Cheers Aki!!! Nice to meet you on KZfaq... thanks for tuning in!!! 🙏

Congratulations DS Audio. I had the oportunity to listen to the E1 first, then the 002 and latelly the grand master. That's the best thing that happend to vinyl since… I don't know… since the first vinyl record. The air, detail, silence… that's all that and more. All the records are new again.

@@JardinagemOrg A+++!!!

Aki, I'm excited for your technology. I'm wondering if optical playback technology has the potential to influence the upstream cutting and lathe hardware such that a new bread of lathes can be developed that can expand the frequency range of vinyl and not just the dynamic range and channel separation?

@@JardinagemOrg Thank you very much for listening to our products!! we are happy that our products make our customers happy!

Cheers Nick!

Spread the word!

Gerne!

you will be impressed!

Thank you very much! We hope you will listen to DS003 soon!

Cheers Bruno! Coffee cup available at Meinl online shop... 😎

Cheers Paul! Thanks for tuning in...

I’m also looking into what turntable is a good pairing for the entry level DS cartridge? I have been looking at Kuzma

You can't go wrong with Kuzma! Perfect choice

pop quiz today at 7! 🤣

@@SonicFlare Just helping your algorithm.

Awesome!

Thank you very much for using DS-W2!

Julius!!! 🤘🏻 Cheers for watching!

It really is!!!

Actually there were earlier iterations of the tech but they had to use actual light bulbs and it just didn't work out well enough. Sorry I can't remember where I read this but I think the original idea was in the 50's.

@@tullskull Toshiba cane up with this in the late 60s, but the photo cells and LEDs simply weren’t qualitative enough to make it work well….

@@SonicFlare Thanks for the correction🙂

Thank you very much for the comment!

Yapping is in.

I would give it a try. Once you hear this, you can't "un-hear" the vast benefits of this technology.

My dream is DS 003 in connection with "meitner" !***

It`s a little pitty, that XLR- connection is not possible.

It is mit dem Meitner … 😎

I’ll have die 003 bald… I’ll berichte …

Thank you Danny!

nice!!! Cheers Jim! Cheers Ron!

A also wait for the DS003 !***

Me 2!!! Should have that soon...

Gleichfalls, kommt bald wie man mir gesagt hat...

@@SonicFlare thank you!

Hi, wow, that's awesome 👌 👏 👍 glad you love it, I feel the same! Thanks for tuning in!

YUSSSSSSS!!! Awesome!!! Once you hear "it" you'll never be able "unhear" it... So glad you are enjoying it.

@@SonicFlare to be fair, a few month back one of my customers ( I own Analogue October Records here in the UK) turned me on to DS audio, and i parked the idea for a rainy day. Your video came at just the right time. Normally when I get an upgrade, I’ll wax lyrical to my buddy and fill up entire text messages with hyperbole about the upgrade. Today I just said “get your ass round here ASAP!” I can’t add anything new to your review other than BELIEVE THE HYPE! This isn’t a small scale change. This is monumental. My JBL -L100’s are just lapping it up! My ears are just overwhelmed and after a year of seldom having anything to smile about, I can’t stop grinning, all the while wondering what next to play. Does the performance justify the £2k? Absolutely. Without reservation. Bye bye Magnets. Bye bye coils. This goes beyond insane, and thanks for your video and reminding me to unpark that DS Audio wish list.

Haha! Thank you! You won’t look back……..

Yep! Identical setup since the tracing of the grooves is done the same way…

Yes, of course... it works w/ any turntable system... vintage, new, etc. The setup component is the same as any MC/MM cartridge, you must absolutely set it up with care and according to standards... Thanks for watching!!! PS: my guess would be that you might actually hear even more of an improvement from a vintage setup, since they tend to be a little noisier, especially idler wheel systems, older bearing designs, etc.

@@SonicFlare Thanks Danny! And I was wondering about the last part, since as you say vintage turntables mayhave some noise issues. Absolutely going to try an optical cartridge!

👌🏼🤘🏼😎

The first one was a Kuzma XL DC w/ Airline arm, the second was the Bergman Galder with Odin arms...

100%! The "old" MC/MM stuff is just horribly out of date in my opinion. Now, that doesn't mean that it suddenly sounds bad. It's still great of course. It's just that once you hear what you've been missing, you can never un-hear it. I am certainly not wasting money on MC cartridges anymore.

