XS-85 GLOSSY WALNUT
Mono & Stereo Editor's Choice 2023 — Flagship Three-Way in Italian Walnut
Description ⌄
GoldNote XS-85 flagship floorstanding speaker — Glossy Walnut. Three-way floor-standing loudspeaker with curved high-rigidity modular cabinet and SEAS ultra-light Nextel-treated paper drivers in ultra-glossy Italian walnut finish. Frequency response 30–30,000Hz, 89dB sensitivity, 4Ω impedance; crossover at 200Hz and 2,200Hz at 12dB/Oct. Power handling 30–300W RMS; dimensions 357×1280×665mm, 90kg per speaker.
Technical background
GoldNote loudspeakers use a diamond-shaped ultra-rigid cabinet designed to eliminate all parallel internal wall surfaces — the primary source of standing-wave colouration. Premium Mundorf capacitors and Clarity Caps crossover components ensure transparent driver integration. SEAS drivers use ultra-light Nextel-treated paper cones for optimal transient response. The XS-85 three-way uses a dedicated 9" woofer per channel with a bottom-ported bass reflex system tuned for flat response from 30Hz, avoiding the common floor-standing compromise of trading low-frequency extension for dynamic headroom.
Design story
GoldNote's XS-85 and A-series speakers emerge from a decade of collaboration between the brand's acoustic engineers and Italian cabinet artisans in Tuscany. The diamond-shaped cabinet profile — an engineering solution to internal standing waves — also became the visual signature of the range. Each cabinet is finished by hand and paired with SEAS drivers chosen for their Nextel-treated paper cones; the crossover components are Mundorf and Clarity Caps, sourced for their transparency and long-term reliability.
Best for
Statement system buyers wanting the XS-85 in warm Glossy Walnut cabinetry; audiophiles who want flagship GoldNote speaker performance without the Gold Leaf premium Statement system buyers wanting flagship GoldNote speaker performance in warm Glossy Walnut; audiophiles who want the XS-85 without the Gold Leaf premium Reference system: XS-85 Glossy Walnut + P-1000 mkII + PA-1175 mkII + DS-1000 Evo Line + Tube-1012
Awards & press
⭐ Mono & Stereo Editor's Choice Award 2023 "Gold Note XS-85 delivered an impressive reproduction of the ensemble — just the right flow of rhythm, spot-on timbre, and a unique, cohesive performance." — Matej Isak, Mono & Stereo, October 2023
Features ⌄
- 3-way curved modular floorstanding speaker; 1″ silk-dome tweeter, 2× 6″ Nextel midrange, 2× 9″ woofer — 89 dB, 4 Ω, 30 Hz – 30 kHz, 300 W RMS max
- Catenary-inspired curved cabinet panels crafted by Italian artisans provide exceptional rigidity and acoustic damping for a transparent sonic platform
- Power handling 30–300W RMS suits a wide range of amplifiers from compact integrated to high-power monoblocks
- Mono & Stereo Editor's Choice Award 2023 — the flagship XS-85 in warm glossy Italian walnut
- 90kg per speaker — requires professional delivery and installation; contact MGY for logistics arrangements
- Three-way design: 1" silk dome tweeter + 2× 6" midrange + 2× 9" woofer per side — 30Hz–30kHz, 300W RMS