Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

In practice, while DS Audio’s ‘third generation’ mechanism brings the DS-E3 some of the benefits over the DS-E1 [HFN May ’19] we saw in the Master 3 [HFN Jan ’24], other features of its performance are inescapably linked to the retention of a basic crimped alloy cantilever and elliptical stylus. So, despite the compliance being slightly ‘stiffened’ from 15cu to 11cu, tracking has improved slightly further over the DS-E1, with the DS-E3 clearing the maximum 80µm groove pitch on both channels and the most severe +18dB modulation (315Hz lateral cut, re. 11.2μm) at just 0.65% THD. How? Because the recommended tracking force has increased from 1.7g to 2.1g! VTA is now slightly more accurate too at 22°. One of the real benefits of the DS-E3’s ‘dual mono’ optical path is improved stereo separation – a full 35dB midband here – although, for whatever reason, channel balance was a poorer 0.9dB in our sample. The 790mV output from the DS-E3 EQ unit is not far off that of the DS-E1 EQ.

Another benefit of the ‘Gen 3’s’ reduced moving mass is a deferment of the inevitable cantilever resonance at ~12-13kHz (DS-E1) to ~15-16kHz here [see Graph 1] leading to a +6.5dB treble peak. Note the impressive symmetry between lateral [black], vertical [red] and stereo [dotted] responses, and also the reduced bass boost of the Output 1 and 2 options – a sensible update on DS Audio’s part. Distortion [see Graph 2] necessarily reflects the response trend with, again, excellent L+R and L-R symmetry – a boon to 3D soundstaging – and a low of just 0.3% (re. –8dB re. 5cm/sec) through bass and midrange before hitting 9%/8kHz where the 2nd harmonic meets the response peak. PM