GOLD NOTE PH-5

Pre owned. In excellent condition. Free from noticeable signs of wear. Supplied with the original manual and packaging.

The Gold Note PH-5 is a phono preamplifier designed to deliver high-end performance in a compact and accessible format, inheriting the technical solutions and sound quality that have made Gold Note's flagship models renowned among vinyl enthusiasts. Designed to enhance any analog audio system, it offers exceptional versatility and can be easily matched with a wide range of cartridges and system configurations, ensuring outstanding vinyl playback quality.

The PH-5 features a stereo RCA input compatible with both Moving Magnet (MM) and Moving Coil (MC) cartridges. Adjustable gain and loading settings allow precise matching with virtually any cartridge, optimizing performance and achieving an ideal balance of accuracy, dynamics, and natural sound reproduction.

For the first time in the Gold Note lineup, the PH-5 introduces a full-color touchscreen interface that makes operation fast, intuitive, and user-friendly. All settings can be accessed directly from the display and adjusted in real time without interrupting music playback, allowing the listener to fine-tune the preamplifier effortlessly while listening.

The unit is built around a completely redesigned electronic architecture that integrates the entire circuit onto a single board, optimizing signal routing while minimizing interference and signal loss. Despite its digital interface, the PH-5 remains a fully analog device at its core. The audio path is constructed using carefully selected discrete components, while every adjustment made through the touchscreen is implemented by dedicated relays that physically switch the signal path, preserving signal integrity and maintaining the purity of analog reproduction.

The preamplifier offers three selectable equalization curves—RIAA, Decca London, and American Columbia—allowing the most accurate playback according to the original recording standard of each record. Each curve is also available in an Enhanced version, developed using Gold Note's proprietary technology inspired by the work of Georg Neumann. This mode extends the frequency response up to 50 kHz, delivering greater dynamics, transparency, and realism whenever desired.

For users seeking the highest level of performance, the Gold Note PH-5 is compatible with a dedicated external super-inductive power supply. This optional upgrade further improves power stability, enabling the preamplifier to reveal its full sonic potential with greater realism, enhanced three-dimensional imaging, outstanding precision, and the ability to extract even the finest musical details from vinyl recordings.

Technical Specifications

• Equalization curves: RIAA, Decca London, American Columbia; Enhanced mode available for each curve.
• Subsonic filter: 10 Hz, 36 dB/octave.
• Frequency response: 20 Hz–20 kHz (±0.3 dB); Enhanced mode: 20 Hz–50 kHz (±0.3 dB).
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): <0.05% at 1 kHz.
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 89 dB.
• Dynamic range: 105 dB.
• Audio input: 1 stereo RCA input compatible with MM and MC cartridges.
• Input sensitivity: Adjustable from 0.1 mV (MC) to 10.0 mV (MM).
• Input impedance: 9 selectable settings (10 Ω, 22 Ω, 47 Ω, 100 Ω, 220 Ω, 470 Ω, 1 kΩ, 22 kΩ, 47 kΩ).
• Gain: 40 dB (MM); 60 dB (MC); four selectable gain levels (0 dB, +3 dB, ±6 dB).
• Input capacitance (MM only): 220 pF.
• Audio outputs: 1 unbalanced RCA; 1 balanced XLR.
• Output impedance: 50 Ω.
• Dimensions (W × H × D): 200 × 80 × 260 mm (7.9 × 3.1 × 10.2 in).
• Weight: 1.2 kg (2.6 lb), net.