DS Audio is a division of Digital Stream Corporation, the co-developer (alongside Microsoft) of the optical mouse.
DS Audio was founded with the mission to transform the playback of vinyl records using advanced optical technology.
This 100% pure analog system uses a stylus and cantilever to trace the record groove which then modulates light to create the musical signal. There are no lasers used or any digital technology.
DS Audio offers a complete range, starting at the E1 entry-level system, to the Grand Master 1 flagship system. All DS Audio optical cartridges achieve optimal performance with DS Audio’s phono stages. Sold as a set, they can be mixed and matched giving the listener the ultimate in flexibility and a true upgrade path, because they all incorporate DS Audio’s unique technology.
The Technology
Both the MM / MC cartridge and the optical cartridge read the record groove through the needle, but the usual MM / MC cartridge detects the music signal by vibrating the magnet (or coil) in the magnetic field.
Optical cartridges detect music signals by capturing shadow changes (brightness changes) using LEDs and PD (photo cells).
Because MM / MC cartridges generate electricity by cutting off the magnetic field, magnetic resistance always occurs when the magnet (or coil) moves.
The optical cartridge detects only the change in brightness (shadow movement), so no magnetic resistance is generated when the vibration system moves.
To detect music signals, the MM / MC cartridge must move the magnet or the core and the coil. However, in the case of optical cartridges, it is only necessary to move a light shading plate with a thickness of only 100 microns, so the moving mass is very low.