Gold Note PH-1000 phono preamplifier

Gold Note's $11,999 PH-1000 is by a considerable margin the most sophisticated, most configurable phono preamplifier that any audio manufacturer has ever produced, at least that I know of. Remarkably, considering all that flexibility and sophistication, using and adjusting the PH-1000 is straightforward.

Despite all that the PH-1000 can do, and all that you can do with it, you'll never get lost in nested-menu dysfunctionality, thanks to what Gold Note calls "SKC" (Single Knob Control)—but before getting into control, let's explore the PH-1000's features and configurability.

The basics: The PH-1000 has two standard single-ended (RCA) inputs and one standard balanced (XLR) input; it came equipped with two line inputs, but I didn't use them. Loading can be set independently for each input, 12 options for the RCA inputs and eight options for the XLR input; see the Specifications sidebar for details.

In addition, there's a third RCA and a second XLR connection, which can be used to fine-tune loading on RCA input 2 (using RCA input 3) and XLR input 1 (using XLR input 2): Just solder loading resistors across an RCA or XLR plug and plug it in. Both balanced and unbalanced outputs are included.

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Capacitive loading choices (for moving magnet cartridges) are OFF and 100, 150, 220, 330, 470, and 1000pF. In the "OFF" position, only the cable's capacitance loads the cartridge.

The default gain is 40dB in MM mode and 65dB MC; that gain can be adjusted to six other levels relative to 65dB: –9, –6, or –3dB, 3, 6, and 9dB. So the highest setting is 74dB, which should be enough gain for even the lowest-output moving coil cartridges.

There's also a "mono" setting, phase/polarity inversion, a L–R channel swap function, and a "rumble" filter. There's a headphone jack. The PH-1000 has a volume control ("Preamp" mode) you can use and drive your amplifier directly, or you can use it to fine-tune the preamp-output gain. Or, if you prefer, you can bypass the volume control and run the PH-1000 at fixed output ("Stage" mode).

That's a lot of flexibility, but what really sets apart the PH-1000 from most other phono preamplifiers is its multitude of equalization options, which include, according to Gold Note, "40+ curves."

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And now for a digression
Despite what some people claim, once the stereo era began almost every label, foreign and domestic, quickly switched to the RIAA curve.

That includes British Decca and its American affiliate, London Records. Almost all of those records were pressed at the same British pressing plant. They were the same pressing. Only the labels were different. London record jackets say "use the RIAA curve" not to fool anyone but because that was the EQ used in cutting the lacquers (footnote 1). Sorry to have to keep repeating this like, um, a broken record, but the online blowback and charlatanism continues.

Recently, I spent some time with Allan Steckler, who was in charge of the classical division at London Records before leaving for ABKCO, where he oversaw the Rolling Stones catalog. Steckler confirmed all of this. He also told me that Deccas and Londons had different cover art because he didn't like Decca's choices. He declined an on-camera interview, which is too bad because he had stories I assured him I'd not repeat! But I'm digressing from my digression.

Old myths die hard. During a recent Zoom meeting with an audiophile society, I was challenged on the London/Decca pressing myth. A member claimed that Londons weighed less to save on shipping—proof that they were not identical. So I weighed a few London and Decca titles on a digital scale. All weighed within a few grams of each other. Some of the Londons weighed slightly more than the corresponding Deccas.

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Another phono preamp manufacturer claims that Prestige and Blue Note used different curves, yet both were cut by Rudy Van Gelder on the same lathe. Please—let's stop the nonsense! End of sermon and digression.

Here are a few of the EQ choices listed by Gold Note for the PH-1000: Capitol; Columbia/CBS; Deutsche Grammophon; Decca London USA; Decca London UK; Decca Mono 78rpm; Epic; HMW; Mercury; RCA Victor; Philips; Elektra; L'Oiseau-Lyre; Parlophone.

Gold Note also avers that "Each curve can be 'enhanced' with our proprietary technology inspired by the Neumann Pole to extend the frequency response up to 50kHz." (footnote 2)

Where does Gold Note get its claim of "40+ curves"? That number results from taking the 18 selectable preset curves, adding four more that you can define yourself by specifying the bass turnover frequency, bass shelf, and treble cut—that's 22—and then by adding the "Neumann Pole" to each one to get to "40+." Other than the $14,500 LOCi phono preamp produced by Millennia Music & Media Systems under a government contract to the Library of Congress, which is far more complicated to use, the PH-1000 is the EQ-selectability champ.

