I really don’t know how I feel about Italy and Italian products right now. Just got back from a trip to Bologna for the sole purpose of visiting Osteria Francescana. That’s a three-star Michelin restaurant that has been awarded “Best restaurant of the world” two times. Let’s just say it was anything but that exceptional experience I was hoping for. My confidence in the land of pizza and pasta just hit an all-time low. Being half Italian that’s hard to swallow. As a dedicated audiophile you love good food, wine and music. I desperately needed counterweight to put this disappointing journey behind me. A taste of their own medicine? Right. Just right. To get some faith and confidence back in Italy and Italian products … I choose the hard way. I went to work with the Gold Note HP-10 Deluxe headphone amplifier. Yeah, I know. Gold Note is an Italian brand. My mind needed a reset. Back to tasting Italian products. Seemed the right way to go …
24K GOLD
Gold Note is a prestigious Italian audio brand that has emerged as a leader in the high-end audio industry, celebrated for its fusion of exquisite craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. Founded in 2012 in Firenze by Maurizio Aterini, the company reflects his lifelong passion for music and audio reproduction, sparked in childhood by a stereo system gifted by his father. Nestled in the picturesque Tuscan countryside, Gold Note designs its products with locally sourced, high-quality materials, embodying the essence of Italian artistry and innovation. The brand offers a comprehensive range of audio equipment, including turntables, amplifiers, phono stages, DACs, and loudspeakers, allowing audiophiles to create a fully integrated Gold Note system. Renowned for its signature “Italian Sound,” Gold Note emphasizes vivid realism, precise imaging, and a balanced musicality that avoids being overly analytical or sentimental. Aterini’s vision, supported by a talented team including his wife Elena Basciano and partner Alessio Oronti, drives the company’s commitment to delivering the emotion of music through sophisticated design. With products now sold in over 50 countries, Gold Note has earned a global reputation for reliability, sonic excellence, and a distinctly Italian aesthetic. The company’s holistic approach to audio engineering considers the entire system, ensuring every component works in harmony to elevate the listening experience. From its flagship Mediterraneo turntable to its modular electronics, Gold Note represents a blend of tradition and modernity that resonates with discerning music lovers worldwide. Now, can I have a pineapple pizza please?
DELUXE IF YOU DON’T MIND
The Gold Note HP-10 Deluxe is a premium headphone amplifier designed for audiophiles seeking an exceptional listening experience. It features a fully balanced Class-A dual-mono design that ensures pristine signal purity and outstanding audio quality. You can choose out of 3 different versions: the HP-10, HP-10 BT and HP-10 Deluxe. Our top-tier model HP-10 Deluxe includes a high-end AKM AK4493 DAC and a USB-C input, supporting PCM up to 768kHz and DSD512 for unparalleled digital playback. It also offers Bluetooth 5.1 HD aptX connectivity, allowing seamless streaming from smartphones, tablets, or computers. The HP-10 Deluxe boasts four headphone outputs—balanced (4.4mm, 4-pin XLR) and unbalanced (6.3mm, 3.5mm)—making it compatible with virtually any headphone. A standout feature is its adjustable Crossfeed with four modes, which blends left and right channels to create a natural 3D soundstage, mimicking loudspeaker listening. Additionally, the Harman Curve equalization optimizes headphone performance across the frequency spectrum, customizable in real-time via the analogue domain. Users can fine-tune their sound with variable gain, damping factor, and a 0/180° phase switch, all controlled through an intuitive touchscreen display, rotary knob, or included remote. The amplifier’s analogue inputs (RCA and XLR) and outputs allow it to double as a line preamp, enhancing its versatility. Its sleek, brushed aluminum chassis—available in black, silver, or gold—houses premium audio-grade components, delivering a powerful 10W output. For those seeking even greater performance, it pairs with the optional Gold Note PSU-10 EVO external power supply for enhanced dynamics and detail.
PAMPER YOUR EARS
The Gold Note HP-10 Deluxe can be used utilizing 3 main input options: analog sources, streaming through Bluetooth or the wired digital USB-C. Great stuff to be able to connect analog sources or even use the Gold Note HP-10 Deluxe as a line preamplifier. The same can be said about the convenience of streaming music from your smartphone, tablet of laptop with the 5.1 aptX BT. But let’s get real. The “Deluxe” version offers the full-bandwidth digital USB-C signal and the supreme AKM converter. There lies the true added value of this device. Let’s delve deeper into this. We went the extra mile, asking Gold Note for a PSU-10 EVO to explore the difference of using the unit as a ‘stand-alone’ or with the external power supply.
