Description
Donatello Gold is the cartridge where Gold Note makes no concessions. Where Red offers the convenience of connecting to an MM input, Gold chooses a different path: a low output of 0.5 mV, an impedance of 40 Ohms, a recommended load of 470 Ohms - a classic configuration for a full-fledged MC phono stage. It is this option that allows the system to unleash the full potential of the moving coil: faster response, more accurate spatial imaging, that elusive "live" character for which audiophiles choose MC.
The task that Gold Note engineers set for themselves was simple: to create the best MC cartridge in its category. Two years of research and computer modeling - and the Donatello Gold body weighs only 7 g with full structural rigidity. The material is duralumin, an aviation aluminum alloy with copper and magnesium. The shape is calculated to damp unwanted vibrations as much as possible and not interfere with the cantilever to do its job. Compatibility with any tonearm - from light to heavy - is built into the design from the very beginning.
The micro-elliptical diamond sharpening in Donatello Gold was developed in conjunction with the Japanese company AdamantNamiki - one of the leading manufacturers of precision diamond styluses in the world. The needle is mechanically fixed in an elongated rigid aluminum cantilever, which is placed in a titanium telescopic holder. This design eliminates microvibrations at the needle-cantilever interface and provides stable reading up to 40,000 Hz - a frequency that is practically unattainable by MM cartridges.
The generator unit of the Donatello Gold is a copper coil in the field of a samarium-cobalt magnet. This magnetic material is characterized by an extremely stable and strong field, which provides a smooth, predictable signal throughout the entire life of the cartridge. Channel resolution of more than 24 dB, channel balance within 1 dB - indicators that indicate careful manual calibration of each copy.
As in all flagship Gold Note cartridges, the Donatello Gold is equipped with long gold-plated pin contacts for a tight connection with the tonearm terminals. A serial number is permanently engraved on the top panel of the housing, proving that each head is an individual product, not a faceless mass-produced product. The clamping force is 1.8–2.1 g, the standard mounting pitch is 9 mm.
