PLATINE VINYLE GOLD NOTE T-5 Black

With the new Gold Note T-5 turntable, the Italian manufacturer makes high-end vinyl playback more accessible than ever while delivering a true feat of audiophile engineering at a highly competitive price. It adopts the innovative approach introduced with the 425 Lite while retaining original and effective technical solutions.

Gold Note T-5: Chassis

The presentation remains elegant and understated. To keep costs under control, the T-5 is available in only two finishes: satin black and satin white.

The chassis is constructed from a 23 mm thick MDF plinth, carefully optimized to minimize coloration. Semi-circular cutouts around the bearing and motor help break up mechanical vibration nodes and reduce resonance.

The turntable rests on three specially designed feet that differ from conventional cone-shaped supports. The Gold Note T-5 is also supplied with an acrylic dust cover fitted with hinges.

Gold Note T-5: Platter and Drive System

The 15 mm thick platter is machined from an ultra-translucent silica-based material. This high-quality material provides excellent density and rotational inertia while minimizing unwanted noise. It is paired with a wool felt mat.

The platter is supported by an inverted bearing system, an elegant solution that improves stability while ensuring exceptionally smooth, low-friction rotation.

Gold Note has also worked to maintain an extremely small gap between the platter and plinth, reducing air turbulence generated by rotating masses and further improving speed stability.

The platter is belt-driven using a precision-ground EPDM polyvinyl belt featuring 70 elastic fibers. The motor, developed in collaboration with Mechtex, is a 12V AC synchronous design electronically controlled to reduce vibration. Speed changes are performed manually by moving the belt to the appropriate pulley.

Gold Note T-5: Tonearm

The Gold Note T-5 is equipped with the new Gold Note B-5.2 tonearm. This 9-inch model is a more affordable variant of the acclaimed B-5.1 tonearm and is compatible with a wide range of MM and both high- and low-output MC cartridges.

The B-5.2 is an elegant and high-performance tonearm designed, manufactured, and hand-assembled in Italy using premium materials and advanced machining techniques. Behind its ease of use lies a sophisticated engineering approach aimed at delivering excellent sonic performance at an accessible price.

The arm incorporates four ultra-precision micro bearings manufactured in Germany by GRW to Gold Note's exact specifications. These bearings minimize friction and noise while extracting every musical detail from the record groove. The tonearm is supplied with a high-quality phono cable terminated with RCA connectors.

Like all Gold Note products, the T-5 is entirely handcrafted in Italy using premium-quality materials.

Gold Note T-5: Listening Test

We tested the Gold Note T-5 with two reference MM and MC cartridges.

This turntable delivers exceptional definition, texture, and a distinctly analog character to instruments and voices, resulting in outstanding musicality. The presentation strikes an impressive balance between transparency, dynamics, nuance, and scale.

The soundstage is particularly impressive for a turntable in this price category, offering excellent precision and a strong sense of realism.

Bass is highly defined and exceptionally dynamic. The midrange, a hallmark of Gold Note products, perfectly captures the essence of analog playback with a rich and organic presentation. Female vocals are reproduced with remarkable elegance and emotional expression, while the texture of strings, woodwinds, and vocal timbres is faithfully conveyed.

The Gold Note T-5 is an outstanding surprise and unquestionably ranks among the very best turntables in its price category. It offers remarkable musicality and performance at a highly competitive price.