@SonicFlare Oh my god, I must have seen this video 10-15 times. I ended up trading in my Whest Audio phono pre-amp and Audio Technica cartridge for a DS Audio DS 003. I just finished installing it and man. You are right! I need to let this impression sink in. It is just…more…of everything. But less of the bad thing, noise. Thank you so much for this review. How many hours will it need to break-in properly? Cheers from Sweden

Nice!!! You’ll dig. 💯

get this new remix - it's leaps better than the original...

Hey Mark, thanks for tuning in, appreciate it! I think the DS-E1 is the “hidden” gem on the entire line up; what you really should get or consider saving up for is the new Meitner DS-EQ2 converter… it’s built around the same tech as DS-EQ1, but at around 4k much more elastic price wise… that is one helluva combo! So start with E1 and work your way up the chain…

@@SonicFlare I concur !

good question, it would be a "rebuild" just like any other cartridge. That said, I think the lifetime on these - I haven't confirmed this, it's pure speculation on my part! - should be greater than comparable MC/MM cartridges, simply because the suspension system is far less complex and has 1/10th the mass without heavy coils (MC) and magnets (MM) on the other end...

no recommendations from ​ @DS Audio Official about this?

Yes, I had the W-2 here... the far bigger upgrade compared to the stylus or cantilever material, is the new twin shading plate and twin LEDs further reducing noise, increasing channel separation and many other things in the new 003 and Grand Master. The Grand Master gets deep into the groove, the 003 not quite as much. Sometimes that's better, especially with less than perfect records. The E-1 is an absolute cracker of a cartridge / decoder combo... for $2750 you get an insane level of vinyl playback...

Thx man for the info, what did you have prior to the DS possibly Lyra ?

Sounds better! The DS Audio decoders all have a slight low end bass bump that thickens up the sound on my full range setups - probably not a big deal for smaller speakers; also, the midrange clears up quite a bit more with the EMMlabs…

@@SonicFlare My speakers: WA Maxx3.

I have not. What’s your budget?

@@SonicFlare 5k-6k max for the turntable+phono preamp+cart.

@@yannick930 that’s quite a solid investment… I am 100% convinced you will not find a quieter and therefore more resolving and airy all-in-one system like the DS-E1 cartridge/decoder combo… Have you considered a “pre-loved” turntable?

@@SonicFlare no, i heard today in a nice shop all the sub 2k turntable. My rig sounds better. But I'm considering this cart and phono preamp now. I have to find a dealer near me to ear it. For the moment I'm buying vinyl to not cry later :) by the time I upgrade I'll have nice things to ear. In the meantime I'm still enjoying myself and living threw you guys. 😀 PS: secretly the Audio Note entry level is the pre-loved. 🤣

nothing wrong with playing digital music! Cheers and thanks for watching! 🤘🏻😎

@@SonicFlare Hey Danny I ve been listening to the Tinker Tailor soldier spy album from Alberto Iglesias....This Album is everything i like to hear when I have some of the good scotch🤩 highly recommended if you are in a detective mode so to speak😂 cheers!

Very!!!

Yes,I also hope so. All the best GEORG

absolutely! 45RPM and SonicFlare party in Munich!!!

It’s better you‘l hear it on your private system I think 😊 Greetings from Neuss Andreas

will do!

@@SonicFlare Please !

I put this in my system, in a dry climate, and it is remarkable. It eliminates a huge amount of background static. It is expensive but really worth it. Particularly if you live in a dry region. I experimented with it in and out of the system and it is terrific.

Agreed!

Good question - it doesn't really compare, as the DS is an optical system, bypassing all the issues a magnetic / current driven system has... also, it bypasses the inherent RIAA issue that all these other systems suffer from.

Hi David, thanks for tuning in! Ha, we have both similar setups then. I also have a couple of R2Rs, alas, it comes down to software as always... Willing to bet the DS / EMMlabs combo will come very, very close to sublime tapes, provided you have the right rekkids to play and the right rekkid player. As always, it's hard to make such generalized feedback loops, your mileage may vary!

Agreed!

The dynamics, the inherent quietness, the lack of any hum (I can't get over the fact how many accept hum of any kind as normal and acceptable when hum and noise kill any sort of micro level detail) the resolution and jump factor are going to be next to impossible to beat w/ a coil and magnet system.