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While the user interface is digitally controlled, all signal paths, including equalization, remain strictly in the analog domain using what Gold Note refers to as "audio-grade" components and sealed single switches with the goal of keeping signal paths as short as possible.

If you have a large collection of 78rpm records, or of mono LPs from the pre-stereo era—or if you're a professional (or serious amateur) transcriptionist of early vinyl—then these preset curves could be useful. Otherwise, if you want to use them on stereo-era records, that's fine, go ahead, but that's not how they were cut.


Footnote 1: George Bettyes, one of Decca's veteran cutting engineers, confirmed this. John Atkinson once visited the pressing plant in Surrey, England and witnessed this for himself. Stereophile published a photo of a London and Decca press order.

Footnote 2: Read Keith Howard's essential discussion of the RIAA curve and this (some say spurious) addition to the standard curve here.

COMPANY INFO
Gold Note Italy
US distributor: Rutherford Audio
14 Inverness Drive East, Unit G-108
Englewood, CO 80112
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
johnnythunder1's picture

The aesthetics, engineering methodology, Michael Fremer's existence, the price, the country of origin, its comparison to other phono stages costing 10-50x less, and other random complaints hasn't brought out the trolls yet.

MatthewT's picture

You know what they are going to say, too.

kg's picture

Given the unprecedented nature of the current events, I advise you to proceed with utmost caution, my dear friend.

MatthewT's picture

Elaborate on this post.

Jack L's picture

Hi

You've said it: the invasion of Ukraine by Russia yesterday, killing 57 & wounded 160 people as of today as per BBC News

Jack L

JHL's picture

We've known for decades of the difference between data and sound. For the sake of great sound I hope this publication redevelops this fundamental dichotomy. It is real.

Many assume data speaks for sound.

Jack L's picture

Hi

Agreed. But not for yours truly: data & sound go the extremely polarized directions.

Standard bench test data are obtained by feeding pure sinewaves, square waves or triangular waves into the component under test. This I would call it static test.

Music signals are not pure sinewaves at all: comprising basic sinewave plus multi orders of harmonics, ever dynamically changing.

So it is therefore comparing apple to orange - irrelevant ! So how can we "assume data speaks for sound" ??????

If you get the chance to look at the 3-D waveforms of a realtime music signal, like I have, you will see how complex would be a music signal, ever dynamically changing.

May I suggst you to read up papers on the complex multiple 3-D positioned visualization of music signal. to learn more about it, e.g.

"3D musical notation - providng visual cues for musical analysis".

Listening, not data alone, is believing

Jack L

JHL's picture

...but I can't find a place to interject in an argument against everything simultaneously.

Jack L's picture

Hi

Apparently most money gone to the 'unique' feature of RIAA curves (40+) adjustment to tailor-match old/new LP labels.

"Deutsche Grammophon records used the DG/Teldec curve well into the stereo era, and that's why DG records tend to sound dull played back using RIAA." qtd M.F.

I am not so sure of above quote appliable to my DGG collection. In fact, quite a few my DGG LPs sound so so good that I've used them as my sonic reference: open, balanced & livelike.

Just quote 3 excellent sounding DGG LPs:-

(1) Beethoven No.1 Piano Concerto/Arturo Michelangeli/Vienna Symphony/Carlo Goilini. Live performance recording 21/9/1979
The piano sounds so crystal-transparent, best of all my piano LPs

(2) Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra/Boston Symphony/William Steinberg 1971.
The performance starting sub-bass notes (20Hz?) solidly crawl toward me, followed immediately by kettle drum beats - sharp & powerful !!!!!

(3) Strawinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps/Berlin Philharmonic/Herbert V Karajan 1977. Powerful sharp percussions !

Only played throu my home-brew phono-preamp (MM input/non-adjustable passive RIAA). I got no problem sonically with all my DGG LPs at all.

Listening is believing

Jack L

remlab's picture

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO!!

Jack L's picture

Hi

Yes, my first glance at the compact enclosed power supply hinted me it should be a wall wart type switch mode power supply !! Nooo good for any analogue amps, let alone phono preamp, IMO.

Yes, compact, handy & cheap but it emits EMI/RFI noises into the amp. I'd never use such SMPS in any of my audio amps. Get an external analogue linear power supply would be the way to go.

