TESTED: Goldenote S-1 Signature Integrated Amplifier and Koala CD Player

Hit and Miss

The Italian high-end audio manufacturer Goldenote is based in Florence, perhaps the world’s most beautiful city as well as the birthplace of the Renaissance. That beauty and history is reflected in the company’s S-1 Signature integrated amplifier and Koala CD player reviewed here; both units exude an aesthetic consonant with their birthplace.

The S-1 Signature is the first step-up in Goldenote’s extensive line of electronics and the Koala is the company’s entry-level CD player. Goldenote offers eight integrated amplifiers, ranging from the $1436 S-1 to the $28,727 Demidoff Diamond. Goldenote also makes an entire range of products that includes turntables, tonearms, cartridges, cables, and loudspeakers.

Although budget-priced by Goldenote standards, the S-1 Signature and Koala look anything but. The units are finished in beautiful high-gloss black faceplates and are solidly built, weighing 22 and 17 pounds respectively. Both are minimalist in features, with most of the parts-budget spent on the audio circuits, and particularly, the power supplies. This is classic high-end design: No-frills operation and a simple signal path coupled with innovative circuits and generous power supplies.

S-1 Signature Integrated Amplifier

The $1866 S-1 Signature is a higher-end version of Goldenote’s entry-level S-1 ($1436). Both units are functionally identical, with the Signature offering better sound quality. The Signature version increases the output power to 60Wpc (from 40Wpc) by virtue of a larger power supply. Other differences include hand-matched output transistors and upgraded parts throughout.

Five line-level inputs are offered along with an optional phonostage, which can be added after the initial purchase (it’s an extra $200 whether purchased with the S-1 or retrofitted). The S-1 Signature is minimalist, clean, and simple to use—only a large volume control and rotary input-selector switch adorn the high-gloss front panel. A small round remote control offers volume up/down buttons. The unit is very nicely made inside, with a dual-mono architecture, high-quality parts, and a hefty build. The chassis is quite sturdy and the top panel thick. The entire unit rests on large feet. The power supply is built around two custom toroidal transformers, one for each channel. A third transformer powers the housekeeping functions and the motorized volume control.

The S-1 Signature’s input stage is based on a Goldenote-developed circuit called “Mirror Amp” which reportedly reduces distortion. This differential circuit is built around discrete transistors (rather than op-amps) and operates in pure Class A. The output stage is a single pair of transistors per channel, with each pair cooled by its own generous heat sink. The signal path is direct-coupled, with no filters or protection circuitry. This approach was taken to maximize sound quality, but you should be aware that without a protection circuit, shorting the speaker outputs will damage the amplifier. The S-1 Signature looks inside like a high-end preamplifier and power amplifier, but scaled down in output power.

Koala CD Player

The $2296 Koala is Goldenote’s entry-level CD player. The unit features a tubed output stage and balanced as well as single-ended analog outputs. A digital output on an RCA jack allows the Koala to function as a transport.

The Koala is built around the ubiquitous Philips transport mechanism, but the motor is driven by Goldenote’s “Electro Power” power supply that reportedly reduces speed fluctuations to less than 0.0001%. The Electro Power power supply is said to provide absolutely stable and clean DC voltages to the player’s analog and digital circuits. The DAC is the new Burr-Brown PCM1796.

Goldenote makes some claims about its “Zero-Clock” digital filter that I didn’t fully understand. For example, the company literature suggests that the “Zero-Clock” is part of a custom digital filter, but I didn’t see a DSP platform inside the player. I assumed from the name that “Zero-Clock” is Goldenote’s re-clocking circuit, but the company says “Zero-Clock” is the filter’s name. Answers to my repeated follow-up questions didn’t shed any light on exactly how the Koala’s filter is different, and how “Zero-Clock” works. (The explanation in the manufacturer comment on page 60 doesn’t clarify the issue, at least for me.)