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I figured this might be an interesting topic. I'm dimly aware that optical cartridges go way back, but nonetheless they are a pretty rare specimen.
I was thinking about it because I just read my pal's review of the DS Audio cartridge. I know most here don't go in for those type of reviews, but here it is for anyone who is interested. Before getting to the sonic impressions, Jason gives a lay of the land as to the purported benefits of such a cartridge:
I visited a few times since he put in that cartridge/phono stage. I'm very familiar with Jason's system as I visit regularly - he plays mostly vinyl in that particular system - and I have to say I was wowed. My impression was of a clarity and "see-right-through-the-recording-space" sensation and level of detail I hadn't quite heard before from that system. I have to concur with a lot of his subjective impressions in that review in terms of the nuances that were so easily heard. He has an upstairs system with some great speakers/solid state amp, streams digital, and listening to it afterwards was a bit of a letdown by comparison. The vividness of the downstairs vinyl system with the DS Audio cartridge was stuck in my mind.
Here's the website with some explanation of the device:
I've no doubt there's inevitable manufacturer exaggerations built in to their descriptions. But generally speaking, what do you make of the idea of an optical
cartridge - it's likely advantages or disadvantages?
I was thinking about it because I just read my pal's review of the DS Audio cartridge. I know most here don't go in for those type of reviews, but here it is for anyone who is interested. Before getting to the sonic impressions, Jason gives a lay of the land as to the purported benefits of such a cartridge:
I visited a few times since he put in that cartridge/phono stage. I'm very familiar with Jason's system as I visit regularly - he plays mostly vinyl in that particular system - and I have to say I was wowed. My impression was of a clarity and "see-right-through-the-recording-space" sensation and level of detail I hadn't quite heard before from that system. I have to concur with a lot of his subjective impressions in that review in terms of the nuances that were so easily heard. He has an upstairs system with some great speakers/solid state amp, streams digital, and listening to it afterwards was a bit of a letdown by comparison. The vividness of the downstairs vinyl system with the DS Audio cartridge was stuck in my mind.
Here's the website with some explanation of the device:
DS003 - DS Audio|Creating the future of analog music
ds-audio-w.biz
I've no doubt there's inevitable manufacturer exaggerations built in to their descriptions. But generally speaking, what do you make of the idea of an optical
cartridge - it's likely advantages or disadvantages?