Minhateca album ds 1012/21/2023 I did most of my review listening via Roon as usual, but I did use the direct streaming option using Qobuz. In all the time that I had it to review, I can honestly say that the connectivity never failed. Now, for nearly $3000, I kind of expect that, but it was flawless. ![]() This is by far the simplest to use, no flashing of operating systems to an SD card, no figuring out networks and IP addresses. I have spent quite a little while now, messing around with various Roon endpoints. The Gold Note can use one of the many digital inputs - 1 RCA Coax, 2 Optical Tos-Link, 1 AES/EBU XLR, 1 USB-B, 1 USB-A host, Bluetooth 5.0 and both wired and wireless LAN.įurther to that, when using the app and signed in to your streaming service of choice, be that Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, Deezer or vTuner, it can pull music directly from the internet, using your smart device as a remote. Once pointed in the right direction, I was able to get the app running. I have been assured that this is fixed on the new manuals. The manual supplied had used an incorrect code and had downloaded an app meant for a different product. ![]() Their response was swift and very helpful. What followed next involved much head scratching and I had to reach out to Gold Note. I connected up the ethernet and the interconnects to the amp and start trying to work out how to set the DS-10 up.Īt this point, you scan the code on the box with your iPhone/iPad/Android device of choice and download the Gold Note app. I replaced the Nanomesher/Raspberry Pi combination in my main system with this much larger, much more expensive component. I am not sure that I completely buy into the marketing on this (What does Velvet Sound really mean?), but I have liked the other AKM DACs that I have listened to. It utilizes the AKM AK9943 DAC, part of the AKM Velvet Sound range. However, the primary focus of this review will be how the DS-10 functions as a DAC and a Streamer. Without having a power amp on hand at the moment, the preamp functionality is hard to really investigate. The DS-10 is a DAC, Preamp, Headphone Amp and Streamer, all in one. They are functional, but add such an individual flair, that I cannot be helped but be reminded of the slatted air vents on the Ferrari Testarossa - form and function in harmony. The DS-10 looks nice in pictures, but very special in person.Ī few things jumped out at me, the subtle logo etched into the top, the feel of the primary control knob, that has the perfect resistance and feel and, then finally, the cooling vents in the chassis. This is a solid piece of equipment, machined from solid aluminium, feeling weighty in the hand, but one also cannot underestimate how nice this looks in the metal. How do you compare these to products at opposite ends of the scale? Build Quality And yet, inevitably, in terms of what they do, it was the product what was uppermost in my mind whilst I was writing the review. Needless to say that this is a far cry from my previous review, the Nanomesher Nanosound 2 DAC, that retailed for the grand sum of $50. The designer cared about how this looked and about how you interacted with it. ![]() This streamer is solid, beautifully engineered, but with a flair that I have come to expect of Italian products. So after agreeing to do the review and getting the DS-10 finally delivered, I was a suitably impressed by the product as I pulled it from its cloth bag. I was perhaps a little naive about the esteem that this company was held in by reviewers and maybe a little ignorant of the price tag. I have a little confession at this point, when I agreed to do the review, I had not really been exposed to the brand - the other reviews were very much based in the analog realm, whilst most of my listening in the last 6 years or so has been mainly digital. I am not the first TNT reviewer to get his hands on Gold Note products, the PS-10 Phono preamplifier and the Goldnote Mediterraneo turntable brought glowing reviews from my esteemed colleagues. The aim was, in their words, “to speak a simple but evocative language in order to bring the best of Made in Italy to the whole world.” Gold Note is an Italian company, founded by in Italy in 2012 by Maurizio Aterini, his wife Elena and partner Alessio Oronti. Product: Gold Note DS-10, DAC, Streamer and Pre-amplifier
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |