What innovative, unconventional cartridge designs can you recommend?

@audphile1 

It would also be nice if these phono preamps accommodated MM and MC cartridges as well

I was originally offered a secondhand SoulNote E2 Equalizer which does just that!  At that point I had hardly heard of SoulNote, but I was hooked. You can switch on-the-fly between all three sources, MM, MC and optical. The unit was sold just before I could order it, and a new one was outside my price range.

Then I was offered the SoulNote E1 Ver2.  The original E1 did not handle optical, but they fixed that with Ver2 which handles MM and MC in addition to optical, I got one of the first batch into Australia.  You can switch on-the-fly between optical and either MM or MC.  If you want to switch between MM and MC you have to swap cables, though.  Another quirk is that while XLR input is offered for MM and MC, the unit does not operate in balanced mode for MM.

The far more expensive E3 only handles optical!

Another quirk, caused by DS Audio's use of two standard tone arm wires to carry the power for the LEDs, is that optical cannot use a balanced input connection.

An educated guess is that DS Audio are working on how to provide power and balanced operation ...

Couldn't they run the two power lines as a separate harness entirely and therefore achieve a balanced signal path?  But I wonder whether the optical transducer per se lends itself to balanced operation. Because the signal does not arise from a coil in a magnetic field.  It might be done with two diodes per phase in a balanced pathway.

Dear @richardbrand  :   Thank’s for your reply.

The global issue is that MUSIC lovers/Audiophiles as me already had and have first hand experiences in and at different stages with the best and worst cartridges ( every kind ) what gave us that that kind of spec ( measured spec ) FR in the marvelous quality performer vintage Technics has or have a true meaning that we can " liten " and compare against other kind of cartridges including the best today ones.

Btw, with all respect to Korf has not all the information because it’s not the MK4 the one with the lower tip mass, I already posted  on this matter.

Good that you are a true MUSIC lover for several years but when we are inside the analog vinyl MUSIC/sound reproduction you need to have a lot more first hand experiences ( diversity ) with the global medium that you just don’t have and why my reference to you as a newbie.

In my opinion for any one of us could have the " analog experiences " we have to work very hard in build an room/system around the overall analog alternative and this means: 

LPs, several cartridges, experiences through several different audio systems, TTs, tonearms, phonolinepreamps, cables and the like.

After we build ( for us ) the best system we can afford then we have the all " weapons " to make cartridge evaluations with confidence and according our each one targets and MUSIC/sound  priorities and start really to enjoy the MUSIC as never before.

All those is a true and hard long road to be in " home " and  @dover ​@lewm @neonknight  @dogberry @mulveling   ( only to name some expert audiophiles ) and several others can attest about.

So, you still have a long long road to " home " and NO the DS Audio ( or a top Lyra cartridge ) does not makes that " road " short but only more complicated and the time will shows to you it year after year. Is really easy, we have to learn first to walk before run : we need first the knowledge and skill levels to do it.

Thank’s again for your answer and thank´s too @dogberry .

Now enjoy the thread,

R.

@richardbrand 

I’ve watched The Absolute Sound review of the Umami Blue where Tom Martin compares the Umami Blue to DS003.
https://youtu.be/INbdQ3Qixbc
 

I’m currently eying a Hana Umami Blue or Umami Red as an upgrade path from my current Hana ML. Mostly because 1) I really like the sonic characteristics of Hana and 2) my current phono stage has good synergy with my integrated and is transparent enough to reveal what the upgrade brings to the table. 

But…I’m not upgrading right this moment and I’m keeping my mind open and I am not excluding DS003 even though it means I will need a new phono stage. 
Anxiously awaiting your thoughts on DS003 after you had some miles on it and you’ve fully grasped its sonics. 

@lewm 

Couldn’t they run the two power lines as a separate harness entirely and therefore achieve a balanced signal path?  But I wonder whether the optical transducer per se lends itself to balanced operation

DS Audio has already got to persuade buyers to buy an Equalizer, so I think compatibility with existing wiring was initially very important to getting acceptance in the marketplace.  Can’t see too many being happy about pulling extra wires through their tone arms.

I suspect you are right that optical is not naturally balanced ... duplication may indeed be needed!

On the other hand, you could mount an argument that the lower noise floor does not really call for balanced for further reduction.  But as Raul seems happy to point out, I seem to lack the experience to comment!