Do you have the Gold Note gear in your system yet?
I've been listening to the DS-10 EVO and PSU-10 EVO in my system for a couple days and compared to my Pontus there's a noticeable difference. Just wondering what you think of the Gold Note sound?
Pontus II + Node 2i - VS - Gold Note DS-10 Plus
Hello fellow audiophiles,
I want to add a preamp between my Pontus + Node2i and my Atma Sphere Class-D mono blocks.
Then the thought recently occurred to me that I could consolidate and purchase a Preamp/DAC/Streamer combo. I've heard some favorable reviews of the Gold Note DS-10 Plus but I'd like to hear impressions from those of you that have heard it in your rig.
My gear is arrayed atop a 1.5" slab of blue granite on the floor (on anti-vibration feet) and I love the clean simple minimalist look of it. So does my wife. I'm usually a separates guy but I'm running out of room. I'm loathe to vertical with a rack. So the idea of consolidating where I can is now a high priority, without taking a backseat to sonics.
Thanks in advance for your helpful advice (hopefully based on your actual experience with the Gold Note).
Showing 5 responses by 69zoso69
Nice setup you got there! I bet that sounds fantastic. To be completely honest the Gold Note (DS-10 EVO and EVO power supply) don't suit my tastes as much as my Bluesound Node2i and Pontus II (dac). I'm not saying one is clearly superior to the other, just a matter of personal preference. I tend to favor resolution/detail over "musical" or lush presentations. I get goose bumps listening through the Pontus, not so with the GN. Maybe that's because of the way the Pontus permeates the air with it's "live energy". The GN seems to soften the transients ever so slightly and the dynamics are slight compressed relative to the Pontus. Some argue that certain gear presents hyper-real information, which is not "real" vis-a-vie "musical". I really get off on resolution, texture, and peering deep into the sonic minutia, and if that means the presentation is slightly tilted towards what those in the "musical" camp call hyperreal that's fine by me. The soundstage is the similar with perhaps the GN being slightly more expansive (width and depth). The tonal colors are the same, neither one darker or brighter in comparison to the other. The imaging, what I define as space or layering between instruments and/or notes, is a little better with the Pontus. These are not a huge differences but are clearly audible to my ear. By this I mean I think I'd easily pass blind A/B test. I haven't played with any of the GN dac settings. I've just played through the stock setup. Well, that's my two cents.
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I can appreciate your preference my friend, my wife shares the same desire for a more warm relaxing presentation. I've heard good things about the Merason Dac1, which may be to your liking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSB_YrYYWW4&t=25s https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2020/10/04/merason-dac-1-review/
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I had the Billy first addition. The Mark II is getting rave reviews from YouTubers. https://www.stereophile.com/content/heaven-11-and-buchardt-audio |
When I demoed the GN gear with my Atma Sphere Class D moon blocks I found the Gold Note combo (DAC, streamer, pre + external power supply) to sound similar to my Pontus. I hair warmer which was not to my taste. I would not say the GN gear was dry sounding at all. Plenty of body and weight. But less open and layered than my Pontus. These differences were subtle and took some time to tease apart. I didn’t tweak any of the filter settings though. |