What innovative, unconventional cartridge designs can you recommend?

AnalogMagik Reports are snippet of products released into the Cartridge Market, what is read, is for the best, if worn like a loose garment, it should not be attached to being an authority on the Quality of released products.

I would trust the AnalogMagik reports more than lunatic ravings of an uninformed luddite. I have not heard of any significant issues with regard to quality control of the DS Audio cartridges. From what I have personally seen, the build quality looks to be very good.

@pindac Stated " I'm happy to be proven wrong, expose myself to the Public Humiliation through being wrong, "

 @richardbrand Stated " As far as I can tell, the only person on this site who regards you as an authority would be yourself.

You have no interest in buying DS Audio or an ART1000, so why not keep your unhelpful comments to yourself.

@dover Stated " I would trust the AnalogMagik reports more than lunatic ravings of an uninformed luddite."

It was expected and as always - No Beef from my end, live and let live.   

@pindac Has a keenness to experience a ART 20 as well as the ART 1000X, a Ortofon Verismo and a MSL Platinum, with the main interest in the ART Models.

My own Transducers immediately available and the designs being put in place as a result of others undertaking investigations, that can be used with them are also enough to keep myself totally interested in Cartridges.

The DS Audio Range of Cartridges which I have followed for approx' 4 years has not revealed anything that creates the earlier stimulus I had to experience them, which was enough for me to venture on a 600 mile round trip to experience them in use. As already stated " A owned Cartridge still in use today, when compared to the DS  Audio Cartridge, proved to be the much better device to create an indelible musical encounter. This was not a thought limited to myself, a selection of other attendees of which one was a audio media journalist were quick to inquire about my Cartridge and the service who produced it.     

@pindac You haven't commented on what I said. Or did I misunderstand your issue with exotic cantilevers on DS Audio cartridges?

@dover 

I would trust the AnalogMagik reports more than lunatic ravings

Me to! 

AnalogMagik does far more than @pindac 's rather incomprehensible dribble suggests:

AnalogMagik Reports are snippet of products released into the Cartridge Market, what is read, is for the best, if worn like a loose garment, it should not be attached to being an authority on the Quality of released products

In particular, they run extensive turntable and cartridge tuning and rebuild services - see Will AnalogMagik work with my equipment? which includes: 

12) Can you give me some hints as to what cartridges, tonearm, and turntable combinations will be easier to measure incremental changes?

For cartridges, we find My Sonic Lab, Haniwa, Air Tight, Ortofon, Lyra, and Phasemation to be some of the brand names that stand out as having very consistent manufacturing quality.  Optical cartridges such as DS Audio also measure very well. These brand names also have very low channel imbalance, which makes crosstalk analysis a lot more accurate.    Two names that I find to be very responsive to adjustments, are MSL and ZYX

On the other hand, we find some other cartridges to measure very poorly, some have significant channel imbalances.  Other Cartridges with stylus zenith issues, channel imbalance out of the factory, and various suspension problems tend to be less responsive to adjustments, or they may exhibit very mediocre numbers.  The bottom line is if the cartridge is bad, do not expect to detect incremental changes easily.

Tonearms that have high machinery precision, with fewer wobbly parts tend to provide efficient energy transfer, they tend to register much lower baseline distortion levels.    Tonearms with lots of moving parts that fit together poorly tend to measure very poorly.

For turntables, those that have better isolation tend to measure a lot better.     Idler wheels, rim drives, and older tables with lots of mechanical moving parts tend to measure very poorly, they produce a lot of vibrations which makes baseline distortion levels high.    It is difficult to detect incremental changes with these tables.

Come in, @billstevenson

@pindac Stated " An Optical System on a modern design Optical Cartridge measures shadow. How does Materials, such as the use of a Diamond Cantilever effect the Shadow being read??" 

 @dogberry Stated " If you say it doesn't matter for an optical cartridge, why should it matter in any other kind of cartridge?"

Is there not, an Ocean of difference between my inquiry ?? and the notion that I am making claims "it doesn't matter". I have no recollection of stating the materials used do for the structure of the Cartridge do not matter. The inquiry is how does  the materials selection influence for the better the Optical Read Technology.

I am taking my inquiries away from the Gon Analog Section, an alternate source of info is to be consulted on this same inquiry.

I can't but help sense I am met with a wall of infinity bias, where the unconscious collective thought to make a strong challenge is stifling the thought process on the comparing the two technologies requirements, to present modulus data and then convert the data to an electrical impulse.

I now need to discuss this with an individual not carrying prejudice and is unstifled in their thinking. I can only constructive and valuable dialogue as the outcome. I really an open to learn something new on about these two technologies.

Whatever the outcome I will post it on here, using my best endeavours to retain all pertinent information passed on. I am sure there are a selection of onlookers quite interested in discovering more than what is to be seen in the recent posts.

As for one entity non affiliated to the Manufacturer having been able to assess a volume of Cartridges for the Quality of their Stylus alignment on a Cantilever. Where the volume of inspections would be of a number that strongly suggests a very accurate assessment can be produced for the evaluation of Overall Quality is quite fantastical as a notion.

The only entity able to undertake such a inspection of a Product and produce an accurate evaluation is the Manufacturer. 

In relation to DS Audio and the reports seen from my investigations over the past 4 years. I do believe Cartridges with poorly aligned Stylus are being distributed.

Again I am not the expert who was confident enough to publicly broadcast the following:

When I reported on the information I was privy to. Which had been supplied by one of the most respected Technicians from the range of Cartridge Repair Services I know. Which was a report informing on ZYX Dampers failing as a functioning Damper shortly after being in service for approx' One Year.

This report repeated on the Gon by myself, was never ever challenged. I recall one Gon Member being grateful for the shared info, as ZYX was on a shortlist. 

What is for sure, is that the ZYX Models this has been witnessed occurring on are not all to be with a usage life that is limited to One Year only. Plenty Models remain  in use, which will according to the Technician be with a Damper that is strongly suspected to have failed.

I strongly suspect there are Cartridges with this condition, that could easily still have a 500 Hour+ life left in the Cart', if the Cartridge owner is using 1000 hrs as their guideline.