Gold Note DS-10 and the fly

Nowadays, there are two types of devices that are not easy to analyze quickly: turntables and music servers or similar devices. Turntables require a significant investment of time to adjust all their parameters in order to perform a correct evaluation of them under optimal conditions. Digital systems are no longer lagging behind in this respect, because every day, their complexity makes it necessary to take many things into account before being able to objectively (this is the intention) make the best possible assessment of them, whether they are a DAC, a streamer, a headphone amplifier, or a digital line preamp. And if everything is combined in a single device, as is the case here, the time spent on testing skyrockets. Bad for writers but good for future owners, once they have familiarized themselves with it. Which, by the way, has a necessary learning curve.

First impressions

The DS-10 is elegant in its black finish, which is the one I am reviewing today. Its front panel consists of a screen of considerable size considering the size of the Streamer DAC and a multifunction knob. It turns like a potentiometer, moves in all four directions, and can be pressed. With this combination, you can manage all the functions of the device. And the 6.3 mm jack input for headphones.

In terms of connectivity, you might be forgiven for thinking that it has everything when you see its wide range of connections, but there is one important caveat to bear in mind. Although it can function as a line preamp, it is important to note that it is a digital-only preamp, as it does not have any analog inputs.

Remote control, power cable, and RJ-45 cable

The manufacturer includes a battery-powered remote control, a Wi-Fi antenna, a high-quality RJ-45 cable to connect to the router, a power cable, and an operating manual. Without a doubt, the latter is the lowest quality component of all. And I feel sorry for the stores that sell this magnificent device, I'll say that now. But the digital world still scares a lot of people, and proper explanations make life easier and simpler. You don't have to be a computer whiz to get started and understand how it works, but the first impression commands respect. In addition to the connectivity mentioned above, there is also Bluetooth v. 5.0.

As more than one of you may already be guessing at this point, we are not talking about just another component of a system, but rather something that can become the heart of a digital system, providing the necessary link between a NAS, a CD player, and an on-demand music service such as Spotify, Dezer, Tidal, etc. Connect via Bluetooth to your tablet or mobile phone and transfer music or manage the Streamer DAC through the mConnectControl app. All your digital music can be managed by this All-in-One.

Headphone amplifier

As soon as I connected the DS-10 to the power supply, I knew I wanted to use it with this input function. Being a new component, I once again experienced that familiar feeling of experiencing the evolution of sound from its first moments of life to its consecration. Honestly, it serves no purpose, but it helps you focus on the details of the sound and listen to how they change after many hours of operation. Experienced enthusiasts don't need to be reminded of this, but novices do. The famous break-in period exists and is real. In this case, it wasn't until more than 48 hours of connection to the mains and 20 hours of operation that I was sure we had entered the working zone.

Necessary running-in of the Streamer DAC for subsequent analysis

I can wear my AKG K-701 headphones for hours on end during my workday, so I'm hardly even aware of them. They're part of me. I constantly forget about them. Well, in this context, I was working while listening to Max Richter's Recomposed Vivaldi Four Seasons. On track 16, Shadows 3, you can hear a fly buzzing at the beginning of the song. It confused me, and I thought it was real. I've listened to this album dozens of times and never had that feeling before. I looked around my office for a fly. Is there any greater praise for the naturalness of sound than having fooled the ear? We've heard a fly buzzing around us thousands of times, thousands. And perhaps only a few dozen times have we heard a live orchestra. That alone is why I was so impressed. Obviously, I repeated the experience, paying close attention, and the result was the same. Now we could move on to the big equipment.

Maximum demands for the Gold Note DS-10

I have a PC dedicated to audio that acts as a music server and has the latest version of the well-known Daphile installed. For me, it's the best music server you can install on a dedicated PC, as its minimalism means it doesn't need a screen, keyboard, mouse, graphics system, etc. All its potential is dedicated to music. I connected both devices via the DS-10's USB-B port and we got the party started.

