In the time since I had the DS-10 in for review, Gold Note has come out with the PSU-10 EVO dedicated power supply that features “dual-choke technology,” and a “Multi cascade design with 4 transformers.” The company claims “Our proprietary technology removes impurity and interference from the AC power system.” Online pricing for the PSU-10 is $1,299 USD. I auditioned ethernet cables at several price points, but the Final Touch Audio Matis, while certainly not an modestly priced option, allowed more low-level signal detail, rhythmic drive and timbral bloom through than anything else I had. ![]() Overall tenor of presentation further relaxed, treble extension opened up and smoothed out while bass and midrange tightened with a noticeable uptick in ultimate resolution of playback. A week later I swapped the stock, no-name AC mains cord for an Audio Note ISIS and was impressed at how much more impact it afforded the output of the DS-10. This dropped the noise floor considerably, improved pitch stability and allowed the DS-10 to breathe easier for lack of a better descriptor. T power conditioner that I use for digital sources only. ![]() I kept the DS-10 up and running pretty much 24/7 the first few weeks after Rutherford Audio shipped it to me, and threw on headphones most nights for an hour-or-so of listening before crashing out. Since the HIFIMAN HE1000SE (30 ohm/96dB) and Audeze LCD-4z (15 ohm/98dB) used for this review are both low impedance designs, yet have relatively high sensitivity, I tried both options and settled on the high-sensitivity option for the HIFIMAN, and the low for the Audeze. ![]() To facilitate handling the differing impedance and dB requirements of headphones, users can specify either low (five-watt output) or high-sensitivity. Initial listening was done without implementing any of the many dozens of grouped filter/equalization options the DS-10 is equipped with, which include low-pass filters, high frequency de-emphasis and variable output voltage. Digging into the onboard hardware options was fairly intuitive and required minimal browsing of the supplied manual (push/rotating the ALPS volume pot navigates the menu system, as does the remote). I plugged in the supplied AC mains cord and ethernet cable to their respective sockets and quickly configured it for playback via Roon through a Nucleus+, with both on a local switch. Setting the DS-10 up in my system was about as easy as adding digital audio gets. The large and comfortable-to-hold plastic remote control continues the gestalt. The plethora of digital I/O on the rear of the unit is neatly grouped and labeled. The fascia is well thought out and uncluttered with a small power-on light, a quarter-inch headphone-output socket (which auto-engages when in use), a volume knob, and an LED screen easy enough to read from several feet away that can also be dimmed or turned off. Fit and finish of the DS-10 is exemplary, with a hand built and substantial heft to the grilled casework. While I’m not one to deny the audible benefits of separates, headamp/DAC/Streamers like the DS-10 reveal that there is less light falling between integrated options in the $3k range and higher-priced separates than previously thought.Ī diminutive, but weighty alloy chassis with an eye-pleasing ratio of width, height and depth, the DS-10 is the perfect visual accessory to its larger stablemate, also in for review, the Gold Note IS-1000 integrated amplifier/DAC/Streamer. And while they speak truth – the higher one climbs to attain audiophile ascension, the more boxes one tends to beget – at what point does the law of diminishing returns come into play? ![]() Purists will rail against such mongrels, citing the clarity and purity of tone, timbral shadings and detail retrieval nascent upon the path of separates: separate head-amp, preamp, DAC, streamer, power supplies, etc. The combined headphone amplifier/preamplifier/DAC/Streamer is a hybrid design and can be susceptible to sonic shortcomings due to the nature of integration. Cues that wouldn’t be missed (IMO) unless revealed in a head-to-head comparison with separates. The Gold Note DS-10 is nothing if not an elegant solution to cramming four boxes (by my count) into one (half-sized) chassis without surrendering much in the way of performance cues. While not someone who embraces new technology for the sake of it, I respect technology which enables companies to implement more elegant solutions without necessarily sacrificing performance.
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