Jack L

Archimago's picture

Dunno man. This fear of SMPS as being noisy doesn't mKe much sense these days. Even some of the cheapest SMPS wall warts don't emit much RF/EMI any more.

Would love to see what evidence there is for such a belief and with what power supply and analog gear susceptible to this.

Jack L's picture

Hi

Really? Your home-brew science or your imagination ?

I tested with my digital wideband EMI & powerline noise analyser. It shows RF noise surge in the powerline powering any digital devices using wall warts or similar SMPS.

This physics !!!!!!!

Jack L

Archimago's picture

Yes, it's physics.

And IMO you're worried about imaginary ultrasonic stuff.

Show me otherwise cuz I don't know anyone who is able to reliably tell a difference. (People claim all kinds of things like yourself but have nothing to show for it.)

Jack L's picture

Hi

It's your call, pal.

You challenged me SMPS does not emit RFI/EMI/powerline noises. Now I tell you again such powerline noise DO exist as shown on the screen of my digital wideband powerline noise & EMI analysis.

Frankly, you don't apparently even know such commonly used instrument to analyse poweline noises do exist at all.

Be my guest if YOU or whoever lend a deaf ear. None of my business.

Jack L

tonykaz's picture

Canada is now under Martial Law

Ukraine isn't joining NATO, no bullets flying

This Italian buggy whip gets barely noticed.

Tony in Florida

MatthewT's picture

Haiku.

Glotz's picture

Almost.. But there is no beauty in those words.

Archimago's picture

I'm sure we'll this sorted by Spring Break! Come visit. ;-) Although I think it's much nicer this time of the year down in Florida.

Jack L's picture

Hi

What "spring break" ?

You mean March break when school/universities close down a week or more provding private times for students' families.

Yes, there is a "family day" coming Monday, the 3rd Monday every February, a provincial public holiday with salary fully paid.

Jack L

Archimago's picture

It's on the school calendar from March 14-25 for the families with kids.

Jack L's picture

Hi

Rumour or misinformation-on-line ?

So called "Freedom Convoy" at Ottawa, Canada capital city, is already done like dinner a couple of days ago. Those behind-the-seen financiers, including a few from USA, for such illegal "convoy" are already tracked down & their convoy monies are already frozen.

We should worry more about the Canada/USA border road block by the trucks due to their drivers not yet vaccinated. 70% of goods trades Canada/USA is done by trucking thru the border every day !!!!

We already felt the pinch: our grocery & food prices soar up like nobody's business !!!

Thanks to those drivers' "freedom" conscience !!!

Jack L

tonykaz's picture

Yes, we have that problem with our legacy press. ( not Stereophile though )

One of the Canadian MPs reported to his YouTube Channel that Parliament has been suspended.

The Industrial Report on the Trucking Industry ( USA ) reveals that we have about 2,000,000 Live Breathing Truck Drivers today. We have 3,500,000 Semi Trucks available. ( an acute driver shortage )
Additionally, we have all the West Coast Entry Ports at FULL capacity with a critical shortage of derage drivers ( the short range drivers that haul the Containers from the Port to locations within 50 miles ).

Truck Drivers are mostly Unionised, 80% are small companies of 6 or less. Politically, Drivers are considered the "Deplorable" Class ! They stay connected thru modern communication devices. Most Over the Road Rigs are fully Internet Capable and have a wide range of connectivity tools. The Canadian Freedom Convoy is the 1st of a Global Series of these types of Events. Another One is now forming up to go from California to Washington. Expect the Farmers to share in this as they typically operate two or three Semi Truck rigs.

Heavy Trucks and Diesel engine related Industries are the World I lived in so I still follow these developments.

It's said and thought that the Stores have 3 Days of goods, if the Trucks Stop rolling -- all hell breaks loose .

It's time to be careful

Tony in Florida

Briandrumzilla's picture

It is an explosioney, but mostly peaceful war.

tonykaz's picture

Tony in Florida

Kursun's picture

A phono preamplifier priced at $12.000 with very very poor overload margin? Doesn't make sense at all.

Jack L's picture

Hi

Well, it makes tons Money Sense to the Italian manufacturers/vendors. Profiteering I would call it.

Italian leisure goods are always expensive, including audios.

I still recall I spent some US$40, 1/5 of my monthly salary for a Valentino silk tie some 40 years back.

For such money, I've gone for French goods: Lacoste (the green Alligator logo) T-shirts of diffenent colours, soft-leather sneakers, etc.

