Analog Gear News

We loved seeing DS Audio’s top-tier Grand Master EX optical cartridge deployed in a number of system demos at both High End Munich 2024 and AXPONA 2024 — and we’re equally pleased to see the recent emergence of a third-generation model, the DS-E3.

The DS-E3 uses a third-generation optical cartridge mechanism, the same design utilized with other DS Audio carts. The DS-E3 sports an aluminum cantilever and a solid nude elliptical needle. Other specs for the DS-E3 cart include channel separation given as >26dB at 1kHz, output signal level as >50mV, needle pressure as between 2.0g and 2.2g (2.1g is recommended), and its weight as 7.7g.

Similar to other DS Audio optical carts, the DS-E3 requires its own EQ/phono preamp. The new, third-gen DS-E3 EQ/preamp boasts a symmetrical amplification circuit, and the voltage being supplied to the cartridge is said to have been stabilized to “achieve a clearer and faster sound.” The DS-E3 EQ/preamp’s footprint is given as being approximately one-third the size of the company’s DS-003 EQ.

Other specs for the EQ/preamp unit include an output voltage given as 500mV (1kHz), output impedance as 120ohms, and preamp input impedance as >10kohms. RCA inputs and outputs are around back, with a switch in between them for the outs. Dimensions for the EQ/preamp unit are 26 x 6.9 x 19.5cm (w/h/d), and its weight is 1.86kg.

Finally, the SRP for the DS Audio DS-E3 optical phono cartridge and EQ/preamp package combo is $2,750.

For more about DS Audio, go here.
To find an authorized DS Audio distributor, go here. (Note: North American consumers will need to scroll down a bit to get to that particular distributor section.)