Gold Note DS-10 on decoupling base

With the previous anecdote about the fly, I made it very clear that the workhorse of this DAC is naturalness. Hyperrealism of sound, if I may say so. Blessed are those who have high-quality recordings in their personal collection, for they will be in Nirvana. Blessed also are those whose recordings are all of low quality, for they will think they have reached Nirvana. And bad, very bad for those who have a mixed collection, because they will realize immediately which is which. Using a soccer analogy, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo make the rest of the good players look bad.

The combination of Gold Note DS-10 + Bow Technologies Wazoo XL + RadioTehnika Giant FS-100N (1) cries out for the very best of my collection of operas, chamber music, voices, and sensitivity. This was possibly the most analog moment I have ever experienced without any valves or turntables involved. The “vinyl” played, but without the imperfections in sound that it almost always carries with it and the demands of the same.

At this point, I would like to issue a warning about what we might define as “ears spoiled by digital sound,” which could experience a certain rejection of this device. Those accustomed to digital listening may notice a certain difference in the sound they are used to. I am not joking when I say that the sound is analog. Perhaps in time, this warning will no longer be necessary, but for now, I believe it is appropriate to issue it. The evolution of digital sound in the coming years will take us to where the DS-10 already is.

Rear view of the Streamer DAC

Music always tells us the truth

American Skin (41 Shots). Bruce Springsteen has “entered” my home so many times that we could be on first-name terms, even if it has only been through his recordings. A few bars and the alarm goes off. In previous random tests prior to the final ones, I had heard that song better. Chaos in my mind. What's going on? I go over everything carefully and everything seems correct, but... something is wrong. I go over everything mentally. Methodology, temperature, ambient humidity, Streamer DAC playback position, and that was it. The preamp on my Bow Technologies doesn't work well with low-power signal inputs, and since I was using the line preamp position on the DAC, the drop in sound quality was noticeable. I switch to the DAC position, i.e., fixed output, and we have the full potential of the DAC expressed in this exciting track by The Boss. I mention this to encourage everyone to investigate until they get to the bottom of or the maximum of their system's possibilities. To the maximum, period. Never settle for less.

Cello Concerto in B Minor Opus 104 B 91 – Adagio by Dvorák. Jacqueline Du Pré kills me with this performance. The sensitivity with which she touches the strings and the bow is hard to beat in my understanding of art. And the recording itself (Teldec 1971) makes you feel like you're right there on stage. The superlative quality of the DS-10 allows you to notice the position of the microphones and how close they are to the instruments. At one point, an untimely cough makes it clear that the audience is not behind you or in your area, but behind the orchestra, causing a slight mental-spatial confusion. I only highlight this as an example of the level of detail provided.

mConnectControl managing my personal library by accessing the Daphile file server

Final conclusions

If we forget about the instruction manual, which has meant, for example, that I haven't used the equalization that can be applied to the sound in real time, leaving it in the flat position (default) all the time. And having spent more time than necessary on its correct setup due to the device's excessive learning curve... We are talking about one of the best devices that can be bought today at a high but affordable price for many budgets (RRP: €2,990). Both in terms of the headphone amplifier and the DAC, its performance can only be described as top-of-the-line. I was unable to properly evaluate the line preamp function due to incompatibility with my amplifier, and to use it as a streamer, you need a manual detailing how to do so correctly. Although I have used some of its functions with the app, extra effort is needed in this area. But when it works, you forget everything and just live the music, naturally, without unjustified brightness in the high frequencies to add spectacle at the expense of truth. It doesn't create anything, it reproduces, and that, my friends, is truly wonderful.

In my archive of sound memories, this pandemic month of July I have added the magic of the Gold Note DS-10 and its iron grip on reality and power. And the joy of experiencing a live performance with the Audia Flight FL Three S. I can't complain, not at all. Well, yes, one thing: they are no longer here and have been returned to their respective distributors so that you can relive the same sensations I did, enjoying them in their respective stores open to the public.