What innovative, unconventional cartridge designs can you recommend?

@tcutter 

I have the "cheap" DS Audio DS003 ensemble

Thanks for your comments as a DS Audio consumer, much appreciated.

Your "cheap" I think only has validity in the context of DS Audio where prices rocket to astronomical quite quickly.

I am leaning towards the DS003 cartridge paired with the next level down equalizer, the DS-E3 which would save several thousand dollars.  This is mainly to keep the cost down while getting a line contact stylus because I think they do a good job reading over the wear created by other shapes!

Can you comment on this suggestion?  I know there are several third-party vendors who make equalizers for DS Audio’s optical cartridges, but I have yet to build a list.  Or to read a comparison review ...

A couple of posts ago I estimated the heat output of a stylus as about 5 microwatts.

Electromagnetic cartridges, moving magnet MM or moving coil MC, also generate electrical power so I thought an estimate of how much would be in order.

A moving magnet (MM) cartridge produces an output voltage, typically around 5-millivolts, but is loaded by a specific impedance, which is typically about 47,000-ohms.  From Ohm's Law, voltage = current x resistance.  So current is voltage divided by resistance, or 0.005 / 47000 = 0.1 microamps roughly.

Power is current x voltage, 0.005 x 0.1 = 0.0005 microwatts which I guess would be 5-nanowatts for a typical MM cartridge playing a well modulated groove.

Low Output Moving Coil cartridges produce much less voltage but feed it into much lower impedance loads.  Without doing the estimate, I doubt that the wattage would be much different

@richardbrand 

My understanding is that the equalizer has more impact than the cartridge on the sound, hence the stupid crazy high cost of their grandmaster equalizer.  If you’re going to go the optical route, I think you should take fullest advantage of it from the get-go. Hi-fi shark has some options for the DS 003 equalizer preowned. Something to consider. 
 

The only other optical equalizer of which I'm aware is made by Meitner. Anything from him is bound to be good. And expensive. 

@tcutter 

Apparently DS Audio only allows 3rd parties with a global distribution network to list on their site.  There are some small European manufacturers that make equalizers who are disqualified for DS Audio's website.  At least one makes an equalizer without RIAA correction for plugging into a standard MM phono stage.  

The DS Audio range starts with an op-amp based unit and tops out with a two-box solution weighing 40-kgs, more than most power amplifiers!

And so the search goes on ...

The current output of a LOMC cartridge is best estimated by dividing its output V by its internal resistance assuming zero ohm load, is it not?