Preview: Meitner Audio DS-EQ1 Optical Cartridge EQ

Jacob Heilbrunn previewed this “phono preamp” at the Capital Audio Fest and rated it the “Most Significant New Product”. It provides equalization solely for DS Audio optical cartridges. Jon Valin is fond of several DS cartridges as he has explained in the pages of TAS.  Ed Meitner discovered a similar fascination: “Initiating a collaboration with Tetsuaki Aoyagi, head of DS Audio, Ed purchased the W2 optical cartridge for development and was impressed during his preliminary listening experiences. Compared to his reference MC cartridge, the W2 exhibited improved resolution, clarity and low frequency response. This motivated Ed to dive back into the world of vinyl playback, resulting in the first EMM Labs optical equalizer, the DS-EQ1, designed exclusively for interfacing with DS Audio optical cartridges.”