Ugraditus is calling....again. Phono stage?

I will give you an idea to audition MM/MC phono stage designed by Allen Wright. First 4 versions were actually not cheap and you can read review here, but the latest two versions are cheaper. Allen Wright is no longer with us, but his partner J.Rasmussen is responsible for the latest versions of this beautifull phono stage. 

" The name denotes that this is a Solid State device using something that is called Diamond Transistor Theory, rarely used on High-End Audio products. The most simple and linear audio voltage amplification device is a Vacuum Triode which consists of three electrodes only. They are the Grid (input), Cathode (grounding) and Anode (output). On the other hand, the Solid State Transistor is a current device but is nowhere near as linear as the Triode. It consists of Base (input), Emitter (grounding) and Collector (output). The idea behind a Diamond Transistor is actually a composite circuit that emulates the near perfect and linear Transistor as a current device with the same three electrodes in the circuit then becomes the equivalent of the Base, Emitter and Collector followed by a Unity Gain Buffer."

features: 

-Inputs for both Moving Coil and Moving Magnet cartridges

-Load Sockets (for RCA plug resistors) to Optimise Cartridge Performance

-Two Gain Levels, marked MC (Moving Coil) and MM (Moving Magnet)

You guys could start a private chat, lol 

Ok, i just ordered the Gold Note PH-10 directly from Italy, the price was so much nicer without VAT as i am not in EU, hope to get it next month. The color is black. It would be nice to have phono preamp with two independent phono inputs, i'm looking forward to check it.  

Ok, I paid less than 1k Euro for Gold Note PH-10 including express delivery. Every Italian shop will be happy to sell you one without charging VAT is you're not in EU (the reason the total is so low for brand new unit). My PH-10 shipped yesterday from Italy.  

@rsf507 well, depends where you live, in my area the price difference is huge and shipping from USA is not an option (expensive). I also have full warranty from the Italian high-end shop for my brand new unit which was about 900 euro. Anyway we will see how good or bad this Italian PH-10 phono stage compared to my belowed JLTi from Australia (which is even cheaper).

@rsf507 I live in Saint Petersburg, but not in Florida, i'm in Russia
Yeah, hope i'll get the package next week  

Got it!

It’s love at first sight. I’m hooked
PH-10 is a Top quality product, next generation of the phono stages with user friendly interface and easy access to adjustable parameters with single rotary knob and display (wow, SKC technology). Simply amazing for turntable with two tonearms (as i expected) to switch between MM or MC, it can be also 2 MM or 2 MC connected. It’s such amazing feature that i can save adjusted parameters for each input and quickly switch between them. I am using it with MC cartridges at -3db, so i hope with +6db i can drive even my Ortofon MC2000 0.015mV ... Right now enjoying Klipsch MCZ-10 Ruby and Grace Asakura’s One. The MM input checked with ZYX CPP Headamp fo Klipsch MCZ cartridge, love it. Definitely i love this phono stage! Proud it was made in Europe. I will continue my late light listening sessions. But it’s already stunning! Love this black anodized aluminium cabinet and it’s so heavy.

@rsf507 sorry, but i was busy with some other things in august, no time for music, trying to catch the last summer days here. 

My present cart is 0.24mv and I run that at -0.3db and the background is the quietest I have ever heard.

Right, it's deadquiet with all my MC cartridges (0.15 - 0.30mV), except for the Ortofon MC200 which is just 0.05mV (the lowest output ever). 

Unboxed in Aug.11th and connected to one of my Luxman PD-444 turntables since that day. Gold Note PH-10 quickly became my favorite high-end phono stage for MC cartridges! This is one and only phono stage that can drive my 0.05mV output Ortofon MC2000 without SUT. While the most of Low Output MC are about 0.15 - 0.3mV, the Ortofon MC2000 has extremely low output of 0.05mV and it’s the most problematic cartridge for any phono stage i have owned (some of them are more expensive than Gold Note).

While most of my LOMC cartridges plays great at -3dB of gain on PH-10, the Ortofon MC2000 is the only cartridge that i use with +6dB gain (the highest). I’m so hapopy to hear the potential of this cartridges with PH-10, last night i played Ramsey Lewis Trio "Uhuru" (original japanese pressing) to a friedns, all of them prefered the sound of Ortofon MC2000 with Gold Note PH-10 compared to FR-7fz connected via another phono stage.

The Ortofon MC2000 mounted on Sony PUA-7 with brand new silver phono cable i’ve recently purchased from Frank at SignalCable SilverResolution (NYC). I’ve asked him to send me his cable with stripped ends, then we carefully attached Xhadow RCAs and DIN. I’m gonna buy another piece of cable from him soon.

The background white noise is still there with Ortofon MC2000 when the arm is lifted, but i think it’s a nature of 0.05mV output, because another reviewer has mentioned same problem even with dedicated SUT made for this cartridge. But when the needle is on the record the sound quality is simply amazing.

Anyway the Gold Note PH-10 does a great job to drive such low output cartridge in my system with super high efficiency drivers in my Zu Audio Druid speakers (101db). I am very impressed by the quality of this cartridge and this phono stage!

I already started thinking about optional PSU from Gold Note for this phono stage, damn, they got me.

I can’t imagine anything better at this price with so many amazing features!

@uberwaltz 

I have not tried any MM with PH-10, no time for this yet as i bought this phono stage primary for LOMC cartridges. It's amazing that both independent inputs can be used as MC inputs. 

But i will definitely try my vintage MM with this stage later on. 

@rsf507  Yes, i think i need that PSU too, til the end of this year, but i hope to read more comments about that PSU 

@uberwalts If you’re not in EU you can buy it from Italy (like i did), the brand new Gold Note Power Supply for PH-10 phono stage cost just 700 Euro ($781) including shipping overseas. This is nowhere near $1100.

This is an amazing upgrade for PH-10 and $781 is fair price for such top quality power supply.

The actual price without shipping is 630 Euro = $700

It is not necessary to pay $400 more to your US distributor if you need Gold Note power supply.

.. and you don't have import tax in the USA for custom value like this, right ? 

@uberwalts the trick is that you don't have to pay VAT when the item exporting from EU to some other countries like USA for example. Shipping is 70 euro max. Italian shops are official re-sellers and they have warranty from the manufacturer. My rpice was 630 Euro + 70 for shipping.     

Best euro price I could find was €799.90 so by time added shipping and rate change not a massive saving for what would now amount to a "grey import".

@rsf507

Still expensive for a power supply upgrade but wanted the matching unit.

Normally a power supply is just an adapter, usually made in China and looks just like a cheap $20 black plastic box. When i replaced a power supply for my $500 Grado phono stage i paid $170 including shipping from USA (if i remember correct) just for a conventional power adapter, it wasn’t made in USA or Europe, it was made in China or Taiwan.

The Gold Note power supply looks exactly like the Phono Stage itself in a very expensive and nice looking metal cabinet. Made with top quality parts in Italy. Significant upgrade for the phono stage.

It’s not cheap, but i can’t remember any High-End components for cheap, especially power supplies.

Some power cables cost more than Gold Note Power Supply

I did check Italian supplier Chakster and that is where I got the €799 price.
Definitely could not find the price you are referring to.

Do you remember the exact supplier?

Italy is BIG and there are many shops, email me and i will forward you to the right diresction, they don’t pay me % unfortunately :))