What innovative, unconventional cartridge designs can you recommend?

@maxson @audphile1 

I’m still weeks away from listening to the Holbo with the DS Audio DS003 cartridge!

Thought it might be useful to list some vital statistics of DS Audio’s current range of cartridges when sold separately (2024 list prices):

I don’t think there is much difference in the bodies between aluminium and ultra duralumin.  Duralumin is a harder aluminium alloy but less corrosion resistant.  The only other difference in the specifications is the channel separation which is 1-dB down in the cheapest (er, least expensive) cartridge.

I’ve been looking at stupidly expensive cables, and just came across this quote in TAS Synergistic Research SRX Speaker Cables, Interconnects, and Power Cords - The Absolute Sound

... the lowering of noise is, across the board, the chief improvement in today’s high-end offerings. For examples, the elimination of RF in DS Audio’s optical cartridges ...

@maxson very interesting. What higher end MCs are you referring to?

@richardbrand RF can definitely be an issue. But I believe if the cartridge is far from any source of RF, there’s no concern. And I agree about the noise reduction with higher end cables (some…not all). It’s very audible when the noise floor is reduced. 

@audphile1 

But I believe if the cartridge is far from any source of RF, there’s no concern

RF is everywhere!  Except where my partner needs her mobile phone to work ....

Despite what TAS said, I think the major contribution to lowered noise from DS Audio comes from the vastly higher signal to noise ratio achieved because the cartridge is powered.  A signal of 70-mV versus 0.3-mV for LOMC is inherently less susceptible to external noise, be it RF or more general EMI.  Plus, there's no magnets or coils to interact with EMI.

I am still slowly trying to understand the different constructions of cables.  As an engineer / scientist I believe any real differences are ultimately down to physics

@richardbrand the 70mv output doesn’t require tremendous gain from phono stage which also contributes to overall lower noise floor. It should be a sublime listening experience when you receive and install the cartridge. Looking forward to that. 

I'm happy to be proven wrong, expose myself to the Public Humiliation through being wrong, but there is plenty that can be read that relays info, that in general is stating. Optical and Mechanical Sensors are in need of quite different requirements for their function to be optimised. It is quite easy to discover that a sensor using mechanical energy transferral is a high risk for accuracy when ambient kinetic energy is able to pass through the sensor structure. These same concerns are not to be found for Optical Sensors being used.

Moving the above to the Phono Cartridge poses discussion worthwhile being seen by a broader audience and home truths being discovered. 

Question - An Optical Sensor has zero similarity to an Analogue Sensor when it comes down to an Ambient Kinetic Energy transferring through the Structure that enables the sensors to function.

The Form of the Stylus in contact with Groove Modulus, has an effect on the way the Groove Modulus is passed, which can have an impact on the shadow produced by an Optical Cartridge Read of a produced shadow?

The idea of Diamond - Boron - Aluminium having an influence on the Optical Read makes no sense to myself, how are shadows being read influenced for the better by different materials used as the conduit for energy transfer?

The idea of Aluminium - Duraluminium - Titanium - Wood having a influence on the Optical Read make no sense to myself, how are shadows being read influenced for the better by different materials used as the Body of the structure housing the parts that receive the transferral of produced energy? 

How does Shadow being read become an adulterated signal read, through local Ambient Energy energies being transferred through the enabling structure, outside of energy created from Groove Modulation?

It seems to me, the recent produced Optical Cartridges are designed to be familiar within the world of Phono Cartridges. Where materials selected for creating the enabling structure and modulus interface are recognised for their value and pricing in the non-Optical Cartridge Market.

These materials selections for Optical Cartridges enable comparative pricing to Mechanical Interface / Kinetic Energy Designs, resulting in creating Large Expense Sale Items. 

Prove this wrong - Weight of overall structure and an assembly of enabling parts that is compatible with commonly used geometry for Cartridge Set Up, is all that is required to get the optimal performance from a modern design Optical Read Cartridge.

Bring It On