Gold Note DS-5.2

Gold Note DS-5.2: compact network player, DAC and preamplifier

Twenty centimetres in width and four kilos of aluminium are enough here to house a network player, a digital-to-analogue converter and a preamplifier. A digital source in the 5.2 Series from Gold Note, the DS-5.2 plays streaming services, receives TV audio, drives headphones and can control a power amplifier directly. It fits on a TV stand or shelf, where a system of separate components would need an entire rack.

A compact enclosure controlled from its touchscreen

The black anodised aluminium chassis measures 200 × 80 × 260 mm, a size that fits on a low cabinet or in a shelf compartment. The front panel features a 3-inch colour touchscreen that displays the artwork for the current track and provides access to source selection, volume and settings without reaching for your phone. For remote operation, the infrared remote control and GN Control app (iOS and Android) take over. The DS-5.2 is developed, assembled and tested in Italy, at Gold Note’s Tuscan workshops.

An AKM converter in a balanced circuit

The converter, the chip that turns the digital stream into an analogue signal for the amplifier, is an AKM AK4493. Gold Note incorporates it into a fully balanced circuit: each channel travels as two identical signals in opposite phase, and any interference picked up along the way, present equally on both, cancels out at the destination. The XLR outputs extend this principle through to the amplifier. The measurements published by the brand give a signal-to-noise ratio of 125 dB, a dynamic range of 120 dB and distortion of 0.001%, with a frequency response that is flat to within 0.1 dB between 20 Hz and 20 kHz.

For both network playback and the USB port, the DS-5.2 supports PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz and DSD up to DSD256, in common lossless or compressed file formats. The coaxial and optical inputs top out at 24-bit/192 kHz, the usual limit of the S/PDIF connection and of no consequence for a CD player or a console.

Roon Ready, Connect services and AirPlay 2

The network section uses the platform from the DS-10 EVO, the player positioned above it in the Gold Note catalogue. TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect and Spotify Connect, including Spotify Lossless, work on the same principle: you choose the album in the service’s app, then the DS-5.2 retrieves the stream itself over the Internet, with the phone serving only as a remote control. AirPlay 2 covers Apple devices, Deezer and vTuner Internet radio are built in, and libraries stored on a computer or home server can be played via UPnP/DLNA.

The player has received Roon Ready certification. Roon software automatically detects it on the network as a listening zone and sends it a bit-perfect signal, meaning a digital stream delivered without any modification. It can also group it with other Roon devices in the home for playback across several rooms, with local files, TIDAL and Qobuz brought together in a single library enriched with biographies, credits and lyrics. Connection is via an Ethernet cable or dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi.

TV, computer and smartphone inputs

Connected to the TV via its HDMI eARC port, the DS-5.2 routes the sound from programmes, films and apps through its own converter rather than the TV’s speakers. CEC compatibility lets the two devices communicate, allowing power and volume control from the TV remote, depending on the models. A computer connects via USB-C using an asynchronous link: it is the DS-5.2’s clock that times the stream, not the PC’s. A drive or USB stick can be read through the USB-A port.

The RCA analogue input accepts a line-level source, a tuner or a phono preamplifier. Bluetooth 5.2 aptX HD works in both directions, receiving from a smartphone and transmitting to wireless headphones. It remains a compressed connection, convenient for a guest or occasional listening, but less precise than the network for attentive listening.

Fixed-level source, preamplifier or network transport

Two sets of analogue outputs sit side by side on the rear panel. The DAC outputs, in RCA and XLR, deliver a fixed 2 V level for connection to the line input of an integrated amplifier, which retains control of the volume. The preamplifier outputs, also in RCA and XLR, follow the volume set on the DS-5.2: they directly drive a power amplifier or active speakers, and the function can be disabled when not in use. Finally, the coaxial output turns the device into a straightforward network player feeding another converter, should the system evolve in that direction. On the front panel, the 6.35 mm headphone jack uses the same preamplifier stage.

A starting point for a 5.2 Series system

The DS-5.2 shares its chassis with the other devices in the 5.2 Series: the PH-5.2 phono preamplifier, HP-5.2 headphone amplifier and CD-5.2 CD player, which can be lined up or stacked for a uniform system. Its internal power supply allows the device to operate on its own, and the external PSX-5.2 power supply, shared across the series, can be added later without replacing the player. It moves the power supply stage outside the enclosure, away from the audio circuits.

Technical specifications

General overview

• Network player, DAC and integrated preamplifier
• High-resolution AKM AK4493 converter
• Fully balanced audio architecture
• Color touchscreen with album artwork display
• Front headphone output
• Expandable thanks to the external Gold Note PSX-5.2 power supply
• Control via the Gold Note GN Control app (iOS and Android)
• Multifunction infrared remote control
• Black anodized aluminum chassis

Digital / analog conversion

• DAC: AKM AK4493
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (+/- 0.1 dB)
• Total harmonic distortion (THD): 0.001%
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 125 dB
• Dynamic range: 120 dB
• Output impedance: 100 Ω
• Preamplifier function can be enabled / disabled

Streaming and network

• Compatible services and protocols: Roon Ready, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, Spotify Lossless, AirPlay 2, Deezer, vTuner Internet radio
• MQA compatibility
• Ethernet network and dual-band 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac WiFi
• Bidirectional Bluetooth 5.2 with 24-bit aptX HD codec
• Compatible servers: UPnP, DLNA, Roon

Audio formats supported via network

• PCM up to 32-bit / 384 kHz
• DSD up to DSD256
• AIFF, ALAC, WAV, FLAC, MP3, OGG
• Monkey’s Audio
• DSF / DFF

Digital connectivity

• Inputs
  • 1 x coaxial RCA (PCM up to 24-bit / 192 kHz)
  • 1 x optical Toslink (PCM up to 24-bit / 192 kHz)
  • 1 x HDMI eARC CEC-compatible, for TV integration
  • 1 x USB-A (PCM 32-bit / 384 kHz and DSD256)
  • 1 x asynchronous USB-C
  • 1 x Ethernet / WiFi
  • 1 x Bluetooth 5.2 aptX HD
• Outputs
  • 1 x coaxial RCA
  • 1 x Bluetooth 5.2 aptX HD

Analog connectivity

• Input
  • 1 x stereo RCA input (10 kΩ)
• DAC outputs
  • 1 x stereo RCA
  • 1 x balanced stereo XLR
• Preamplifier outputs
  • 1 x stereo RCA
  • 1 x balanced stereo XLR
  • 1 x 6.35 mm jack headphone output

Power supply

• Supply voltage: 100-240 V / 50-60 Hz
• Power consumption: 35 W
• Fuse: 2 A T

Dimensions and weight

• Dimensions (W x H x D): 200 x 80 x 260 mm
• Net weight: 4 kg
• Packaged weight: 5 kg