Uber, I think that ("wasting" a grand) every time I buy something audio-related, because I already have SOOOO much stuff here. (For example, I just spent slightly upwards of a grand on yet another vintage phono cartridge, when I already have 3-4 potentially superb NOS cartridges still to be auditioned.) Then the feeling goes away until next time. I try to tell myself I will sell something in order to make up the difference, but I am too lazy ever to carry through on that thought.
New Gold Note PH 10
I had posted a question a while ago about hearing from anyone with experience comparing the Gold Note PH 10 vs. the Bryston BP2 or Clear Audio Smart V2 phono preamps. I never heard anything back about this subject, so I decided to just simply purchase a new PH 10 and compare it against my Clear Audio preamp.
First impressions: As much as I love my Clear Audio Smart V2 and in particular its sound stage and imaging qualities, I have to say that the PH 10 was considerably better at detail and picking out the instruments, especially the low and mid range ones. The Clear Audio seemed to be a little better at the upper end imaging and the sound stage. But keep in mind this was with the PH 10 new right out of the box.
I was told the PH 10 needs at least 50 hours of run in time to open up, so I used it for two nights and left it on for several days. After allowing it to settle in and enjoying a lot of music, I still thought the Clear Audio had a leg up on it in the sound stage/imaging department. So I decided to listen to a well known record to me with excellent recording and a lot of dynamic range on the PH 10, then switch the wires over to the Clear Audio (which I had not heard in several days by this time), and replay the record. YIKES!!! it was like a blanket was draped over my speakers. I had become so gradually accustomed to the new PH 10 that I had not noticed the slight changes going on with the break in. When the Clear Audio was swapped back into the system (it took me about a minute to do this), it was night and day the differences.
The PH 10 was by far a much more detailed, pronounced signature with a superior sound stage and the imaging was hands down better. I am using it with the Audio Technica AT20ss vintage MM cartridge which has an extraordinary frequency range of 5-50K hz, so I was able to take advantage of the Enhanced RIAA curve the PH 10 has. It is pretty outstanding. Make sure you break things in! I love this phono preamp.
First impressions: As much as I love my Clear Audio Smart V2 and in particular its sound stage and imaging qualities, I have to say that the PH 10 was considerably better at detail and picking out the instruments, especially the low and mid range ones. The Clear Audio seemed to be a little better at the upper end imaging and the sound stage. But keep in mind this was with the PH 10 new right out of the box.
I was told the PH 10 needs at least 50 hours of run in time to open up, so I used it for two nights and left it on for several days. After allowing it to settle in and enjoying a lot of music, I still thought the Clear Audio had a leg up on it in the sound stage/imaging department. So I decided to listen to a well known record to me with excellent recording and a lot of dynamic range on the PH 10, then switch the wires over to the Clear Audio (which I had not heard in several days by this time), and replay the record. YIKES!!! it was like a blanket was draped over my speakers. I had become so gradually accustomed to the new PH 10 that I had not noticed the slight changes going on with the break in. When the Clear Audio was swapped back into the system (it took me about a minute to do this), it was night and day the differences.
The PH 10 was by far a much more detailed, pronounced signature with a superior sound stage and the imaging was hands down better. I am using it with the Audio Technica AT20ss vintage MM cartridge which has an extraordinary frequency range of 5-50K hz, so I was able to take advantage of the Enhanced RIAA curve the PH 10 has. It is pretty outstanding. Make sure you break things in! I love this phono preamp.
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- 79 posts total
The Gold Note PSU does not improved the bass, the rest of this phono stage is beautiful, except for the lack of deep bass response. But almost any phono stage i have heard does not reproduce the bass as good as my WLM phono stage. Each phono stage i have purchaced over the years gave me all required settings "on the fly" for any cartridge (MM or MC), but each time i’m using WLM i hear what i’m missing in low register. At the moment WLM is a champ in bass. My Miyabi MCA (LOMC) is the most organic and the most interesting MC cartridge i have owned, it’s definitely on the warmer side, the imaging is holographic and the silky deep bass is oustanding with WLM phono stage. Maybe this is all i need. I decieed to pass on the caps upgrade, i did not realised how big is the size of each cap until i got them by post (almost like a beer can) so i returned them. But i have replaced all load resistors on my WLM, those naked foil vishay load resistors from texas components are oustanding. At the moment nothing can beat the Miyabi MCA on Lustre GST-801 connected to WLM Phonata Reference. P.S. thinking about Miyabi i remember 47 Labs current injection phono stage 4712 (input impedance is ZERO Ohms), i’d like to try it with my Miyabi. I think @pani owned 47 Labs Cube. Actually my Miyabi MCA was made by Takeda-San prior to Miyabi 47. |
Ideally, the input impedance for a "current driven" phono stage would indeed be zero ohms, but that is impossible to achieve in the real world (because the signal voltage would be completely lost to ground). As a result, most present at least a 2-ohm impedance. Some tube versions present 10-12 ohms. I've been curious to try one. Do you guys notice how every year or two there is a new fad in phono stage design? First it was LCR. Then it was LR (very rare examples). Lately it's been "current drive". |
When I had my PH10, I spoke with a local dealer about potentially ordering the external power supply for it. He told me that it didn't make much difference in the performance and suggested that I not spend the money. He also said that the Gold Note units he has sold do seem to have issues with noise; not all of them, but some. My unit was noisy to me, but that could well have just been how it matched in with my system and may not have been the case with another system. I didn't realize how much noise it had until I installed the Whest Three SE, which is super quiet. Two nights ago my brother came in for a visit. He is a video producer/engineer and is pretty astute. He was here a few months ago when I had the PH10 and we spent a few days of listening to a large and varied selection of music. I told him about the new Whest and he was anxious to listen to it. After one high dynamic range record, he just shook his head, smiled and said hands down, absolutely no comparison the whest just blows the PH10 out of the water... he was amazed at how unbelievable the system sounded. |
- 79 posts total