Experience with DS Audio Optical Cartridge Systems

@jperry, I will only look at cartridges that can track 80 um or better. My high frequency hearing is not near as bad as most people my age. I have no trouble hearing 16 kHz. The Grand Master would hurt to listen to on my system. I don't have to hear it to know that. It's frequency response curve tells it all. If you don't think so it is because you do not have enough experience measuring and correcting amplitude. My system can correct for the aberrant frequency response but it can do nothing about the tracking performance. Miss tracking is very obnoxious.  What people say it sounds like is of absolutely no use to me. It only matters what it sounds like on my system and with measured performance like that I have less than ZERO interest in spending $60 large to find out. 

I have an idea. Why don't you buy one and tell us what you think.

@mijostyn 

I have heard a few different models of the DS Audio cartridge system many times and commented on my thoughts in a posting below.

I too love the DS cartridge. It is not bright and the bass is the best I’ve ever heard from vinyl. This cart just sounds natural to me. I can say this because I own the Grand Master.

@mijostyn , There many good and bad cartridge’s out there but I can’t really Judge them since I haven’t owned or heard them. I do agree that the 84 Vette was a piece of crap though.

While true, the 84 vette and all the “ plastic pigs “ of that era were junk, an IROC Z would run circles around it. The overweight 300 zx is on few coveted lists today. I passed a lot of them in the 944 delivery van we used at the HiFi shop…. Mijo, how is The Voice working out ?…..

I am a 944 Robot in a lipstick Nissan world…

Jim

@lancelock , My point was not that the DS is "crap" It is not. Novel approaches should always be taken seriously. My point is that you can not trust the press. They have too many conflicting motives.

@tomic601 , The 300 ZX wandered like a lost dog. You could never let go of the steering wheel. My first Porsche was a Guards Red 944 Turbo. I traded the Nissan in on it. Long story but I was offered a deal I could not refuse. I never looked back and since then I have owed 8 911s including a 1996 BiTurbo. The one car I wish I never sold. Talking about a barrel full of monkeys. 

@jperry , You are entitled to your own opinion on how the DS sounds. Here is the gushing review in Hi Fi news that published the lab report I was referring to. You can find reviews where MC cartridges significantly outperform the DS in very basic ways. A wonderful sounding cartridge is not much good if it can't track the record. Most people have no way of correcting the DS's frequency response problem. Those of us with DSP can deal with it. Brighter always sounds better at first listen just like louder sounds better. I think this is why people gravitate to it after a short listening session. By 65 at least 25% of us are already deaf up there above 12 kHz. However, those of us who can still hear up there usually prefer a trailing response above 8 kHz. Boosted 4 dB would be annoying, tizzy. 

I am also concerned about the build quality. The bracket the Cantilever is anchored to is flimsy to say the least.