Gold Note

PH-5 Phono Stage + PSU-5 Power Supply

USD $999 + $699, respectively

I have come to know many Gold Note products over the years and have developed a real liking for them – not just for the way they sound but also for their design flair. This may not be evident in wacky, off-the-wall styling – although they have their own unique look – but in the consistently high engineering quality. The company was set up in Italy by Maurizio Aternini. After making products for other brands since 1992, in 2012 he launched his very own. He is proud of his products' reliability and sound quality, and the company manufactures virtually everything in-house.

The new PH-5 and matching PSU-5 external power supply sit at the entry-level of the Gold Note phono stage line-up, with the PH-10/PSU-10 and flagship PH-1000/PSU-1000 above them. They are quite compact at just 200mm wide, and as such the two placed together are more or less the same width as, say a conventional full width integrated amp.

UP CLOSE

Behind the PH-5's digital user interface beats a purely analogue heart. It boasts high-grade discrete components with everything on a single circuit board. It uses sealed single switches, and the design is optimised to ensure that signal paths are kept short to minimise interference. On the back panel, you will find unbalanced RCA phono and balanced XLR outputs. Apart from that there is just an IEC mains inlet socket and an input socket for the PSU-5 external power supply. The latter features a linear power supply with dedicated transformers custom-made to Gold Note's specifications. A dual-choke inductive filter is also used to prevent noise and interference from the mains. The signal-to-noise ratio is quoted as better than 80dB.

The PH-5 is the first Gold Note product to feature a touchscreen interface. This provides access to all the settings on offer. To turn on the PH-5, you simply touch the screen for one second, and the display comes to life; you turn it off the same way. To change individual settings, tap once to highlight the option, tap again to select it, and then tap a third time to run through the adjustments. I found it easy and intuitive to use. Users can choose either moving magnet or moving coil cartridges on the top left (gain for MM types is 40dB and 60dB for MCs), while at the bottom left is the option to choose the input impedance to match your cartridge. There are nine values: 10, 22, 47, 100, 220, 470, 1k, 22k or 47k ohms, with four gain options of 0dB, +3dB and +6dB. Moving magnets get a set 220pF capacitance, which is not adjustable – only the flagship PH-1000 offers that function.

Like its pricier siblings, the PH-5 also lets you select different RIAA (EQ) curves, namely standard RIAA, Decca London and American Columbia. Many older records were cut using differing RIAA equalisation; if you have any in your collection, it may be worth experimenting. They can easily be changed on the fly. An 'Enhanced' option is also available on each of these three, which is said to extend the frequency response to 50kHz. I briefly tried the RIAA Enhanced setting but have to say that I did not like it, with vocals sounding less open and piano lacking sparkle and bass guitar lines less distinct. So I left it set to standard throughout my audition period.

THE LISTENING

I tried various cartridges with the PH-5, mounted in a Connected Fidelity TT Hub turntable fitted with a Sorane SA1.2 arm, playing through an Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister integrated amplifier and sometimes a Gold Note IS-1000 integrated amp with Russell K Red150Se and Audio Note AN-J LX Hemp speakers.

Before committing to a phono stage, you need to know if it will suit your cartridge and, ideally, be versatile enough to match any future cartridge upgrades. With this in mind, I used three cartridges to check out the PH-5: a Hana Umami Red (output 0.4mV, matching impedance >60ohms), a Gold Note Giotto (0.4mV/220ohms), and an Audio Note Io1.

For the Gold Note Giotto, I set the PH-5 to standard gain and 220 ohms and that worked perfectly, as did the Hana set to 100 ohms. However, the acid test was the Audio Note, which likes a low impedance (3 to 4 ohms recommended) and has an output one-tenth of the other cartridges at just 0.04mV. I am pleased to say the PH-5 took the Io1 in its stride with the impedance set to 10 ohms and the gain at +3dB. There was plenty of gain, allowing the amplifier's volume control to be set at a sensible level, and the sound quality was excellent.

I had a well-respected, similarly priced phono stage to hand as a benchmark to judge the PH-5 against, and to kick things off, I chose a Miles Davis track that I'm rather fond of, namely Human Nature from his You're Under Arrest album. The trumpet work is a good test, and the PH-5 did not disappoint. The staccato rhythm of the track flowed better than its rival and provided greater insights into how Miles played each note and what makes his understated style so evocative. The PH-5 was also more full-bodied and dynamic than its rival, which I found thinner and less involving.

To test its prowess on vocals, I turned to Beyond the Sea from George Benson's 20/20 album. Here, the PH-5 captured the sparkle and dynamics of Joe Sample's piano, while the vocals were expressive and packed with emotion. The horn section was sharply focused and dynamic, drums were clean and snappy, and the bass line drove the track along apace. Via its rival, the track lacked the speed and dynamics of the PH-5.

Switching to the special voice of Luther Vandross, I played So Amazing from his Give Me The Reason album. If his vocals don't send a shiver down your spine, something is wrong, and the PH-5 captured his power and range while conveying those unique nuances in delivery that set him apart. The rival phono stage again was thinner in its sound and less compelling.

Adding a PSU-5 dedicated power supply will set you back another $699 USD. Is it worth it? I hooked it up and played A Place for Skipper from Larry Carlton's superbly recorded Discovery album. The improvement was immediately obvious and not subtle. Percussion and drums had more power, bite and subtlety; the nuances of the guitar and how each note was shaped were more convincingly portrayed, and the bass line was tighter and more tuneful.

Build Me Up from Bones from Sarah Jarosz's superb album of that title has a great vocal workout. With the PSU-5 hooked up, the clarity, emotion and depth of her vocals were better conveyed and I could hear more detail on her mandolin. Pizzicato and bowed violins in the background were more sharply etched, and on the cello, I could discern the bow change direction more clearly. A thoroughly convincing performance. Worth the extra, then? Absolutely.

THE VERDICT

The Gold Note PH-5 phono stage puts in a superb performance for its price. It is well-made, versatile and works well with a variety of cartridges. Its sound is well-balanced, musical and dynamic, making it a joy to listen to. Adding the PSU-5 elevates its performance another notch and is well worth doing if your budget will stretch that far. As such, both are heartily recommended.

Visit Gold Note for more information