Gold Note PH-10 Phono Preamp

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Mechnutt

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I just received my Gold Note PH-10 yesterday and my audiophile son and I were blown away by it. It may be my best single purchase of a piece of audio gear. It is extremely musical and dynamic. The background is completely black. The sound stage seems to extend beyond the walls of my 17-foot-wide room, and it is tall and deep. Detail is fabulous and micro details are fleshed out. It handles delicate and quiet passages very well. Bass is tight, controlled, and musical with good thump. It has a lush midrange but maintains great air and transparency. It is very neutral with barely a hint of warmth. Separation between instruments is excellent even when the music becomes complex. It definitely sounds better than digital. I can't believe how smooth it sounds but maintains detail.

If I had to nitpick, I would want a little more warmth, and the treble is ever so slightly recessed and maybe slightly rolled off at the very top.

Build quality is very good and I love the ability to make changes on the fly without having to stop the music. It is also bigger in person than how it looks in pictures.

What really impresses me besides how it sounds is that I am using a mid fi TT and phono cartridge and it sounds fabulous. My TT is a fully refurbished 1970's Thorens TD-145 and the phono cartridge is a Nagaoka MP-200. I can't wait until I get a new TT and a good quality MC cartridge.
 
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Mechnutt said:
I just received my Gold Note PH-10 yesterday and my audiophile son and I were blown away by it. It may be my best single purchase of a piece of audio gear. It is extremely musical and dynamic. The background is completely black. The sound stage seems to extend beyond the walls of my 17-foot-wide room, and it is tall and deep. Detail is fabulous and micro details are fleshed out. It handles delicate and quiet passages very well. Bass is tight, controlled, and musical with good thump. It has a lush midrange but maintains great air and transparency. It is very neutral with barely a hint of warmth. Separation between instruments is excellent even when the music becomes complex. It definitely sounds better than digital. I can't believe how smooth it sounds but maintains detail.

If I had to nitpick, I would want a little more warmth, and the treble is ever so slightly recessed and maybe slightly rolled off at the very top.

Build quality is very good and I love the ability to make changes on the fly without having to stop the music. It is also bigger in person than how it looks in pictures.

What really impresses me besides how it sounds is that I am using a mid fi TT and phono cartridge and it sounds fabulous. My TT is a fully refurbished 1970's Thorens TD-145 and the phono cartridge is a Nagaoka MP-200. I can't wait until I get a new TT and a good quality MC cartridge.
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Excellent write-up. Your findings and impressions match mine very closely when I had it in for review. I enjoyed it very much, and as you say, it's very musical and dynamic. If I were shopping for a phono stage, it would likely be at the top of my list.

If you want' a bit more warmth, I'd suggest pairing it with the new Shunyata Gamma phono cable. That should add the warmth you're looking for without any loss of detail.

Enjoy, I'm confident it will get even better as it settles and burns-in fully. BTW, what kind of power cord are you using with it?
 
Puma Cat said:
Excellent write-up. Your findings and impressions match mine verTy closely when I had it in for review. I enjoyed it very much, and as you say, it's very musical and dynamic. If I were shopping for a phono stage, it would likely be at the top of my list.

If you want' a bit more warmth, I'd suggest pairing it with the new Shunyata Gamma phono cable. That should add the warmth you're looking for without any loss of detail.

Enjoy, I'm confident it will get even better as it settles and burns-in fully. BTW, what kind of power cord are you using with it?
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Thanks Puma, I used the stock cord but I am going to use a PS audio power cord that I have laying around somewhere. It is a nice sounding cord. I can't remember what model. When my post op knee replacement is feeling better I am going to swap out various PC that I have. Last night I hooked it up with some bluejeans RCA cables but then switched to a Belden 8402 XLR and it warmed thing up just a bit. I have other xlrs like Cardas Parsec and AQ Columbia 72v DBS. That cable is very detailed but the bass is non existent unfortunately. The 8402 cable sounds better than those 2.

Thanks for the cable tip. I will look into it. I will pick your brain about a new TT when I am ready. My budget will up to 1700.
 
