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DS Audio DS-W3
Cartridge
Independent LED and photo-detector arrangement for the left and right channels
The new DS-W3 optical cartridge system has been optimized, by implementing an independent LED and photo-detector arrangement for the left and right channels. As a result the cartridge output voltage has greatly increased from 40mV to 70mV. The DS-W3 cartridge offers a greatly improved S/N ratio when compared to its stable mates, resulting in an even lower noise floor and far greater musical clarity.
Weight of shading plate reduced by more than 50%
The implementation of independent left and right channel LED’ s allows for the positioning of the optical system to be optimized as well as necessitating the use of a new shading plate that has been significantly reduced in size compared to our earlier designs. In addition to this reduction in size, the material used to produce the shading plate has changed from aluminium (as used in the second generation cartridges) to 99.9% pure beryllium.
Boron cantilever & Aluminum body
The DS-W3 cartridge features the combination of an boron cantilever with a line contact stylus. The cartridge body is made by aluminum and the structure has been designed in such a way as to promote maximum rigidity. In addition to these features, the DS-W3 utilizes internal wiring 1.6 times thicker than used in the second generation cartridges in order to reduce impedance.
Equalizer
Changed the thickness of the circuit board and the thickness of the copper foil.
Compared to the DS-W2 equalizer, the thickness of the circuit board has been changed from 1.6 mm to 2.0 mm, and the thickness of the copper foil has been changed from 35µ to 70µ.Components are also optimized for third-generation cartridges.In addition, the DS-W3 equalizer has four different low-frequency outputs to choose from. The DS-W3 equalizer has both unbalanced and balanced outputs, so you can choose the output that best matches your system.
Hand-made in Japan circuit board
Every component part used in our products is tested and evaluated by our expert Japanese technicians.
In addition to using a specially printed circuit board, twist-connection of the component legs is further evidence of DS Audio’ s excellent attention to detail.
Each and every product is hand-made and quality assured by our skilled engineers.
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Professional Reviews 93/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
95/100
Build Quality
93/100
Features Usability
90/100
Value for Money
86/100
With ultra-low noise, expansive imaging, and exceptional detail, the DS-W3 turns vinyl into a startlingly open listen. Tracking Angle called it the finest cartridge heard, while HiFi News praised its bass solidity, quiet background, and tracking poise. It’s a premium optical system, but one that rewards with rare realism and musical flow.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Exceptionally low noise floor with very quiet backgrounds, letting low-level detail emerge cleanly.
Wide, deep, precisely defined soundstage with strong imaging and convincing spatial separation.
Excellent tracking and groove retrieval, including stable performance on warped LPs and dense passages.
Smooth, highly resolving midrange and treble that stay musical rather than clinical.
&
Cons
Requires the matching DS Audio energizer/equalizer and will not work with a standard phono stage.
Premium pricing makes the cartridge a serious investment even before system matching is considered.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100
Reviewers describe the DS-W3 as exceptionally revealing yet still musical, with a presentation that makes vinyl playback feel unusually complete. McNair calls it the finest cartridge he has ever listened to, while HiFi News says it is among the best yet at the price point and Audiophilepure says it sounds better than the DS 003 with notable improvements.
Overall Sound
96/100
The cartridge is repeatedly praised for combining transparency with musical rightness rather than sounding merely clinical. Reviewers describe it as the finest cartridge one writer has ever listened to, and another says the improvements over the DS 003 are notable and thoroughly appreciated.
Tracking Retrieval
93/100
Tracking is consistently described as excellent, with comments about great tracking ability, no complaint even on a severely warped LP, and a notably low-noise presentation. Reviewers also praise how much detail it pulls out, including tiny tweaks, liner-note-level separation, and clean handling of dense musical information.
Soundstage Imaging
94/100
The spatial presentation draws strong praise for being wide, airy, enveloping, and precisely defined. One reviewer calls the imaging off the charts in a way that feels engaging rather than gimmicky, while another describes a big, fat oval of stage depth and precision.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 90/100
Tonearm matching appears unusually forgiving for the category, with HiFi News reporting that it seemed largely immune to tonearm influence across several arm types. At the same time, it is a DS optical cartridge that requires the matching energizer/equalizer and does not work with standard phono stages, so setup is specialized rather than plug-and-play.
Tonearm Compatibility
90/100
Reviewers found it surprisingly consistent across different tonearms, and its light 7.9g weight can help with arm balance. But it also needs the matching DS electronics and careful system compatibility, so the practical fit is excellent within its ecosystem rather than universal.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
93/100
Reviewers highlight the boron cantilever, line-contact stylus, aluminum body, and lighter beryllium shading plates as meaningful generational improvements. The cartridge is presented as carefully engineered and well executed, though the reviews say less about long-term durability or serviceability.
Value for Money
86/100
The reviews frame it as a serious premium purchase, but not one that feels hard to defend if you want this level of performance. Writers stress the substantial price, yet they also describe it as an upgrade that meaningfully improves on previous DS models and as a package with strong rewards for the money.
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Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for DS Audio DS-W3
- The Audio Association — in-store — Anaheim, California, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
- A/V Solutions — in-store — Pleasanton, California, United States (website)
- Absolute Audio - Canada — in-store — Calgary, Alberta, Canada (website)
- Absolute Hi End — in-store — Ormond, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Alma-Audio — in-store — Majadahonda, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
and 90 more verified dealers
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