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Smart, musical and easy to live with. The Gold Note ES-78 is a moving magnet phono cartridge designed to give new and experienced vinyl lovers a truly engaging analogue experience. With a healthy 4 mV output, robust construction and forgiving tracking, it’s the perfect entry into the Gold Note sound world.
- Moving Magnet (MM) design with 4 mV output for easy matching with any MM phono stage
- Conical diamond stylus on an aluminium cantilever for stable, reliable groove tracking
- Black POM body with Alnico magnet and copper coils for low noise and rich tone
- Wide 15–25,000 Hz frequency response for full-range, musical playback
Product Overview
The Gold Note ES-78 is conceived as an accessible, high-quality cartridge for music fans who want to get serious about vinyl without over-complicating setup. Its MM topology and 4 mV output make it compatible with virtually any integrated amplifier or phono preamp equipped with an MM input, ensuring plug-and-play integration into existing systems.
A rigid black POM body houses an Alnico magnet and copper coils, chosen for their stability and tonal character. The conical diamond stylus is mounted on an aluminium cantilever and optimized for excellent contact with the groove while remaining tolerant of less-than-perfect records, making the ES-78 both musical and practical for everyday listening.
Listening Experience
The ES-78 offers a lively, open and pleasantly warm sonic presentation. It delivers very good dynamics for its class, with rhythmic drive and a confident sense of timing that brings rock, jazz and pop records to life.
Midrange textures are natural and clear, giving voices and acoustic instruments convincing presence, while the treble remains smooth and easy on the ear. Surface noise is kept under good control, and the cartridge tracks confidently at the recommended 2 g, even on older or well-played records, making it an enjoyable choice for real-world vinyl collections.
Recommended System Context
The ES-78 is ideal for entry to mid-level hi-fi systems built around MM phono stages. It is a great match for:
- Belt-drive turntables looking for a musical yet affordable cartridge upgrade
- First serious vinyl systems where ease of setup and compatibility are important
- Secondary systems (office, bedroom, studio) that still demand good sound quality
Position in the Gold Note Lineup
Within Gold Note’s cartridge family, the ES-78 is the smart starter—a perfect first step into the brand’s analogue philosophy. From here, listeners can later move up to cartridges such as Vasari or Donatello models for higher resolution and even greater refinement, while maintaining the same musical, Italian voicing across the system.
Ideal Applications
- First upgrade from basic OEM cartridges supplied with many turntables
- All-round music listening across multiple genres
- Systems where quiet tracking and forgiving behaviour on older records are desirable
- Users wanting “fit-and-forget” ease with a genuine audiophile flavour
Technical Specifications
- Type: MM (Moving Magnet) phono cartridge
- Output level: 4 mV
- Frequency response: 15–25,000 Hz
- Internal impedance: 1000 Ω
- Suggested load: 47 kΩ
- Compliance: 10 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne
- Channel separation: > 20 dB
- Recommended tracking force: 2.0 g
- Cantilever: Aluminium
- Stylus: Conical diamond
- Coil wire: Copper
- Magnet: Alnico
- Mounting hole to diamond distance: 9 mm
- Weight: 6 g
- Body: Black POM
Why Choose the Gold Note ES-78?
The Gold Note ES-78 is the perfect cartridge for listeners who want a straightforward, musically satisfying introduction to high-quality analogue sound. Combining robust engineering, generous output and a lively yet smooth tonal balance, it offers excellent value and a highly enjoyable listening experience—making it an ideal starting point for a long-term passion for vinyl.
