Gold Note IS 1000

The Gold Note IS-1000 is a real gem visually. With its aluminium casing.

The Gold Note IS 1000 is recognisable with its vents on the top and side panels, which give it a stable and quality feel. The finish of this amp is excellent and the Gold Note's control panel is equipped with a high quality LED display. Setup is simple with a multi-access button that allows you to manage volume, but also select inputs, balance and damping. By simply pressing the button for three seconds, the unit goes into standby mode. With its two-stage booster circuit, low frequencies are perfectly managed.

The rear panel features one RCA and one XLR input. The RCA input "1" has a dual function that allows you to choose between line level and phono level (mm or mc) from the selector switch on the front panel. For vinyl, the phono stage is derived from the Gold Note PH-10 model and offers 45dB gain for moving magnets and 65dB gain for moving coils. There is also a preamplifier output. The digital part offers coaxial, USB-A, Ethernet and three optical inputs.

The DAC and streamer part uses technical innovations derived directly from Gold Note's flagship models.

Gold Note offers two versions of the IS 1000, the Classic with the Burr-Brown PCM1792A chipset and the Deluxe MK2 version with the Burr-Brown PCM1796 chipset. The Deluxe version has PCM resolution up to 24-bit/192kHz and offers conversion of DSD64 files to high-resolution PCM via UPnP protocol over USB and LAN. The digital stage is driven by a super Cortex-M4 microcontroller, which operates at 32-bit and is very fast and stable. This microcontroller also performs safety processes, including monitoring the internal temperature to enable cooling options.

Both versions of the IS-1000 are Roon ready and offer easy plug-and-play installation. They connect easily to a home network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, allowing streaming from Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Spotify Connect, Deezer with Roon, and MQA decoding.

The Gold Note app (iOS and Android) makes it easy to browse music libraries stored on a NAS or USB stick. It also supports media servers such as Minim Server and Bubble UPnP.

The Gold Note IS-1000 is equipped with a high-current MOSFET Class AB amplifier that delivers 125W into 8 ohms. Its power supply features a toroidal transformer custom-made in Italy. The circuit boards are ultra-thin and gold-plated with double copper traces to preserve the purity of the audio signal path.

When idle, the IS-1000 is very quiet, with no annoying switching noises or electronic artifacts.

However, when called upon, it operates with great fluidity and vitality. There's a sense of power in reserve that can be tapped whenever the music calls for it. The robust power supply and transformer of this well-designed amp ensure performance beyond the general power ratings. Low frequencies are both extended and controlled. Upper spectrum information is distinct and controlled. Octave instrumentation is expressed with great finesse. The Gold Note is 1000 offers a wide range in every register.

The highs are smooth and pleasant to listen to. Transitions are natural, without jerks. Brass instruments are clean and not too metallic. The image is never confusing and the location of instruments is easily identifiable. The IS-1000 does not add colour. The Gold Note IS 1000 is unbeatable in its class and for this price, it will not disappoint the most demanding audiophile.