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Gold Note cd-1000-mkii
The CD-1000 MkII Deluxe DSD, housed in a beautiful brushed aluminium chassis, integrates a digital and an analogue stage into a single, elegant device. It is designed to listen to music from a CD as well as to play audio files from a TV or DVD player connected via optical or coaxial input. The CD-1000 MkII delivers a natural, detailed and powerful sound, and can be easily integrated into any Hi-End stereo system. CD-1000 MkII Deluxe DSD supports Gapless playback and is equipped with a top-of-the-range 24bit/192kHz digital converter and digital inputs such as the S/PDIF coaxial and the TOS optical to get the best out of your system. The aluminium JPL-2800 transport mechanism made in Austria by Stream Unlimited is one of the best in the world and ensures maximum stability avoiding fluctuations or loss of definition. The CD-1000 MkII Deluxe DSD integrates our Zero-ClockTM technology which allows for an effective reduction of jitter, and features a digital volume control that can be used to drive directly a power amplifier or active speakers.
The CD-1000 MkII Deluxe DSD equipped with the integrated DAC BurrBrown PCM1792A and a USB-B port (supporting up to DSD256 and PCM 32bit/384kHz).
The CD-1000 MkII Deluxe DSD can be paired with external units that allow further improvement of its exceptional audio performance:
TUBE-1012 – class A valve output stages developed with 12 valves
PSU-1250 – super inductive external power supply dedicated to the Gold Note series 1000.
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Professional Reviews 90/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
93/100
Features Usability
86/100
Value for Money
88/100
The Gold Note CD-1000 MKII makes Red Book discs feel vividly alive, pairing tight, defined bass with a beautiful midrange and a broad, deep soundstage. TONEAudio found CD playback especially immersive, while 6 Moons praised its accomplished standalone performance and scalable upgrade path. It is a refined CD player/DAC for listeners who value musical engagement as much as engineering substance.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Immersive CD playback with a broad, deep soundstage, vivid midrange and finely layered detail.
Bass is tight, defined and concise, with ample punch when recordings demand it.
Serious physical engineering, including an aluminium drawer, upgraded Stream Unlimited mechanism and solid mechanical isolation.
Optional PSU and tube stages provide a meaningful path toward greater weight, dynamics and tonal tailoring.
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Cons
Highly revealing treble can introduce a touch of hardness with similarly voiced partnering equipment or demanding vocal peaks.
Selecting digital inputs requires the supplied remote rather than front-panel controls.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviewers find the CD-1000 MKII an unusually involving CD source, combining strong detail retrieval with a broad, immersive presentation and convincing musical momentum. Its treble resolution can expose a little hardness on demanding vocal peaks, but the overall verdict is highly enthusiastic, particularly from CD playback.
Overall Sound
93/100
TONEAudio calls CD playback the player’s real strength, praising its immersive character, beautiful midrange, taut and defined bass, and broad, deep soundstage. 6moons likewise found the base player fully accomplished, describing greater substance, rhythmic life and presence with its optional power-supply upgrade; TONEAudio notes that very revealing treble can add some hardness to Norah Jones vocal crescendos.
Digital Signal Integrity
91/100
The revised Stream Unlimited aluminium JPL2800 mechanism, solid aluminium plinth and upgraded custom magnetics give the player a serious mechanical and electrical foundation. 6moons heard clearly greater focus, weight, bass impact and a more charged presentation with the optional PSU-1000, indicating that power-supply isolation is consequential, although those gains belong to the upgraded configuration rather than the standard player alone.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 86/100
This is a versatile disc player and DAC with useful digital inputs, balanced and single-ended analogue outputs, and a coaxial digital output for transport duty. Operation is mostly conventional, though 6moons notes that selecting digital inputs requires the supplied all-metal remote rather than the front-panel controls.
Streaming Software
85/100
As a CD-focused player, the CD-1000 MKII is judged on disc and control usability rather than app-based streaming. Reviewers praise the premium all-metal remote, but 6moons identifies one operational inconvenience: digital-input access depends on that remote, with no equivalent route from the front-panel controls.
Features Connectivity
88/100
The CD-1000 MKII can work as a CD player, standalone DAC or digital transport, with coaxial and optical inputs, optional USB on the Deluxe version, balanced and RCA analogue outputs, and a coaxial digital output. Gapless Red Book playback and compatibility with CD, CD-R and CD-RW add practical flexibility, while the optional external PSU and tube stages allow further system tailoring.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
93/100
Both reviews provide specific evidence of careful execution: a custom aluminium drawer, substantial chassis, 15mm front panel, aluminium stability plinth and upgraded Stream Unlimited mechanism. The revised servo and custom transformer arrangement further support the impression of a purposefully engineered disc player rather than a cosmetic luxury product.
Value for Money
88/100
At roughly €3,990 in base form and €4,800 for the Deluxe version at review, this is a premium disc player rather than an entry-level revival product. TONEAudio considers its player-and-DAC functionality a future-proofed investment and says listeners seeking greater life and detail may find it a strong option; the costly optional PSU and tube stages make a fully expanded system considerably more expensive.
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- Holt Hill — online and in-store — Andover, Massachusetts, United States (website)
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- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
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- ARK Audio — online and in-store — Borensberg, Östergötlands län, Sweden (website)
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