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What innovative, unconventional cartridge designs can you recommend?

Most cartridges have a stylus and cantilever where the transducer (magnet, iron or coil) sits on the far end of the cantilever.  What other designs are there?

I am mindful of two designs which put the business end right on top of the stylus.  The first is the moving coil (MC) Audio Technica AT-ART1000 which places two tiny coils, each 0.9-mm diameter, with eight turns of wire directly above the stylus.  Australian price is about AUD-7000 and there apparently is a newer model, slightly less exxe. the ART1000X.  This has square coils for a bit more output, and threaded mounting holes.

A downside is that stylus replacement involves a factory maintenance program and the Australian website page describing this service does not exist.

Another design is optical, exemplified by DS Audio's range.  While these still need a stylus to trace the groove, the signal is produced by reading the intensity of light produced by a Light Emitting Diode (LED) hitting two sensors.  Between the LED and the sensors are two 'shades' mounted above the stylus which change the amount of light as the stylus vibrates.  These cartridges need a special "photo-stage" to replace the conventional phono-stage which is an additional expense.

Australian prices including photo-stages range from AUD-2,150 for the DS-E1 to the DS Master 3 at approximately AUD-40,800, which is a bit outside my price range!  Where is the sweet spot?

What other way-out designs are there?

richardbrand
richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand OP
1,436 posts
 

Thanks to everybody who has contributed to this discussion.

I have decided to purchase a DS Audio DS003 optical cartridge, plus a new SoulNote E-1 Ver 2 phono equaliser stage.  The SoulNote Ver 2 was only released last month, so there are no reviews available yet.  I have not seen one, nor had a chance to listen.  First shipments to Australia are scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

Unlike the original SoulNote E-1, the Ver 2 adds optical equalisation, as well as power for the optical cartridge.  It also supports MM and MC cartridges, but not simultaneously as far as I know.

My reasons for going DS Audio, and the DS003 in particular, include

  1. I cannot afford higher end DS Audio cartridges
  2. The DS003 has a micro-line stylus shape (or similar)
  3. The very low effective tip mass should enable better tracking than other cartridge types
  4. The very high output voltage from the powered cartridge should improve signal to noise ratio, especially over LOMC designs
  5. The position-dependent signal, rather than velocity-dependent signal, is reported to mitigate surface noise, ticks, etc.
  6. There are no moving coils or moving magnets to induce unwanted noise

A downside is that the cartridge cannot run in balanced mode because two of the four wires are used to carry power to the LEDs.

The SoulNote decision is far riskier for me.  I had not heard of SoulNote until I was offered a second-hand E-2, which is billed as the first (near) universal phono stage

  1. Reviews of the E-2 phono equaliser are excellent
  2. The second-hand one was sold just before I was convinced
  3. The E-2 deals with far more record-company-specific curves than I will ever need
  4. I cannot afford the higher-end E-2 or E-3 
  5. The E-1 should improve my MM playback
  6. The E-1 Ver 1 was affordable (just)

Effectively, this cartridge purchase has roughly doubled my investment in the Holbo air-bearing system.  Obviously I think the Holbo is so good it can take expensive cartridges

 

tcutter's avatar
tcutter
418 posts
 

Congratulations! I think you'll be very pleased with the sound. I have been delighted with less surface noice, better channel separation and clear tonal qualities.

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
8,083 posts
 

@richardbrand congrats!!! I was actually looking at the soulnote phono stage and reading up on it. Was wondering how it would perform as both optical and MC stage Looks to be a well built unit.
Please post updates. 

tablejockey
4,407 posts
 

DS Audio DS003 optical cartridge+Soulnote E-+Holbo

You've got one helluva setup-great way to start 2026

Happy listening.

Now go get those stampers or UQHR's!

 

richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand OP
1,436 posts
 

@tcutter 

Thanks for your input, especially on the DS003 cartridge and equaliser.  Can you comment on how static affects the cartridge?  There is no electromagnetic pickup to be excited by a static discharge.

Mind you, I am not convinced that static directly affects any cartridge.  I think it is the lumps of dirt that the static attracts.

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