DS Audio's Grand Master optical cartridge with its two-chassis reference equalizer: the company's top complete system for optical playback.
The Grand Master cartridge was the first in DS Audio's line with a diamond cantilever, carrying a Micro Ridge stylus. The generator is optical. A beryllium shading plate moves between an LED and a photodetector, with a separate pair for each channel and no magnets or coils, and output is 70 mV. The body is machined ultra-duralumin, and the internal wiring is 1.6 times thicker than DS Audio's second-generation cartridges. The Grand Master Equalizer puts the audio circuits and the power supply in separate chassis. It uses three transformers, one per channel and one for the cartridge, and delivers about 700 mV at line level through three XLR and three RCA outputs. There are six low-cut settings.
Hi-Fi News judged the Grand Master possibly the best cartridge it had heard. It found extended, unforced bass, an open and fast presentation, precise vocals and transients, and a very quiet background, with excellent resolution, transparency and neutrality. It noted that the equalizer's filter setting audibly shapes the bass. The system connects to any line-level input and needs no phono stage. The 7.7 g cartridge suits a high-quality medium-mass tonearm. Note that the Grand Master Extreme, a step up with a one-piece diamond cantilever and stylus, is also available.
| Includes | Grand Master optical cartridge and two-chassis Grand Master Equalizer |
| Cartridge output | 70 mV |
| Cartridge tracking force | 2.0–2.2 g (2.1 g recommended) |
| Cartridge weight | 7.7 g |
| Stylus / cantilever | Micro Ridge / diamond |
| Channel separation | 27 dB |
| Equalizer output | 700 mV at 1 kHz; 120 Ω output impedance |
| Equalizer inputs / outputs | 1 pair RCA / 3 pairs XLR and 3 pairs RCA |
| Low-cut filter | Six selectable settings |
| Equalizer dimensions (W × H × D), each chassis | 17.8 × 6.0 × 19.1 in (452 × 152 × 486 mm) |
| Equalizer weight | Equalizer 55.3 lb (25.1 kg); power supply 65.7 lb (29.8 kg) |
Pearl Audio is an authorized DS Audio dealer. Call or visit our Portland showroom to talk about matching a cartridge to your tonearm and phono stage.
