITE ds-audio-w.biz soundfowndations. co.uk

Attesting to the firmly held ‘hi-fi truth’ that differing technologies have innate sonic traits – eg, valves versus transistors – comes this latest DS Audio optical cartridge, the £5,000 DS 003 with matching energiser. Replacing the £5,050 DS 002, it even boasts a slight price reduction – which is no bad thing.

DS Audio cartridges certainly possess a family sound. Seasoned audio enthusiasts might agree that all the various types – moving-magnet, low and high-output moving-coil, strain gauge, Decca/ London, moving-iron, moving-flux, and, in this case, optical – all exhibit specific characteristics. Cantilever material and stylus profile offer some additional differentiation within a given range and so it is here, in part, with the new DS 003.

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