Puma Cat said:
Excellent write-up. Your findings and impressions match mine verTy closely when I had it in for review. I enjoyed it very much, and as you say, it's very musical and dynamic. If I were shopping for a phono stage, it would likely be at the top of my list.

If you want' a bit more warmth, I'd suggest pairing it with the new Shunyata Gamma phono cable. That should add the warmth you're looking for without any loss of detail.

Enjoy, I'm confident it will get even better as it settles and burns-in fully. BTW, what kind of power cord are you using with it?
Click to expand...
Thanks Puma, I used the stock cord but I am going to use a PS audio power cord that I have laying around somewhere. It is a nice sounding cord. I can't remember what model. When my post op knee replacement is feeling better I am going to swap out various PC that I have. Last night I hooked it up with some bluejeans RCA cables but then switched to a Belden 8402 XLR and it warmed thing up just a bit. I have other xlrs like Cardas Parsec and AQ Columbia 72v DBS. That cable is very detailed but the bass is non existent unfortunately. The 8402 cable sounds better than those 2
 
Mechnutt said:
Thanks Puma, I used the stock cord but I am going to use a PS audio power cord that I have laying around somewhere. It is a nice sounding cord. I can't remember what model. When my post op knee replacement is feeling better I am going to swap out various PC that I have. Last night I hooked it up with some bluejeans RCA cables but then switched to a Belden 8402 XLR and it warmed thing up just a bit. I have other xlrs like Cardas Parsec and AQ Columbia 72v DBS. That cable is very detailed but the bass is non existent unfortunately. The 8402 cable sounds better than those 2.

Thanks for the cable tip. I will look into it. I will pick your brain about a new TT when I am ready. My budget will up to 1700.
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You have a clear and effective plan going-forward. Personally, I'd likely use the Cardas XLR over the AQ one; I used to use AQ ICs for some years, and have come to the conclusion that the 72v DBS unit is, erm, umm, not ideal shall we say. YMMV. But, at the end of the day, whatever you personally prefer, e.g. the Belden, that is all all that matters. Also, feel free to PM me regarding your plans regarding your TT setup. Cheers and enjoy your new Gold Note PS-10 phono stage.
 
If I might make a suggestion the Marantz Reference TT15s1 has to be one of the best values in turntables going. It is a Clearaudio design. I'm not sure current price it used to be around $1500.00
 
Thanks Bryan, I have considered the Marantz and I came across a user review and he had a lot issues with the isolated motor once he moved the TT. I am not sure it it is really a problem or not but it is not something I want to deal with.
I am considering the new Rega RP3 RS. What Hi Fi loves it and it is a huge step up compared to the regular RP3. I just want to know about its sonic signature. I want a TT that leans to a bit of warmth
 
Mechnutt said:
Thanks Bryan, I have considered the Marantz and I came across a user review and he had a lot issues with the isolated motor once he moved the TT. I am not sure it it is really a problem or not but it is not something I want to deal with.
I am considering the new Rega RP3 RS. What Hi Fi loves it and it is a huge step up compared to the regular RP3. I just want to know about its sonic signature. I want a TT that leans to a bit of warmth
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Yes! Go with the Rega RP3 RS.
 
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Porsche said:
you should look at Thorens as well, they are Wonderfull tables
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I certainly will be looking at other brands like Thorens. I currently own a great sounding vintage 1970'S Thorens TD-145 TT with a modified plinth that I made out of cocobolo wood and lined it with GT mat. It sits on a layer of silicone. Feet are sorbothane. It made a nice improvement in sound and it is just beautiful. I love the auto stop and lift feature.
 
Porsche said:
you should look at Thorens as well, they are Wonderfull tables
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I ended up buying the Pro-ject Classic Evo TT. After reading many user reviews and a couple of pro reviews I felt like it was a good match. I also caught it on sale and got 300 off. Next up I will buy the Hana ML MKII
 
We had PH-10 on tests and it was very good, but with dedicated PSU-10 progress is huge
GN_PH-10_PSU-10-0028.jpg
 
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