"...the optical cartridge offers a more open, dynamic, pacey and detailed sound, delivering excitement and energy while capturing subtle nuances in the mix and individual musicians’ contributions."
AUGUST 13, 2025
Tom Martin reviews the DS Audio 003 Cartridge and Phonostage System. He talks its competitive price point, the nature of optical cartridges, and why the 003 is his current favorite cartridge.
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"An upgraded version of the original and widely hailed Grand Master optical cartridge, it offers a rarefied experience, one not subject to the usual limitations of vinyl playback. Instead, it ascends to lofty Everest-like peaks of musicality that more fully access the hidden treasures buried in the black grooves of an LP."
AUGUST 7, 2025
"Sonically, the III has a wider dynamic window, lower noise, greater headroom, gain, transparency, detail, and resolution, with a new-found impression of roundedness, dimensionality, and density of tone and body."
AUGUST 7, 2025