For my pocket wallet, Louis Vuitton of course ! Genuine soft leather made with its serial number inside itm, like any audio components !!

Jack L

Kursun's picture

Well...
If a product is expensive but good I wouldn't object.
I have a 30 year old Lacoste sweatshirt that I still wear.

But, if a product costs $12.000 and displays a sub-mediocre performance, this is a problem.

Jack L's picture

.

volvic's picture

It is priced six times higher than the PH-10, I wonder is it six times better? This is a serious question as the PH-10 has garnered rave reviews from others and appears to offer similar flexibility. Curious.

Anton's picture

The compulsion to mix politics into Hi Fi is a classic sign of impending dementia.

Just saying.

tonykaz's picture

are you angry relating to the median age of us 33.3 people ?

Your opinion is probably accurate, vinyl people are fully captured by the hobbies of our post WW11 youth and a certain fondness of "I like Ike" memories.

Your diagnosis should include neurosis & psychosis which are the prevailing qualities of our Reviewed Gear buying readership. ( myself included )

Tony in paradisiacal Florida

Glotz's picture

Totally true. Fucking wrecking the last frontier of truth. Fuckers.

Jack L's picture

.

hollowman's picture

... the extensive Measurements section for a type of product that does not get metric'd often in audio journalism. AUDIO mag used to do something similar for phono products -- the late 70's - 1980s IIRC.

Glotz's picture

It was overwhelmingly positive, but no one has anything (but negative shit) to say.

Anton's picture

1) It gave me a great sense of feel for the device.

2) It enlightened me further regarding vinyl playback history.

All good. Better than good!

Out of my budget, but I am happy it exists.

ozan2022's picture

I purchased PH1000, PSU 1250, and Tube 1210 few months ago. First I used PH-1000 as it is then added the PSU and could not believe the improvement. And then I added the tube output stage again a substantial improvement but the PSU is a tremendous improvement. Highly recommend it.

Anton's picture

Thanks for the perspective.

infohou's picture

Any trouble with the 1250? I am considering buying one, but the PS-10’s had failures and I am not sure the 1250 has a better record.

Thanks:)

Spartachino's picture

They stole the PH-1000 name from Victor Laboratory PH-1000 Ceramic Headshell.copyright infringement and disrespect

Spartachino's picture

Why would I buy a 12K device with crap bottom end?

Only the somewhat polite bottom end disappointed

infohou's picture

Mine has no such issue. Maybe Fremer needed to break in the one he tested.

David Mansell's picture

The "Teldec EQ" myth is only furthered by Jim Austin's footnote. PSpatial are in business to sell software (and some expensive hardware) to convert non-RIAA encoded LPs to RIAA so it pays them to spread the notion that there are loads of non-RIAA records out there, even into the stereo era.
You would be better served, Jim, by consulting Peter Copeland's classic "Manual of analogue audio restoration techniques". Pspatial misquote him about the meaning of the inverted triangle symbol on German (and other European) record labels. They say he says that it means the use of the CCIR equalization time constants, whereas they say it means the use of the so-called "Teldec equalization". What Copeland in fact writes is that it means the use of the RIAA (75, 318 & 3180 microseconds) equalization ; and that is what it does mean. Deutsche Grammophon had converted to the use of the RIAA equalization long before 1959 or even the 1957 DIN proposal to use 50, 318 & 3180 microseconds. You can find the inverted triangle on German Decca LPs (made by Teldec, the joint Telefunken and British Decca record manufacturing company) in 1955. You will also find it on LPs manufactured in the Netherlands (Philips), East Germany (Eterna), Romania (Electrecord)and even the Soviet Union (Melodiya) where it means "uses RIAA encoding". When stereo came along both the German Teldec companies, Telefunken & German Decca changed to the interlocking circles symbol (which means RIAA stereo) for a couple of years, but they both changed back to the inverted triangle in about 1961 for promotional reasons. In fact Telefunken used the inverted triangle until they ceased trading in 1982. All these records used RIAA encoding.
I have mono (inverted triangle) and stereo (interlocking circles) versions of the DGG LP of Sviatoslav Richter's recording of the Schumann piano concerto. Yesterday I played them both through my Audio Research preamp (RIAA phono) and they both sounded absolutely fine and the instruments were timbrally identical. I have lots of pictorial evidence to back up my assertions but it is not possible to post it here.

Michael Fremer's picture

For this clarification. And the wealth of accompanying information.

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