DS AUDIO RELEASES NEW TOP-OF-RANGE GRAND MASTER EXTREME

The DS Audio Grand Master Extreme Optical Cartridge was launched this weekend at the North West Audio Show 2023 at Cranage Hall, Cheshire.

The DS Audio Grand Master Extreme Optical Cartridge combines a stylus and cantilever crafted from a single diamond. We heard it on its first outing with UK distributor Sound Fowndations at the North West Audio Show last weekend.

At NWAS 2023 last weekend

DS AUDIO GRAND MASTER EXTREME OPTICAL CARTRIDGE

The Grand Master Extreme is closely based on the original Grand Master model, featuring the same ‘third generation’ internal optical sensor systems and external power supply and amplifier’,  but with one significant enhancement: the stylus and cantilever are not two elements but one, carved from a single diamond.

DS Audio Grand Master Extreme Optical Cartridge

ONE PIECE DIAMOND CANTILEVER

In most cartridge designs, the stylus and cantilever are made separately and then bonded together using some form of adhesive. In contrast, DS Audio’s Grand Master Extreme uses a 0.22mm-square one-piece diamond cantilever with an integral Micro Ridge stylus tip. This design ensures that, in tracking the intricate vibration of the needle tip, there can be no loss of precision or detail at the stylus/cantilever junction, since there is no junction.

The diamond cantilever and stylus

OPTICAL CARTRIDGES

In common with all of DS Audio ‘third generation’ optical cartridges, the Grand Master Extreme utilizes independent LEDs and photo-detectors for the left and right channels, enabling an output of more than 70mV, while elevating left and right channel separation to above 27dB.  And, in common with all DS Audio optical cartridges, the Extreme requires its own phono stage/equalizer. While the entire DS Audio cartridge range is fully compatible with any of the company’s accompanying phono stages/equalizers, the Extreme is best partnered with the model created specifically for the Grand Master, in which the equalizer and power supply come as two independent units.

DS Audio Grand Master Extreme Optical Cartridge at Cranage Hall

MADE IN JAPAN

Every DS Audio product is hand-made and quality assured, and every component part tested and evaluated, by the company’s own in-house team of technicians in Japan.

DS AUDIO GRAND MASTER EXTREME TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 

Body material Ultra duralumin

Cantilever & stylus One-piece diamond; Micro Ridge stylus

Tracking force 2.0g – 2.2g (2.1g recommended)

Signal output Photo-electric conversion

Output signal level > 70mV

Channel separation > 27dB (@ 1kHz)

Weight 7.7g

DS AUDIO GRAND MASTER EXTREME OPTICAL CARTRIDGE PRICING & AVAILABILITY 

The DS Audio Grand Master Extreme optical phono cartridge is available now, priced as follows (inc. VAT):

Grand Master Extreme cartridge: £18,995

Grand Master equalizer: £42,200

Grand Master Extreme cartridge and Grand Master equalizer package price £55,075.50

Owners of the Grand Master cartridge receive a 20% discount when upgrading to the Grand Master Extreme.  DS Audio cartridges are fully compatible with any of the company’s accompanying phono stages/equalizers, allowing you to mix and match.

HiFi PiG Says: We really enjoyed hearing the new cartridge with distributor Sound Fowndations at NWAS 2023 last weekend.