From West Sussex to Tuscany: Damien’s Deep Dive into Gold Note’s Artistry

At Kronos AV, we believe that to truly understand the soul of a piece of Hi-Fi equipment, you have to see where it was born. Last week, Damien, our Head of West Sussex operations, traded the English countryside for the rolling hills of Montespertoli to visit the Gold Note headquarters.

Damien and the Team in Tuscany

A "gold standard" trip to Italy...

Nestled in the heart of Italy, Tuscany is renowned for its rich heritage of artisan craftsmanship and dedication to quality.

Tuscany, Italy

Factory tour

Most factories are industrial and built around efficiency. For Gold Note, the finer things are what brings true inspiration to day-to-day experiences providing staff and visitors a truly luxury experience.
The stunning entrance to the factory
Not many factories have their own pool!
Plenty of awards around the demo suite
Aesthetically it is a special factory
Audiophile Grade Pillows... only joking! Very nice touch though in the demo room!
PH-10 Chassies are used as lighting!
One of the demo suites featuring a wide range of their products
A further "visual" demo room, showcasing more of their products
Very special to see this vinyl lathe, where customs vinyl can be created.
Products are on display throughout the showroom...

The Factory Floor

The factory is far from a machine driven production line. Each product is hand assembled from start to finish by one individual, then fully tested before packaging.
Inside the HP-10,with a "natural" un-anodised faceplate fitted showcasing the machine work
Some older Gold note products are serviced and cared for...
Plenty of chassis are awaiting assembly
Each product is hand assembled and placed on this trolley before heading to packaging
Testing stations are throughout the production line
Everything is truly hand assembled at Gold note, no machines here!
More products awaiting final QC and packaging
Thousands of parts are stored on site...
Repairs can also be carried out by hand in the factory
This is not a production line, each product is hand built by one individual from start to finish!

The Italian Sound: More Than Just a Slogan

Gold Note is one of the few brands in the world that balances L’Arte del Suono (The Art of Sound) with rigorous modern engineering. For Damien, the goal was simple: to witness the meticulous assembly process of their world-renowned turntables and electronics to better serve our UK enthusiasts.

"Seeing the level of personal pride every technician takes in their work was the real takeaway," Damien noted. "When we set up a Gold Note system back in West Sussex, we aren't just installing a product—we’re installing a piece of Italian passion."

Damien

Kronos AV - West Sussex Manager

The GOLD Standard

Bringing Tuscany Back to West Sussex The highlight of the trip was a private session in Gold Note’s dedicated listening suite. Testing the synergy between their XS-7 speakers and the DS-1000 EVO streaming DAC provided the technical "Aha!" moment Damien was looking for. He has returned with a wealth of technical knowledge and a few "insider secrets" on how to get the absolute best performance out of the Gold Note range.
Gold Note XS-85 Floorstanders
Gold Note Mediterraneo X
Gold Note Da Vinci MC Cartridge
Gold Note Tuscany Cartridge
A selection of comonents including DS-1000 EVO, PA-1175 MKII Mono Blocks and CD-1000 MKII
All on the Gold Note Galileo Rack
Gold Note CD-1000
Gold Note DS-1000 EVO Line
Gold Note Mediterraneo X Turntable, with touch screen speed control
The complete system was something truly to behold. The Bellagio Reference in Gold Leaf (center) was something truly special!
Gold Note HP-10 Headphone Amplifier
Featured

Gold Note

Gold Note HP-10 Headphone Amplifier

The HP-10 is Goldnotes brand new high-end headphone amplifier designed for discerning audiophiles, featuring a Dual-Mono Class-A balanced design that preserves signal purity and delivers exception...

Staff favourite

Damien Rye - Manager of West Sussex

"There are plenty of amplifiers that can get a pair of headphones 'loud,' but very few can make them feel alive. What I love about the HP-10 is the sheer grip it has over the driver. Whether I’m running a high-impedance flagship or a sensitive planar, the background is pitch-black and the control is absolute. Seeing the 'raw' internals at the factory only confirmed what my ears already knew—this is over-engineered in the best possible way."

€2.178,95
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Experience the Italian Masterpieces


Want to hear what Damien heard? We invite you to our West Sussex branch for a private demonstration. Damien will be on hand to walk you through the Gold Note lineup and share more stories from the factory floor.

Gold note products are also fully stocked and on demo in both Northern Ireland Branches.

Shop the Gold Note Collection

Gold Note PH-10 MM/MC Phono Stage - Kronos AV

Gold Note PH10 MM/MC Phono Stage

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Gold Note PSU-10 Power Supply Upgrade

Gold Note PSU-10 Power Supply Upgrade

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Gold Note PH-5 MM/MC Phono Stage & PSU-5 Bundle

Gold Note PH-5 MM/MC Phono Stage & PSU-5 Bundle

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Gold Note HP-10 Headphone Amplifier

Gold Note HP-10 Headphone Amplifier

€2.178,95
Gold Note PSU-10 EVO Power Supply

Gold Note PSU-10 EVO Power Supply

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Gold Note Pianosa Turntable

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Gold Note Precision Spirit Level

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Gold Note PA-10 Power Amplifier

Gold Note PA-10 Power Amplifier

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