Gold Note PH-1000 Best Phono Preamp?

Best in the world would be a very presumptuous claim.  "Best I've ever heard" would be a better claim, but it would require listing the other phonostage one has heard.  This reviewer did not even list the other phono stages that he has heard that the Gold Note beat out.  That makes it an almost totally useless review.  A good review would involve many different cartridges and some context, such as the other high end phono stages that were heard under similar or identical conditions.  As a supposed contender for being among the best, this $16k phono stage is a quarter of the price of some others; has he heard any of these (e.g., Audio Note M9 or M10, FM Acoustics, Zanden)?

Fremer has provided plenty of evidence that RIAA was adopted universally quite a while ago.  But, I've heard some phono stages that offer different curves and there are some recordings, that are quite modern, where, in the particular system, an alternative curve sounded better.  I don't think the recording was actually done utilizing a different curve, so the "improved" result using a different curve is a matter of recording/mastering, system synergy, personal taste, and/or a combination of such factors.  It doesn't hurt to try something different when a recording doesn't sound great with the default RIAA equalization.

The FM Acoustic variable equalization offers infinite variety of choices.  Basically, one picks the turnover frequency on the curve and can choose any slope of that curve.  I know that I would simply set both dials at RIAA and not bother, but, those that like to fiddle would be in heaven with something like this (I would be in heaven just to be able to afford something from FM Acoustics).