VASARI RED
GoldNote's Entry Point to Italian MM Playback
Description ⌄
GoldNote Vasari Red MM cartridge — entry-level with conical stylus. MM cartridge with Alnico magnet system and elliptical stylus delivering 4mV output from a precision aluminium 7000-series body. Entry point to the Gold Note cartridge range, offering warm, musical character suited to a wide range of turntables and phono stages.
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
Entry MM buyers wanting GoldNote's most accessible cartridge; T-5 or Valore 425 Plus owners wanting a brand-matched cartridge Entry MM buyers wanting GoldNote's most accessible cartridge; T-5 or Valore 425 Plus owners wanting a brand-matched cartridge Entry vinyl: Vasari Red + T-5 or Valore 425 Plus + PH-5 phono stage + IS-10 all-in-one
Awards & press
⭐ Hifi Pig Highly Recommended 2017 "These are both high achieving products that wouldn't feel out of place in a £3,000+ turntable." — Janine Elliot, Hifi Pig, 2017
Features ⌄
- Entry MM cartridge with Alnico magnet, aluminium cantilever and Conical stylus — photopolymer resin body, ideal introduction to MM analogue playback
- Elliptical diamond stylus offers a genuine performance step-up over conical designs for improved stereo separation and detail retrieval
- Reliable and easy to use; ideal introduction to high-quality MM playback before upgrading within the Gold Note cartridge range
- Hifi Pig 2017: 'high achieving products that wouldn't feel out of place in a £3,000+ turntable'
- Elliptical diamond stylus delivers better stereo separation and detail than conical designs at this price
- Ideal introduction to high-quality MM playback before upgrading within the GoldNote cartridge range