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DS Audio · Optical
$5,500
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
A boron-cantilever optical cartridge that brings much of DS Audio's flagship sound to a far more approachable level, with deep bass and a remarkably quiet background.
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-W3 uses DS Audio's third-generation optical generator. Instead of a magnet and coils, a small beryllium shading plate on the cantilever moves between an LED and a photodetector, with a separate LED and detector for each channel. Output is 70 mV or more, and there is no magnetic field to drag on the cantilever. The W3 steps up from the DS 003 to a boron cantilever carrying a line-contact stylus. The base is machined from A5052 aluminum alloy for rigidity, and the internal wiring is 1.6 times thicker than before to lower impedance.
Stereophile's Michael Trei gave it his highest endorsement. He heard a deep, sharply defined soundstage and found it unusually good at separating the parts of dense mixes, with no obvious signature of its own. In The Absolute Sound, Jonathan Valin heard much of the Grand Master's character. He noted more bass power, color and depth than the DS 003, and a seamless, tape-like continuity of tone and dynamics. Its tonal balance leans very slightly toward the bottom end. Like all DS cartridges, the W3 needs a DS Audio equalizer and will not work with a conventional MM or MC phono stage. Trei used it in a 14 g effective-mass Brinkmann arm without trouble, and at 7.9 g it suits most medium-mass tonearms. Its tracking force is a little lower than other DS models.
The DS-W3 sits between the DS 003 and the diamond-cantilever DS Master3, and it is sold alone or as the DS W3 System with its equalizer. DS Audio re-tips the W3 at the factory for $3,300, and any DS Audio cartridge traded in takes 20% off a new one, bringing the W3 to $4,400.
| Type | Optical (photo-electric) cartridge; requires a DS Audio equalizer |
| Output | 70 mV or more |
| Channel separation | 27 dB or more at 1 kHz |
| Tracking force | 1.85–2.05 g (1.95 g recommended) |
| Weight | 7.9 g |
| Stylus | Line contact |
| Cantilever | Boron |
| Shading plate | 99.9% pure beryllium |
| Body | Machined aluminum (A5052) |
| Also available | DS-W3 System (cartridge with DS-W3 Equalizer) |
DS Audio upgrade program (Musical Surroundings). Trade in any DS Audio cartridge and take 20% off a new DS-W3 ($4,400 instead of $5,500). 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-W3 | $3,300 (new cantilever and stylus assembly fitted in Japan; requires an RA number through us; 4–6 weeks) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-E1 | $4,400 after trade-in (credit $1,100) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-E3 | $4,400 after trade-in (credit $1,100) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-002 | $4,400 after trade-in (credit $1,100) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS 003 | $4,400 after trade-in (credit $1,100) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-W1 | $4,400 after trade-in (credit $1,100) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-W2 | $4,400 after trade-in (credit $1,100) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS-W3 | $4,400 after trade-in (credit $1,100) |
| Trade in your DS Audio DS Master1 | $4,400 after trade-in (credit $1,100) |
| 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-W3 ($4,400 instead of $5,500). 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-W3 | $3,300 |
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-W3 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.
