Thread: DS Audio optical cartridge system review. The best ever, no joke.

Has anyone heard one of these? Thinking it might be part of my jump back into analog.


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Originally Posted by Phishphan

Has anyone heard one of these? Thinking it might be part of my jump back into analog.


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I have the DS Audio 003 cartridge and 003 equalizer on an Acoustic Signature Typhoon Neo. It's a great combination. I'd also like to try out the Meitner eq. as I've heard it's a nice improvement.

I heard the DS 003, if I remember the model correctly, at a client's place after we set up his new Magico M2 speakers. Sounded very good.

Dr Vinyl did my DS Audio setup, absolutely top notch service and skills. It's pure magic when done right.

Originally Posted by TomS

I have the DS Audio 003 cartridge and 003 equalizer on an Acoustic Signature Typhoon Neo. It's a great combination. I'd also like to try out the Meitner eq. as I've heard it's a nice improvement.

I'm a huge fan on EMM gear, and friends with Ed's son. He showed me the ds preamp while it was in development.

If I go this route, I'm certainly getting the EMM pre.


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I have the DSAudio Grandmaster EX (the latest top of the line) and the EMM Labs DSEQ-1 and couldn't be happier with it. I started with the 003, then moved to the Grandmaster and now the Grandmaster EX. Each step of the way I was impressed with the low noise floor and the speed of the entire set up. It is almost CD quiet (influenced by the source material of course) and just does everything so very well. I also think it's a great value for the $$ compared to traditional MM / MC set ups (and it is NOT digital). The EX just blew me away - it is exactly the same as the Grandmaster, but it has a one piece synthetic diamond cantilever/stylus and the change was jaw dropping. Dr. Vinyl (Jose) did my set up and brought the EX for a demo on my system and it took about 3 minutes for me to decide to buy it. I have a very good digital rig (lampi horizon and Taiko extreme) and find myself listening more and more to the vinyl. I would love the two box DSAudio equalizer, but have neither the money nor the room for it. The EMM Labs has worked very very well - I wish others would jump on the bandwagon, but in the interim, there's no suffering with the DSEQ-1 (to my ears, in my system, etc.).

DS or EM Labs energizer may be a matter of preference. At similar price point the DS is more neutral and slam. The EM Labs leans more "musical" or romantic.

I typically like a more neutral sound but I found the EM Labs immediately seductive.

Thanks for the clarification, I thought both were same brand. I personally still liked the first unit better than the DS. The DS defintely had more slam and extended but the musicality of the Meitner was nice. That's the two that would probably be more preference. The EM Labs was more best of both worlds, yet while remaining very musical.

Originally Posted by SteVen

Hey Mr. Peabody!
Remember we had the Meitner DSEQ-2 first. It did not have the slam of the DS Equalizer but it definitely was more musical. At that point I preferred the DS. But then Dr. Vinyl sent the emmLabs DSEQ-1. To me it had maybe not quite the slam of the DS OO3 equalizer but darn close plus it had all the benefits of the Meitner DSEQ-2. But with even better tone quality, separation, imaging, etc.
Guys with DS cartridges either the emmLabs or Meitner boxes are worth listening to especially if you want a little bit more musicality.

my close friend had the DS Master and Grandmaster in his system with the top level DS Audio pre at that time and was very taken with both of those. then he got a DaVa Reference field coil cartridge with the tubed power supply and thought it was at least as good and preferred the tonal density of the DaVa. whereas the DS was a bit lower noise. both similar detail and micro dynamics.

he sold off the DS and kept the DaVa. he would have liked to have kept both but felt considering the investment it was better selling the DS.

i have only heard the DS Audio at shows and was impressed as far as that goes. not heard the new Grandmaster EX, but i do have the new Audiotechnica AT-MC2022 which has the same unified stylus/cantilever that the DS Audio Grandmaster EX has. so i understand what it might be doing and i'm sure it's very special.

personally i love my DaVa and do appreciate that it works with any conventional phono pre. but would sure enjoy hearing the DS Grandmaster EX in my system sometime. lots of different ways to look at things.