@@SonicFlare I’m intrigued - current setup: - MoFi Studio Deck w/ 2m Blue - Restored Sansui 1000a tube amp - Bob Crites upgraded Klipsch Forte II’s Would be interesting, like you mentioned before, on the optical benefits on vintage gear….

Well, I would say without the price tag and without the massive complexity ... the optical cartridge is a very, very simple system actually, certainly compared to MC/MM or Ledermann's system. Less complexity = better overall system. It's been an eye opener for myself learning just how much complexity has been replaced with this optical system, not only from a mechanical perspective - no magnetic / coil forces to deal with (!) - but from an electrical system as well... the circuit is far simpler compared to MC/MM/Ledermann

Eh, forum, schmorum… I don’t hang out on any forums as there’s entirely too many posers and wannabes with expert opinions on any subject… that said, I have not had any issues with any of the DS cartridges, having the E-1, W-2, 003 and Grand Master in house. The construction of each is top notch and if you look at the quality control and how DS builds these, they are likely better built than 90% of MC cartridges costing far more. Of those, the E-1 and 003 are the best values - simply because they sound really, really good and as with most phono cartridges, the magic happens on the decoder side. The DS-EQ1 rocks and Ed is working on a more affordable EQ2 that will be launching by summer. I heard it already and it’s nearly as good as the EQ1.

Outside of scrubbing the stylus and cantilever from dust, there is no service for cartridges…

hahahaha!

Haha. Personally, I think the Kuzma Safir is the real deal!

Philco in the late 40s and Toshiba in the late 60s.……. That said, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a warm sound. I’d position it far closer to neutral.

Cheers Mark, appreciate the feedback! I’ve watched Will Farrell and Chris Kayan - A Night At The Roxbury - way too many times………. 😂😝😎

haha! Danny strikes again... LOL! 🤣 Good to hear from you and your experience... yes, absolutely you need to take break-in into account, it is a mechanical suspension device so it needs a good 50-100 hours I would say. No doubt the sound will open up even more and smooth out... keep us posted! Cheers!

@@SonicFlare Hey Danny, thank you for coming back to me. That is really assuring since in my experience my cartridges manage to get their optimal performance after about 20-30-40 hours tops. With my Denon, Dynavector and Clearaudio after no more than 20-30 hours I started noticing the “turn” in the output but with the E1 I have clocked about the same hours upto now and can’t hear any change. Will keep on spinning those records 👌 Another aspect of your review I can say also matched my experience so far and totally surpised me because I was sure my Gold Note phono stage was quiet…but this E1 system is bonkers when it comes to bringing the noise floor down 😬 Subsequently, a somewhat negative aspect is that now I cannot listen to my digital end the same way that I used to and I might be forced to get a new DAC to try and match the turntable’s performance 😅 Of course 👍 Will let you know how I get along with it over time.

Oh it’s by far and away the quietest phono playback … a friend was over a while back and we played Bolero; he immediately noticed how “loud” we were playing it, yet how very little noise there was… unmatched by any other phono setup.

​@@SonicFlare Hello I am very skeptical about the statement that "quietest phono play back" supposedly means that the quality of the analog pickup corresponds to better accuracy compared to pickup characterized by "louder play backs". Both recording processes, as well as mixing processes, as well as storage media are sources of parasitic, i.e. undesired interference that accompanies the initially recorded signal and is included when the mother matrix is cut. The classic is the hissing of the recording tape. Yes, with electronic effort, you could even reduce it digitally. This is where the puristic spirits are divided again: Is the digital scissors appropriate or not. etc,etc. But now come. 1) The cutting process. A technical process in which a material, plastic, per se is cut in a less than perfect way. And can be transferred during pressing. 2) The quality of the pressing and the pressing material. Poor quality starting material and long press runs. Source of irregularities in the scanned surface. 3) The pickup itself is very problematic.The friction that occurs as the diamond tip plows through the grooves due to the roughness of the vinyl with the never perfect, only remotely optimal compromised cut shape will emerge as a more or less pronounced noise event. In addition to the actual desired implementation:To engraved music/sound events.... with the current state of analog high-end technology, parasitic traces are unavoidable : Those events generated by the various complex processes which left traces behind, including those that are structural or process-related. This traces must nevertheless appear in a subtle, unfortunately unpleasant form as a comprehensible auditory event an accurate pickup worthy of the name. However, if these traces are never appeared in any way during the pickup…. "quietest phono play back", AND THIS GENERALLY ON ALL (clean) VINYLS, new or old, tape record or direct cut, mass or limited edition, original or modern reedition... then I'm skeptical about the verdict that the "quietest phono play back" cartridge in question has any outstanding scanning capabilities. My AEC (DECCA) LONDON REFERENCE is not a quiet sytem, it's not picky and picksup very much more of the last typical remains of analog traces, which can bring me closer to the history of the record and the music of that time than a cartridge would otherwise. Enjoying vinyl means accepting the whole package, i.e. the traces left by the manufacturing process. The story actually begins before the music is created, then the recording, microphones, stereo mono, studio or live, mix down or not, no post processing!, metal wire or tape recording or direct cut (no post processing possible! ), skills of the cutter, pressing plant, limited or mass production, re-edition etc, remix, compilation, mispress, treatment and condition ,45 or 33 rpm, along with all other unwelcome "errors" generated depending on the process, but which belong to the time of analog recording or playback, i.e. are authentically analog. All these processes leave traces in the grooves of the record that cannot be ignored. If you're more into embellished music, that's fine too...but then it's more difficult to come across authentic traces of the analog era that are meaningful. The experience potential is thus limited. This is intended as a constructive contribution to commenting on the culture of experience and enjoyment in the audiophile world.

