Japanese optical cartridge pioneer DS Audio has just launched its third audio accessory, the ION-001 vinyl ionizer. As you might expect from DS Audio, it is elegantly crafted, a breeze to use and, most important, impressively effective.
Continue reading New ION-001 vinyl ionizer from optical cartridge pioneer DS Audio
Are optical cartridges new? Well, yes and no. They originally surfaced in the 1960s and were lauded for their high fidelity, but quickly disappeared again as they had a heat problem caused by the light source used at the time. By the time the requisite technology had sufficiently advanced (in the form of light-emitting diodes which produce little heat), audio was dominated by the rise of the CD and there was little interest in vinyl replay. But in 2013, Japanese company DS Audio began to revisit the technology.
Continue reading “Exemplary”: Hi-Fi Critic reviews the DS Audio 002 optical phono cartridge
“Record cleaning only scratches the surface (pun intended),” writes Hi-Fi Plus’ Andrew Harrison. “Every aspect of vinyl replay can come in for scrutiny.” A good part of this comes down to the nature of the technology itself: “dragging a rock through a groove and translating these movements into electrical signals” is naturally prone to errors from rotation, geometry, mechanical movements, the ingress of dust and dirt, etc etc. Thankfully there’s “a vibrant world of vinyl beyond the turntable and the record itself” to help keep everything running smoothly, and Harrison has chosen a selection of some of the best.
“Making adjustments to your system to release previously unheard excellence needn’t break the bank,” says Hi-Fi Choice. DS Audio’s ST-50 stylus cleaner is among the magazine’s top six picks for maximising audio performance.
Audiophile and hi-fi journalist Ken Kessler has been a fan of DS Audio’s pioneering optical cartridges since they first appeared on the world hi-fi market four years ago, and has enthusiastically reviewed most of the company’s models. But the new DS-E1 has presented him with something of a dilemma. “It is actually too good… I’m still shaking my head in disbelief.”
Firmly at the forefront of “creating the future of analogue music”, Japanese DS Audio has gained a worldwide reputation for its pioneering optical photo cartridges, with rave reviews for their superlative sound. At the same time, the company is also applying its intelligently innovative approach to a number of related audio accessories – first, the excellent ST-50 stylus cleaner, and now, the new HS-001 solid headshell.
Continue reading Optical cartridge pioneer DS Audio launches new HS-001 solid headshell
Replacing the inaugural DS-W1, DS Audio’s DS-W2 optical phono cartridge features a raft of trickle-down technology from the brand’s flagship Master 1 model. Ken Kessler puts it to the test for Hi-Fi News.
Keeping your stylus as clean as possible is important if you to want to protect your investment in this delicate piece of kit and to enjoy the full sound quality of your vinyl. But how do you know which is best tool for the job?
Continue reading “The best at its job”: Hi-Fi World is impressed by DS Audio’s ST-50 stylus cleaner
In 2013, Japanese DS Audio unveiled the world’s only optical phono cartridge, the DS-W1. A series of even further advanced models soon followed, ranging from the flagship DS Master 1 to the (then) entry level DS 002, each attracting rave reviews from the worldwide audiophile press. Now, the new DS-E1 makes the superlative sound of the optical cartridge more accessible still, at half the price of the DS 002.
Continue reading Optical cartridge pioneer DS Audio launches new entry level DS-E1
Each year, the expert team at Hi-Fi News brings us the magazine’s audio highlights of the previous 12 months – “the hardware that turned our heads and the music that stirred our souls throughout 2018.” In the bumper 108-page Yearbook issue, “the very best that hi-fi has to offer” includes source components from DS Audio, Soulines and Timestep, amplifiers by Exposure, loudspeakers from Raidho and Magnepan and cables by Furutech.
