DS AuDio DS-E1 opticAl phono SyStEm

Japanese optical phono cartridge manufacturer DS Audio has released an entry-level optical phono cartridge, the DS-E1. Its retail price of $3,995 includes the all-important equaliser.

‘ Despite its low price, the new DS-E1 cartridge uses exactly the same wire suspension mechanism as the flagship DS Master 1 model,’ said Boris Granovsky, of Absolute Hi End, which distributes DS Audio in Australia. ‘ This means the signal generated by the optical system is very close to the stylus, so the information retrieved is more accurate than when using a magnetic cartridge, where the information is retrieved at the opposite end of the cantilever, which is a long way from the stylus.’

Much of the cost-saving has been realised in the equaliser that provides power to the optical cartridge and then correctly equalises and amplifies the signal from it so it can be routed directly to the line-level input of any amplifier. DS Audio has reduced the component count inside the DS-E1 equaliser by greater use of operational amplifiers. This has in turn enabled DS Audio to reduce the size of the equaliser, so it’s just one-third the size of the company’s DS-002 equaliser. ‘ Despite the reduction in size and the use of op-amps, the DS-E1 still offers the worldleading performance audiophiles have come to expect from DS Audio,’ said Granovsky when asked by Australian Hi-Fi Magazine.

The DS-E1 Cartridge uses an elliptical stylus that’s bonded to an aluminium cantilever installed in an aluminium body. DS Audio claims a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz, and channel separation of more than 24dB at 1kHz. The output of the DS-E1 equaliser is 500mV, so it will interface with the line-level input of any pre or power amplifier. For more information, contact Absolute Hi End on (04) 8877 7999 or at www.absolutehiend.com