Ds audio optical phonograph cartridge |
Post Reply |
Author | |
bob4
Old Croc Joined: 29 February 2004 Location: Finland/Germany Status: Offline Points: 1843 |
Post Options
Thanks(1)
Posted: 24 November 2022 at 8:09am |
Some next level technology...... A new cartridge technology based on LEDs and LDR in the cartridge body instead of magnets and coils. A piece attached to the end of cantilever obstructs the path between LDR and LED. Cartridge is standard size, standard connection, but requires a special preamp/power supply. Works with standard turntable wiring. Due to the operating principle the noise floor is claimed to be considerably lower, because of the absence of electromagnetic interference.
Edited by bob4 - 26 November 2022 at 5:26am |
|
Conanski
Old Croc Joined: 26 January 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2545 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I was going to ask... how does it track the vinyl but obviously that is what the needle is for. That is too bad because it means the groove still gets worn but this also makes this a viable retrofit for any turntable... which I'm sure is what they were going for.
P.S. I seem to remember one of the Japanese brands(Akai maybe) made an all optical turntable back in the '90s, I think it used lasers and a stepper motor on the arm for tracking so nothing touched the vinyl, but it was expensive and CDs were booming at the time so it didn't sell.
|
|
toastyghost
The 10,000 Points Club Joined: 09 January 2007 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 10919 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I’ve listened to records on a laser optical turntable before. It’s weird. They’re super clean but the tiniest bit of dirt or dust is super offensive. On paper, if records were well looked after it should be the best option - but a huge part of being an audiophile is tweaking stuff so it was never gonna take off anyway.
|
|
fat_brstd
Old Croc Joined: 23 August 2008 Location: Melbourne, OZ Status: Offline Points: 2126 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
The optical pick ups are weird. I heard one quite a few years ago and as Toasty said non mint records sounded really bad but otherwise it was clean, quite clinical. Cool but not for me, definitely the way if you are archiving clean mint vinyl though.
On another note on cool cartridge technology, Audio-Technica have just released this special cart for their 60th anniversary called the AT-MC2022 where they have lab grown the diamond so that the entire cantilever & diamond stylus tip are made out of a single piece of diamond do no transition from diamond to cantilever, its all one part. Pretty amazing tech. No idea if it will make any difference to the sound but diamond should make a much stiffer cantilever than boron or aluminium do which are commonly used in high end carts Info - https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/at-mc2022 Edited by fat_brstd - 28 November 2022 at 12:07am |
|
Melbournes Rootical Warrior Roots - Dub - Steppers facebook page |
|
snowflake
Old Croc Joined: 29 December 2004 Location: Bristol Status: Offline Points: 3122 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
they haven't replaced the stylus with a laser here. They've replaced the coil and magnet with an LED and a photoresistor - which I think means it can operate at a much higher voltage which is less prone to interference.
|
|
bob4
Old Croc Joined: 29 February 2004 Location: Finland/Germany Status: Offline Points: 1843 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
The working principle is NOT direct optical scanning of the groove. Instead, an object attached to the end of the cantilever obstructs, and thus modulates a light source. The analog signal is gained from the variation of light intensity, much like in an optical volume swell or wah wah pedal
|
|
Post Reply | |
Tweet |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |