DS Audio Ionizer

IanG-UK

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2011
245
42
123
I feel so 20th Century...

View attachment 59477

...mine is red - I think it came from Discwasher.

That should prove to be a great investment. I think mine (but in the less expensive white colour) cost £10 or $12 - compared with the latest high-tech version of the ioniser costing $1800. You just need to make up a good story about the old Zerostats being technically much superior to the new ones as they are still available here for the equivalent of $60.
 

howiebrou

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2012
2,789
3,635
1,470
Here is another friend of mine using it on his old Basis :

View attachment 59570

DS Audio doesn't tell us what's inside the Vinyl Ionizer and we haven't opened it up for a look.
Maybe there are some tourmaline balls inside? Haha

Anyway it works and there is no downside sonically.
And the whole product design is neat & tidy. Actually I think that it looks really nice.
:)
That looks a bit low CK.
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
Maybe I am half deaf. I do not think I hear any difference. But it certainly works. HK is very dry now. It reduces static to almost zero. Very happy with the result.

View attachment 59571
Hello adyc,
I keep on slobbering when looking at this AS2000 photo!
:p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike Lavigne

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,471
11,367
4,410
Maybe I am half deaf. I do not think I hear any difference. But it certainly works. HK is very dry now. I suffer a lot from static. It reduces static to almost zero. Very happy with the result.

i doubt you are half deaf.

it's possible your system, or the AS-2000, already is mitigating the static charge on your media. or something else is doing it so the delta of change is not audible.

or the rest of us are nuts.

or at least more nuts.:)

i've not used any of these negative ionizers myself, only the DIY hair dryer/Tourmaline screen device. that i tried in multiple systems with a consistent audible result.

btw; i also use an Acoustic Revive RL-30 Mk 3 Lp demagnatizer for Lps and silver disc media which also worked in a similar way but at about half the audible effect. it's sits outside my room next to my KLAUDIO record cleaner, but is rarely used.

https://www.thecableco.com/rl-30-iii-multi-large-demagnetizer.html
 
Last edited:

tima

Industry Expert
Mar 3, 2014
5,778
6,820
1,400
the Upper Midwest
this does the same thing, but only momentarily. so you can't really compare it to these ionizer products.

this releases the static for a moment to eliminate static sparks at the needle drop, but has almost no effect after that. i own a Zerostat (or did.....i might have sold it) and compared it years ago to my hair dryer/Tourmaline screen device. i could not really hear any clear difference using the Zerostat or not using it other than reduced static at the start. which was very important at the time as my air bearing Rockport did have a severe static issue at certain times of the year. whereas the hair dryer effect on the music was clear and profound, even though not long lasting.

not saying it does nothing, but not close to these products in my experience.

No comparison made here as I've never used an $1800 electric de-ionizer or a hair dryer tourmaline thingie. I did use the zerostat before passing a cleaning brush over a record - sometimes it helped with removing a spot of dust.
 

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,471
11,367
4,410
Maybe I am half deaf. I do not think I hear any difference. But it certainly works. HK is very dry now. I suffer a lot from static. It reduces static to almost zero. Very happy with the result.

looking again, it's also possible that the DS de-ionizer is not sitting at the correct height for effectiveness. not sure how that is determined, so please correct me if it is optimized. just looking at other installations the unit is lower (the platter relatively higher) nearer the platter level.
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
i doubt you are half deaf.

it's possible your system, or the AS-2000, already is mitigating the static charge on your media. or something else is doing it so the delta of change is not audible.

or the rest of us are nuts.

or at least more nuts.:)

i've not used any of these negative ionizers myself, only the DIY hair dryer/Tourmaline screen device. that i tried in multiple systems with a consistent audible result.

btw; i also use an Acoustic Revive RL-30 Mk 3 Lp demagnatizer for Lps and silver disc media which also worked in a similar way but at about half the audible effect. it's sits outside my room next to my KnsLAUDIO record cleaner, but is rarely used.

https://www.thecableco.com/rl-30-iii-multi-large-demagnetizer.html
According to the DS Audio site, the Vinyl Ionizer is releasing positive AND negative ions at the same time.
https://www.ds-audio-w.biz/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ion-001brochureEN.pdf

I have no idea why the two ions will not neutralize each another before reaching the LP surface.
Anyway, it works!
 

howiebrou

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2012
2,789
3,635
1,470
Here is a DS-Audio Document for Air Force turntables specifying the exact height and location for optimal use of the Ionizer.

Screenshot 2019-12-04 at 08.35.59.png
 

adyc

VIP/Donor
Jan 5, 2013
873
399
973
looking again, it's also possible that the DS de-ionizer is not sitting at the correct height for effectiveness. not sure how that is determined, so please correct me if it is optimized. just looking at other installations the unit is lower (the platter relatively higher) nearer the platter level.

The height should be alright. The manual says the distance between the surface of the platter and the bottom of the vent should be 5-20 cm. Mine is around 8 cm. To be honest, I never try to compare the sonic difference. Before using the ionizer, there is so much static every time I finish playing a record. After using it, there is no static. It definitely works as advertised.
 

howiebrou

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2012
2,789
3,635
1,470
The height should be alright. The manual says the distance between the surface of the platter and the bottom of the vent should be 5-20 cm. Mine is around 8 cm. To be honest, I never try to compare the sonic difference. Before using the ionizer, there is so much static every time I finish playing a record. After using it, there is no static. It definitely works as advertised.

It seems strange that the figures given for the Air Force tables are so accurate yet the range given in the manual is so wide?
 

dminches

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2011
3,409
2,794
1,410
Here is a DS-Audio Document for Air Force turntables specifying the exact height and location for optimal use of the Ionizer.

Do you have a link to the document which shows the height for all the turntables they have catalogued?
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
Here is a DS-Audio Document for Air Force turntables specifying the exact height and location for optimal use of the Ionizer.

View attachment 59572
I just sent your document to TLi.
He wants to thank you but says that there is no recommendation for his coming AF Zero.
:rolleyes:

I told him to experiment and write one!
:p
 

howiebrou

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2012
2,789
3,635
1,470
I just sent your document to TLi.
He wants to thank you but says that there is no recommendation for his coming AF Zero.
:rolleyes:

I told him to experiment and write one!
:p
Yes i don't think they have a specification yet!
 

Kcin

VIP/Donor
Mar 27, 2016
655
826
275
Canada

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
So why not buy that cheap ionizing device, as opposed to spending $1800 for virtually the same thing
This industrial white colour box-shaped antistatic fan is made in Mainland China and available in Hong Kong for more than 10 years.
Interestingly, when compared with similar products such as Furutech Destatic on cd and LP, the resulting sonic improvement is much less.
Therefore although it's dirt cheap (<usd50), very very few HK audiophiles are using them.
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing