Backert Labs Unveils Optik Phono 1.1 Equalizer for DS Audio Cartridges—and It’s Not for the Faint of Wallet

Priced at $11,500, the new Optik Phono 1.1 from Backert Labs makes its intentions clear immediately: this is unapologetically high-end, highly specialized hardware built for owners of DS Audio optical cartridges who want flexibility without compromise. Using a pair of 12AU7 tubes and designed specifically as an optical-cartridge equalizer rather than a conventional phono stage, the Optik Phono 1.1 breaks new ground by offering two independent tonearm inputs—a first in this category.

That dual-input design isn’t a gimmick. It allows listeners to switch instantly between two DS Audio cartridges from the front panel, whether that’s stereo and mono, or two different stereo models, without juggling cables or buying multiple equalizers. For serious analog systems running multiple arms, this is a practical, if decidedly premium, solution—and one that reinforces just how niche and uncompromising the DS Audio ecosystem has become.

What DS Audio Makes—and Why It’s Fundamentally Different

DS Audio doesn’t just offer an alternative cartridge design—it throws out the core assumptions of how phono cartridges work. These are optical cartridges, not moving-magnet or moving-coil designs, and that distinction matters more than most people realize.

Instead of generating signal through electromagnetic induction, DS Audio cartridges use a light-based system. A tiny LED shines through a shading plate attached to the cantilever, and photo sensors convert changes in light intensity—caused by groove modulation—into an analog signal. There are no coils, no magnets, and no magnetic drag acting on the stylus.

That design brings several consequences, all of them intentional.

Because there are no magnets or coils attached to the cantilever, moving mass is extremely low, which improves tracking accuracy and reduces mechanical resistance. That’s a big reason DS Audio cartridges are known for their sense of speed, clarity, and composure on complex material.

Just as important, the signal coming out of an optical cartridge is not RIAA-equalized at all. It’s essentially flat. That’s why DS Audio cartridges must be used with a dedicated optical equalizer (sometimes called an energizer). This external unit supplies power to the cartridge’s LED and applies the correct EQ curve after the fact. Conventional MM or MC phono stages simply aren’t compatible.

There are sonic benefits to this approach. Applying equalization outside the cartridge allows for lower noise, higher channel separation, and more consistent frequency balance, since the signal isn’t being shaped while it’s still mechanically fragile. It also explains why companies like Backert Labs can innovate at the equalizer level—because in the DS Audio ecosystem, the cartridge and the equalizer are equally critical.

DS Audio has expanded this concept across a wide range of models, from relatively attainable optical cartridges to extremely expensive reference designs, including dedicated stereo and mono variants. But the philosophy never changes: cartridge and equalizer function as a single system.

That’s what makes DS Audio unique—and demanding. This isn’t plug-and-play vinyl. It’s a commitment to a closed optical ecosystem in exchange for a very specific set of sonic priorities: low noise, high resolution, precise tracking, and a presentation that often feels cleaner and more immediate than traditional magnetic designs.

Which is exactly why a product like Backert Labs’ Optik Phono 1.1 exists in the first place.

Optik Phono 1.1: Purpose-Built Engineering for DS Audio Systems

The Optik Phono 1.1 from Backert Labs is unapologetically specialized hardware, and its internal design reflects that focus. This is not a conventional phono preamplifier, nor is it intended to be flexible across cartridge types. Like all optical equalizers, it is DS Audio–only, engineered specifically around the requirements of optical cartridges and their photo-detector architecture.

Front-panel operation is straightforward and functional. Alongside the Input 1 / Input 2 selector, which allows switching between two tonearms or cartridges, Backert includes a high/low gain switch for proper system matching and a mute switch for safe cartridge changes or system adjustments. The Optik Phono also automatically shuts down the internal LED and decorative external illumination for whichever cartridge is not in use, reducing unnecessary wear and extending LED lifespan.

Internally, the gain stage is designed around longevity and consistency rather than tube rolling theatrics. The circuit incorporates multiple design measures intended to extend tube life, effectively treating the pair of 12AU7 tubes as long-term components rather than consumables. Backert’s automatic tube biasing circuit, unusual in a phono-stage context, ensures that each tube operates at its optimal point without manual adjustment, maintaining stable performance over time.

Signal output is available via both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA connections. Power delivery is handled by a dual-mono architecture using two of Backert’s patented power supplies dedicated to the audio signal path, built around PTFE capacitors chosen for speed and stability. A separate patented power supply is used exclusively for the DS Audio photo-detector, employing premium oil-damped ODAM capacitors to maintain consistent illumination and signal conversion.

Attention to materials is evident throughout the design. Solid silver wiring is used in selected locations, while mechanical isolation is handled by IsoAcoustics Gaia feet. The circuit board is supported by a thick, deliberately unfinished solid brass bottom plate, chosen for mechanical stability and resonance control rather than cosmetic effect.

Physically, the Optik Phono is substantial and intentionally understated. It features a heavy, silver anodized aluminum front panel, with black offered as a no-cost alternative. The chassis itself is finished in black as standard, with optional color finishes available for an additional $300.

The Optik Phono 1.1 will be available starting January 2026, sold directly through Backert Labs and its dealer network. Each unit is designed and hand-built in the United States by Bob Backert and his son Gary, reflecting the company’s emphasis on small-scale production and tightly controlled engineering.

The Bottom Line

The Optik Phono 1.1 exists squarely at the deep end of the analog pool—and it doesn’t pretend otherwise. This is the kind of equalizer built for cartridges like the DS Audio E3 and the DS Audio Grand Master EX, which are routinely mounted on five-figure turntables from VPI Industries, Clearaudio, Kuzma, and Brinkmann Audio. At that level, you’re not buying components—you’re committing to an ecosystem.

Let’s be clear about the economics. A DS Audio cartridge plus its required optical equalizer is already a five-figure investment before you even factor in the turntable, arm, or downstream electronics. The Optik Phono 1.1 simply acknowledges that reality and builds accordingly, adding flexibility for dual tonearms, long-term tube stability, and power-supply isolation that matches the seriousness of the systems it’s meant to serve.

Does it sound good? Based on show experience only—yes, very much so. Optical systems like this consistently deliver an impressively low noise floor, speed, and clarity that stand out even in noisy hotel rooms. The presentation is clean, immediate, and highly resolved, often with a sense of effortlessness that traditional MM and MC designs struggle to match at similar listening levels.

But this is not for most vinyl listeners, and that’s fine. Anyone running a solid moving-magnet or moving-coil cartridge into a good conventional phono stage is already getting excellent results without spending the equivalent of a new car on front-end hardware. The Optik Phono 1.1 is for the small subset of analog obsessives who are already living at this level and want a purpose-built solution that removes compromises rather than introducing them.

For everyone else, this is fascinating technology to admire from a respectful distance. For the people it’s actually built for, it’s exactly the kind of no-apologies product they expect.

Where to buy: $11,500 at Backert Labs

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