Loreen kicks off with the acoustic version of Tattoo. The first thing I notice is the incredible bass extension. Never heard such a deep low end come out of headphones. Don’t even think that the bass sounds boomy, thick or without definition. Quite the opposite! The voice of Loreen sounds life-like, it’s like she’s talking to me from inside my head. At no time do I have the feeling of listening to headphones. Playing with the crossfeed settings, the Harman curves, the Superflat EQ, gain, damping factor and phase offers me the chance to tailor the sound reproduction to my personal taste. Track per track. Engaging the Gold Note PSU-10 EVO sharpens up every detail of the soundstage, making it clearer. Loreen’s voice sounds more defined, bass notes get more punch, kick and drive. The overall experience is airier and with more separation.
At the start of Fear of the water rich and colorful piano notes set the tone. The male vocal is very well defined and spacious. It’s easy to separate the immediate energy from the vocal and the reverb of the cathedral. With the Gold Note PSU-10 EVO the vocal sounds even more defined and rounded. The piano plays more convincing with more depth and grit. Overall the projected space is bigger.
Thanks for the dance is the testament of a man who is about to say goodbye to life. A final look back. This makes this album, and his voice emotionally loaded. When Leonard starts talking/singing, he seems in my head talking directly to my brain receptors. What an awesome experience. Goosebumps! I never got closer to the musical intent of his message, felt his heartache. Playing with the crossfeed settings got him even closer. The tonal balance of his voice was unprecedented, so colorful and rich of tone. Could the Gold Note PSU-10 EVO add something to this already exceptional reproduction? For sure. More drive and engagement. His voice sounded even sweeter. The complete musical arrangement was grander with more impact.
At around 15 seconds in the track Broken boy dreams the bass sets in. I’m used to full low-end extension with 2 x Lyngdorf BW20 boundary woofers, each using 2 x 12 inch woofers. Experiencing the same low information through the Gold Note HP-10 Deluxe is another thing. Maybe it’s because the music is communicated directly into your ears, that its more immersive, more impressive. Febe’s voice sound sweat, open and with delicate detail. It’s like high tea all day long … With the 4th track it really becomes clear what the Gold Note PSU-10 EVO brings to the table: drive, force, engagement and subtlety. The unit and external power supply belong together, operating in full harmony.
Please forgive me of using the same track again as in my recent review of the Lyngdorf MXA-8400 8-channel power amplifier. I was so curious to compare the sound reproduction of a physical system and the headphone setup. While I missed the greatness of the soundstage of a classical orchestra and choir, the headphone setup brings other trump cards to the table. The dynamics, power and drive in the low end is just of another level. At around 3 minutes the choir emerges from a pitch-black background, making it almost possible to differentiate individual voices. The Gold Note PSU-10 EVO really tightens up the bass response giving it more dynamics and punch. The separation between the different instruments becomes more obvious. Strings sound life-like without any grain at all. The choir sings with more emotion.
Finally, we put the Billy Kilson Trio on the stage. This track is peppered with excellent transients of cymbals and snare drums. The level of presented detail far extends that of what you can perceive listening to this track trough a speaker system. I’m in the front row of a personal concert that’s placed inside my head. What an exceptional way to experience music. The performance growth of my Beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO MKII is almost unreal. In this last track the Gold Note PSU-10 EVO offers more realism, snap and transparency.
GOLD NOTE HP-10 DELUXE
2390.00Gold Note’s first product in the headphone amplifier category is an immediate hit. The fully customizable sound profiles allow you to enjoy a personalized sound experience that can rival with traditional speaker systems. Every decent pair of headphones performs on a level that we didn’t think was possible. The Gold Note HP-10 stands for an emotional connection to the musical intent. Immerse yourself in a sound presentation that’s hard to wrap your head around (literarily). We do recommend using the USB-C connection, getting the most out of that supreme AKM convertor. If you are in the market for a headphone amplifier, you should consider the Gold Note HP-10 Deluxe. Please mind that they come as a pair: the Gold Note HP-10 Deluxe and Gold Note PSU-10 EVO. Once you’ve heard the combo, there’s no going back.
Pros
- Immersive sound experience
- Custom adjustable sound profiles
- Full-fledged alternative to a speaker system
- Raises the performance level of any decent headphones
- Excellent musical translation
- Insane bass extension
Cons
- Distinct difference between analog, Bluetooth and USB-C
- Gold Note PSU-EVO 10 is mandatory
