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THE AUDIOPHILE APARTMENT HA! ANALOGAHOLIC OLD SCHOOL

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The Gold Note Donatello MC Cartridge

After spending a lot of time on opposite ends of the price spectrum withGold Note’s $3,000 high output MC Machiavelli cartridge and their$385 Vasari MM, the Donatello MC strikes a great spot at $1,075 –offering tremendous sonics, versatility and value.

Thanks to a .5mv output and suggested loading of 470 ohms, chances are good this gold Italianbeauty will mate with all MC phonostages. It certainly did with all of ours, from the Pass Labs XSPhono to the Channel Islands HPA.

Nearly all listening was done with our current favorite turntable, the Technics SL-1200 G. This$4,000 direct drive table is a breeze to set up, and offers a stable platform for every cartridge we’veused with it. The Donatello’s micro elliptical stylus proves easy to set up and optimize quickly. Ashort session with the Acoustical Systems SMARTractor and the Donatello is rocking the house.

The Donatello proves equally uncomplicated to set up on Rega, SME and TriPlanar tonearms. Thisis not a fussy cartridge, and with the right tools and a bit of careful listening, it’s an easy process.With a 1.8 – 2.2 gram suggested tracking force, the Donatello delivers the best results right in themiddle at 2 grams, where the Machiavelli had to be closer to 2.2 to give its best. Suggestedloading is 470 ohms, and this proves just the right match for the 500 ohm setting on the AudioResearch REF Phono 3. Those not having an MC input can opt for the red, high output version ofDonatello, producing 1.8mv of signal (just like the high output Machiavelli) and working with astandard 47k loading factor.

Let’s go!

First LP on the list? An old copy of Grand Funk Railroad’s We’re an American Band, on gold vinyl!Why not? Even though this is only an average pressing, Todd Rundgren’s production values comeright through and the sheer dynamics hit me in the face, blasting through my Klipsch LaScalas. Thisis rock and roll, baby. A few of my favorite Jimi Hendrix records are also wonderfully revealing, witha lot of body and bite to the guitars, while placing all three members of this famous trio out andabout in my listening room.

Moving to a more contemporary system (AVID Volvere SP/SME 309 and the new Esoteric F-07integrated amplifier, via the Focal Sopra no.3s) and many records later, I’m convinced that theDonatello has what it takes to play any kind of music with ease. While not quite as resolving as theMachiavelli, the same basic tonal character is intact. Both the Machiavelli and the Donatello remindme of the Clearaudio Goldfinger in the sense that tonally they are ever so slightly on the warm sideof the scale, with an extra shot of tonal saturation, yet still very dynamic. It’s a character that neverfails to engage the listener.

Gold Note’s Tommaso Dolfi explains to me “Without the Machiavelli and the Tuscany, there wouldbe no Donatello. We were able to apply a lot of what we learned designing these models to theDonatello’s cantilever to create a very versatile and light cartridge.” Having Machiavelli andDonatello close by, it’s easy to hear the lineage.

Up and down the scale

Enticing midrange is a given with Gold Note, but the Donatello delivers the goods at both ends ofthe sonic spectrum. Bass is deep and well defined, with good transient attack and tracking ability.Jaco Pastorius’ self-titled record is a perfect torture test for bass trackability and the Donatellozooms through his most dense and compact performances with ease. Tracking throughout the restof the audio range proves equally good, and the Donatello handles the more complex bands of myShure test record as well as known problematic LPs too.

The upper end of the frequency spectrum is also well represented. Careful listening of acousticmusic reveals the difference between the Donatello and its much more expensive sibling – theDonatello gets the basic groove right, but there is more tonal saturation with the more expensivecartridge. Of course that’s what you pay the extra money for and what justifies the additionalexpense. Those listening to a lot of newer vinyl releases, and especially those with more rock andelectronic tastes might not notice the difference as easily.

The Donatello paints a soundstage that is wide and deep. Unless you are listening to a very recentrelease that has been sourced from digital anyway, you’ll never mistake the sound of the Donatellofor digital – and that’s good news. Going through a series of Kraftwerk remasters, along with Jean-Michel Jarre favorites (and a little Eno on the side) has the Donatello engulfing me in between theFocal Sopra no. 3s. This is a particularly fun cartridge if you love electronic music!

Overall excellence

Where the Gold Note Donatello excels is providing an equally high level of performance in all areas.They have not sacrificed one aspect of analog performance for any other. Often in this price rangemanufacturers hang their hat on one aspect of analog reproduction, letting others fall behind,making for an unbalanced, if you will, sound.

The Donatello is easy to set up, tracks difficult musical passages with ease and sounds great. Whatelse could you want? It’s become my new reference in the thousand-dollar cartridge category. Andit has a gold body. How awesome is that?

The Gold Note Donatello

MSRP: $1,070

www.goldnote.it

Peripherals

Turntables AVID Volvere SP/SME V, Soulines Kubrick/TriPlanar, Technics SL-1200G

Phonostages Audio Research REF Phono 3, McIntosh MP1100, Pass XS Phono

Preamplifier Pass XS Pre

Amplifier Pass XS 300 monos

Speakers Focal Sopra no. 3

Cable Cardas Clear

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