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DS Audio · Optical
$1,500
Not currently in our rooms. For a serious buyer we will often bring a piece in from the manufacturer for a private session — tell us about your system and what you are weighing it against, and we will advise.
DS Audio · Optical
The least expensive way into DS Audio's optical playback: an open, dynamic and very quiet cartridge built on the company's third-generation generator.
Requires a DS Audio equalizer; cartridge only, not the system.
Authorized DS Audio dealer · Delivery and installation by Pearl Audio · Trade-ins welcome
The story
The DS-E3 works on light rather than magnetism. A shading plate on the cantilever moves between an LED and a photodetector, and the amount of light that gets through becomes the signal. It uses the same third-generation design as the costlier models, with an independent LED and photodiode for each channel and a lightweight beryllium shading plate. That gives high output and better channel separation than the earlier DS-E1. The stylus is a solid-diamond elliptical on an aluminum cantilever, and the generator is housed in a machined aluminum body.
Hi-Fi News heard a wide, deep soundstage, quick and crisp dynamics and a very low noise floor. It also noted tighter, weightier bass than the previous entry model, and said it performs like a much more expensive model from a couple of years ago. Hi-Fi+ found it open, lively and detailed, and more revealing than the moving coil it was compared with. Like every DS cartridge, the DS-E3 cannot run into a conventional MM or MC phono stage. It needs a DS Audio equalizer to power its LEDs and apply the correct equalization, and the matching DS-E3 Equalizer is the logical partner. At 7.7 g it is easy to fit to most medium-mass tonearms.
The DS-E3 is the entry to DS Audio's optical range, below the DS 003, and it is sold alone or as the DS E3 System with its matching equalizer. DS Audio re-tips the E3 at the factory for $1,050, and any DS Audio cartridge traded in takes 20% off a new one, bringing the E3 to $1,200.
| Type | Optical (photo-electric) cartridge; requires a DS Audio equalizer |
| Output | 70 mV or more |
| Channel separation | 26 dB or more at 1 kHz |
| Tracking force | 2.0–2.2 g (2.1 g recommended) |
| Weight | 7.7 g |
| Stylus | Elliptical, solid diamond |
| Cantilever | Aluminum |
| Body | Machined aluminum |
| Also available | DS-E3 System (cartridge with DS-E3 Equalizer) |
DS Audio upgrade program (Musical Surroundings). Trade in any DS Audio cartridge and take 20% off a new DS-E3 ($1,200 instead of $1,500). Musical Surroundings also takes 10% off any DS cartridge with a trade-up from another cartridge it distributes (Clearaudio, Hana) or with one of its turntables.
| DS Audio factory re-tip — DS-E3 | $1,050 (new cantilever and stylus assembly fitted in Japan; requires an RA number through us; 4–6 weeks) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-E1 | $1,200 after trade-in (credit $300) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-E3 | $1,200 after trade-in (credit $300) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-002 | $1,200 after trade-in (credit $300) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS 003 | $1,200 after trade-in (credit $300) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-W1 | $1,200 after trade-in (credit $300) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-W2 | $1,200 after trade-in (credit $300) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-W3 | $1,200 after trade-in (credit $300) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS Master1 | $1,200 after trade-in (credit $300) |
| Other DS Audio cartridges | 3 more models qualify; use the trade-in selector on this page or ask us |
DS cartridges are the only ones here that can be factory re-tipped rather than exchanged. Trade-ins of Musical Surroundings brands need an RA number and must arrive within 30 days of the invoice; trade-ins of other brands need an emailed photograph first. Verified 2026-10-28. Source: DS Audio dealer price list, January 2026 (Musical Surroundings).
The DS Audio cartridges Pearl Audio stocks, from least to most expensive:
Plan your DS Audio system with Pearl Audio
Pearl Audio is an authorized DS Audio dealer. Arrange an audition in our Portland showroom; we will match the cartridge to the right DS equalizer. Call (503) 222-2599 or email sales@pearlaudio.com.
Ownership
Trade in any DS Audio cartridge and take 20% off a new DS-E3 ($1,200 instead of $1,500). Musical Surroundings also takes 10% off any DS cartridge with a trade-up from another cartridge it distributes (Clearaudio, Hana) or with one of its turntables.
Credit is 20% of the new cartridge’s price for any DS Audio cartridge. DS cartridges are the only ones here that can be factory re-tipped rather than exchanged. Trade-ins of Musical Surroundings brands need an RA number and must arrive within 30 days of the invoice; trade-ins of other brands need an emailed photograph first. Verified 2026-10-28.
Ask us about this trade-in| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| DS Audio factory re-tip — DS-E3 | $1,050 |
Pricing per DS Audio - 2026-01 - Dealer Price List (Musical Surroundings, January 2026) and musicalsurroundings.com/faq. Programs are set by the manufacturer and may change.
The Pearl Audio experience
A system at this level should be heard, thoughtfully matched, and properly set up. From the first audition to long-term ownership, you work with the same people, in person.
The DS-E3 Optical Phono Cartridge is not in our rooms at present. When it is the right piece for a client we arrange a demonstration unit from the manufacturer and set it up for a private session.
We deliver and install throughout the Portland area, taking care of placement, connections, ventilation and system configuration ourselves.
We support everything we sell for as long as you own it, whether the answer comes by phone, in your home, or through factory service.
Trade-in assistance and qualifying 100% Trade-Up options give you flexibility when your listening priorities or your system change.