@@jazz-agora why I listen for serious listening to first and second generation Master Tapes on my highly modified hand wound reproduction head Tandberg TD20A SE 2 track 15 IPS.

HA!!! Garth Leerer!!! What did you send me??? I had no idea! Thanks for the heads-up, I'll clarify that right away.

That is DS-W1 equalizer, our old model. www.ds-audio-w.biz/ds-w1/ DS-W2 equalizer is this one.www.ds-audio-w.biz/ds-w2/

This new 3rd generation is simply stunning!

Thank you! hey, my first high-end anything was in fact just a cassette deck w/ headphones! We all start somewhere... 🤘🏻 Thanks for tuning in each time!!!

DS Audio has been around for 10+ years now and is currently on the 3rd generation... the technology itself dates back to the 1940 and Philco...

here's my official take on your ask....... entry level MC and phono = good Lord, $1000 is considered entry level today - crazy!!! = ok, surely decent, maybe even musical. The cartridge isn't so much the issue as is the phono, as I have yet to hear a great phono for $1000... the closest you can get is the Einstein entry phono The Current, but that's $2700 EUR I think. Since most "entry" level decks have issues with bass, resolution and noise, = I am speaking in very general terms, compared to higher priced models =, the DS E1 will in my opinion be a great addition as it's natural bass output, extension and dynamics will surely help the deck sound better. That would be an interesting experiment / review worth doing I think. You'd be surprised how great the DS-E1 plays!!!

@@SonicFlare Thanks for your reply Danny.. Had a chance to speak to the regional DS audio rep and had a good conversation. Hopefully I'll be able to hear it here in San Francisco soon.

100% Paul. I am not making it up. I think the DS-E1 package will trounce over any comparably priced MC / phono combo by a long shot. Also, keep in mind that as the technology trickles down like it did with the new 003, at some point a new dual shading entry level system will become available, would be my guess...

@@SonicFlare that's sweet! I have a local dealer here. Will start saving some dinners then! Thanks!

Promise you’ll dig it!

@@SonicFlare Ofc I promise! That's the easy part for me! My wife would be happy I will finally find my rest with the upgrades. I will do it and I will stop there. I trust you with this. Actually I stopped digging a while ago, I just wanted a clear opinion I did not left earth with eyeballing the DS as an option. Again, many thanks for confirming my expensive hunch I had with DS.

It’s all a miracle!

Hmmmmmm not sure if I understand you correctly - are you referring to lacquers in general or? If so, lacquers sound spectacular with the DS system…

@@SonicFlare I'm pointing out the utter bullshit futility of all this crap just to overcome the shortcomings of a vinyl record. Which is easily done by playing the friggin' tape!

Sure. Alas, now you’re opening another can of worms: who’s got tapes and who’s got tape machines? Answer: very few people.

Ha ha, I thought I might have been a bit rude, but I've literally just come across your video about master tapes and watching that now. Peace and love!

