TUSCANY GOLD
Stereophile Class A — GoldNote's Flagship MC Cartridge
Description ⌄
GoldNote flagship MC cartridge — TUSCANY Gold, solid silver body with gold coil. Flagship MC cartridge with boron cantilever and Micro Ridge stylus for the ultimate in groove tracing accuracy and detail retrieval. Silver coil winding delivers 0.25mV output with ultra-low internal impedance for maximum resolution. Hand-built in Italy with a precision machined aluminium body.
Technical background
GoldNote cartridges are hand-assembled at the brand's Florence workshop. MC models use Samarium-Cobalt or neodymium magnet assemblies with coils wound from gold-plated silver AWG40 or copper wire at extremely low turns counts to minimise internal impedance. Stylus profiles progress from Conical (Vasari Red) through Elliptical, Micro Elliptical, Line Contact and Micro Ridge (Tuscany Gold), with cantilevers in aluminium, boron or sapphire depending on tier.
Design story
All GoldNote cartridges are assembled by hand in Florence, Italy, where each generator is wound and tested individually. The naming tradition honours Renaissance artists and thinkers born in Tuscany — Tuscany, Machiavelli, Giotto, Da Vinci, Donatello, Vasari — reflecting GoldNote's commitment to Italian cultural heritage and artisanal craft in every product regardless of price point.
Best for
Audiophiles building a reference analog front end; Stereophile Class A cartridge buyers wanting GoldNote's flagship MC performance Audiophiles building a reference analog front end; Stereophile Class A cartridge buyers wanting GoldNote's flagship MC performance Reference vinyl: Tuscany Gold + B-7 Ceramic + Bellagio Reference or Mediterraneo X + PH-1000 or PH-1000 Line + P-1000 mkII
Awards & press
⭐ Stereophile Class A Recommended Component (Michael Fremer, February 2017); Mono & Stereo Editor's Choice Award 2018 "The Tuscany Gold didn't sound at all on the warm, romantic side — nor on the lean, analytical side. Instead, it was firmly in the zone of tonal neutrality, yet had a subtle, speedy richness." — Michael Fremer, Stereophile, February 2017
Features ⌄
- MC cartridge with boron cantilever and Super Micro Ridge diamond for perfect groove contact — frequency response 5–55,000 Hz, channel separation >35 dB
- Ultra-low 0.25 mV output and extremely low internal impedance ensure maximum compatibility with the finest MC step-up devices and phono stages
- Hand-built in Italy from precision-machined aluminium; silver coil winding delivers the highest resolution in the Gold Note cartridge range
- Stereophile Class A Recommended Component — Michael Fremer, February 2017
- Silver coil winding delivers 0.25mV output — requires high-gain MC phono stage (60dB+); pairs perfectly with PH-1000
- Hand-built in Florence, Italy — every unit individually tested and matched for channel balance