The DS Audio HS-001 headshell is a perfect upgrade or alternative to your stock Technics headshell. It is made of premium materials and it is built very ridged due to its machined duralumin construction. In practice we found this head shell to provide a super sturdy and precise platform to mount your beloved cartridge. It's also a gorgeous piece, sporting a high quality finish and super ergonomic design. On the calibration bench it performed admirably and was super easy to adjust to perfection. There are two versions of this product, one with captive and another with replaceable leads. We chose the captive version to eliminate an extra unnecessary connection point. Lastly we noticed that on some Technics turntables, specifically the SL1300G we get a better fitment with the conical washer removed so we had DS audio make us a batch without them. This ensures perfect fitment across the entire Technics lineup. More from DS Audio: A vertical pin structure achieves uniform pressure on electrical contacts Contact surface stabilized by spherical washer Conventional headshells have a connecting pin attached only to the upper side, causing uneven contact pressure between the tonearm and the headshell. However, the HS-001 Solid Headshell adopts an upper and lower pin structure, equalizing the pressure on the contacts and applying force evenly across the connection to the tonearm. Additionally, we use a special spherical headshell washer (developed by DS Audio) independently at the tonearm's contact point. This enables superior stability over the entire circumference of the contact point, providing improved resonance control. Machined Ultra Duraluminum DS Audio precision machines each HS-001 out of a solid billet of duralumin for the ultimate rigidity and resonance control. Hand-soldered Litz signal leads After extensive listening tests within the company, DS Audio selected a Japanese-made Litz wire. Further advances were realized by hand soldering this delicate lead wire to preserve signal integrity for optimal sound performance. (Lead wires and connector parts are also available unsoldered by dealer request.) Specs:MaterialUltra duralumin ConnectorAluminum Connector terminalGold plated Lead terminalGold plated External dimensionsH 21mm × W 40mm × D 55 mm (without connector) WeightApproximately 10.5 grams (without leads) Lead wireLitz wire 4Nφ 0.08 × 10 × 3 yore rings HardwareStainless steel M2.6 L8×2, M2.6 L12×2