@@SonicFlare sure but you could get a pro tape machine for a fraction of this ridiculous hi-fi gear. Sure you need the tape, but all you need is to experience the difference between that and the vinyl to understand vinyl IS the problem! BTW the master tape/dub scenario only applies to analog and recording has been digital way before CDs came out. Another point is the objection to multiple generation dubs. Before digital recording nearly every pop or gimmick recording used track bouncing. Bohemian Rhapsody, Tubular Bells, all Wendy Carlos, Tomita etc for example, ALL of the Beatles, etc. So THAT content had been copied and copied during the process of recording! And anyway ANY multitrack would have been copied down to a 2 track to make the master. So the master is ALWAYS a copy. Whats between the master tape and the cutting head? The cutting engineer and all his knobs and switches, thats what.

Fair point, though it’s not really equalizing either.

"DECODER" is just marketing baloney. They just trying to make the device sound more advanced than it really is. It is actually a very very simple design. No need for the those big power supplies and massive capacitor banks. A simple battery for the LED would do but of course they need an excuse to charge thousands of dollars so they supply those oversize and over engineered "DECODERS"

First of all, thanks for watching and thanks for the ever so detailed reply and discussion. Clearly, no system is perfect - for every Ying, there is a Yang. It's simple physics, even though we all want to assume that we can go above physical limitations. I have heard the Decca cartridge years ago, and while it's certainly a different approach to cartridge design, it also doesn't reduce many of the issues inherent in a magnet and coil based pickup / tracing system, short cantilever or "no" cantilever. Finally, there are also still the issues of the inherent flaws in the playback (RIAA) curve, in the dreaded 500-2000Hz range. The optical cartridge eliminates all of these issues: it uses an optical system that is a tenth of the weight of a comparable magnet/coil system, and also isn't phased by the flawed RIAA playback EQ. Since there are no magnets and coils, you eliminate a ton of grit, grain and electrical issues from the start; since the weight of the system is greatly reduced, you have instantly gained much quicker reaction times, keeping in mind that tracking forces reach 1000G, this is no small feat. So even with a standard aluminum cantilever, like the DS-E1, you get incredible speed, accuracy and liveliness, the likes of which you most definitely would never associate with a $800 cartridge (when you take out the cost of the E-1 decoder). You never have to deal with hum issues; the noise levels are dramatically reduced compared to even the best MM/MC cartridges, so what's really not to like. Optical cartridges are the future, there simply is no question. The only question is, how long with the MC "Mafia" push back against it and fund opinion pieces to the contrary. Since becoming convinced of the superiority of the optical cartridge system, I still enjoy my MC cartridge, but I would never buy another one.

Well, you can get the DS-1 entry level cart and decoder for ~$1700 US! Total and surprise over achiever!!!

Totally shocked…. I will definitely look into it.

You should… it’s a bonkers over achiever. Best part is that the sound scales with the quality of the decoder, such as the @emmlabs DS-EQ1 … new vinyl experience!

You’ll love it! Fantastic, last final record player combo!!! I have only heard of the Soul Note but have no particular insight into it… enjoy!!!

Every other cartridge requires one too.

@@SonicFlare In engineering that's referred to as "application specific", every other cartridge uses the RIAA curve, you have no choice but to buy their preamp.

Agreed on the compression... it's silly and even more silly when they apply that dynamic compression to hi-res 24bit files. What's the point how many bits you throw at it, still sounds like crap!

optical cartridge out put is purely "analog" Many people misunderstood that our cartridge is Digital.www.ds-audio-w.biz/optical-cartridge-basicprinciple/

Thanks Aki!

Allan, if anything, I would say there will be more choice, more manufacturers and more availability within 2 years, not less. DS Audio has been around for close to a decade, this isn't a fly-by-night operation. Every production run sells out. It's the real deal and in this 3rd generation vastly - and I don't mean that lightly - vastly superior to MC/MM at any price. Yes, you can get MC carts and phono pres at a fraction of the cost - relatively speaking - , but nowhere near the performance. Cheers for watching!

Agreed. I tossed mine into the Black Sea.

@@SonicFlare Nice 👍 I was thinking I am going to get a sarcastic comment. But happy you came to your senses :).

@@iimv LOL! Hey, gotta have fun, people take this high-end audio stuff entirely too serious. It's not solving any global challenges = let's have some fun.

@@SonicFlare Yea, having fun is essential :)

Going back to your points above - not sure what you missed or who mislead you. Clearly you have bat ears so only 30kHz must be a big loss. 😂 A little bat told me that this isn’t the product for you. 🐣

LOL stop buying $10 lattes twice a day and there's your dough... hahaha 😝

No worries. I need the lattes more.

Someone has to do it.