Gold Note DS-10 EVO User manual

USER
MANUAL
DS-10 EVO
DS-10 EVO LINE
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Thank you for purchasing one of our units
and welcome into the Gold Note world,
where we turn High-End audio and music
into a new experience.
Maurizio Aterini,
founder of Gold Note
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|
IMPORTANT SAFETY
| INFORMATIONS
the third prong are provided for your safety.
If the provided plug does not fit into
your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet. or
pinched particularly at plugs, convenience
receptacles, and the point where they exit
from the apparatus.
|Only use attachments/accessories specied
by the manufacturer.
|Use only with the cart, stand, tripod,
bracket, or table specied by the
manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus.
When a cart is used, use caution when
moving the cart/apparatus combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.
|Unplug this apparatus during lightning
storms or when unused for long periods
of time. Refer all servicing to qualied
service personnel only. Servicing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in
any way (such as when the power cord or
plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled
or objects have fallen into the apparatus,
the apparatus has been exposed to rain
or moisture) and in any case when the
apparatus does not operate normally or
has been dropped.
PLEASE NOTE
1 Do not disassemble any part of the
product.
2 Do not use any part of the product for
other purposes.
3 For service and problems of any kind,
contact qualified Gold Note personnel.
4 Protect the product from rain, humidity
and keep away from heat sources, electric
and electronic motors etc. The power
cord supplied must be used only on this
unit.
5 Gold Note does not have responsibility
for any improper use of this unit.
GENERIC INFORMATION
|Read these instructions and store them.
|Heed all warnings.
|Follow the instructions.
|Do not use this apparatus near water.
|Clean only with a dry cloth.
|Do not block the ventilation openings
and install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
|Do not install near heat sources such as
radiators, heat registers, stoves or other
apparatus (including ampliers) that
produce heat.
|Do not defeat the safety purpose of
the polarised or grounding-type plug: a
polarised plug hastwo blades with one
wider than the other.
|A grounding type plug has two blades and
a third grounding prong. The wide blade or

This appliance has a serial number located on the rear panel.
Please record the model and serial number and retain them for your records.
MODEL
SERIAL NUMBER
CAUTION!
To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not
remove cover (or back). No user-serviceable
parts inside. Refer only to qualified Gold
Note service personnel for service.
WARNING!
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not
expose this appliance to rain or moisture.
GOLD NOTE - Information on the correct management of waste from
household Equipment pursuant to the European Directive 2012/19/EU
The crossed-out wheelie bin symbol shown on the equipment or its packaging indicates
that the product, at the end of its useful life, must be collected separately from other waste
to allow its proper treatment and recycling. The user must therefore deliver, free of charge,
the end-of-life equipment to the centres for the separate collection of waste electrical and
electronic equipment, or return it to the dealer in accordance with the procedures established
by the legislation.
The appropriate separate collection of discarded equipment allows for proper recycling,
treatment and environmentally compatible disposal, helping to avoid the possible dispersion
of hazardous substances and negative effects on the environment and health, favouring
the reuse and/or recycling of the materials of which the equipment is composed of. Illegal
dumping of the product by the user involves the application of administrative sanction
provided for by the legislation in force. We invite you consult the current legislation and the
measures adopted by the public service operating in your country or territory.
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| INDEX
| PACKAGE CONTENT
INTRODUCTION AND FEATURES 1
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 3
FRONT PANEL 5
REAR PANEL 6
SELECT FUNCTIONS 7
NETWORK SETUP 8
FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS 10
SETTINGS 12
CHAMELEON MODE 14
CHAMELEON PARAMETERS 16
CONNECTING OTHER SOURCES 17
CONTROL APP 18
REMOTE CONTROL 22
PRODUCT REGISTRATION 23
TROUBLESHOOTING 24
RELATED PRODUCTS 26
1x
DS-10 EVO
1x
POWER
CABLE
1x
WI-FI
ANTENNA
1x
REMOTE
CONTROL
1x
USER
MANUAL
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1
| INTRODUCTION AND FEATURES
A MODERN AUDIO SOURCE
The DS-10 EVO is a versatile state-of-
the-art streaming DAC designed for the
contemporary audiophile and featuring
a new generation D/A Converter, UPnP-
DLNA Streamer, Line Preamplifier and
Headphone Amplifier. The technology of
the DS-10 EVO is brilliantly enclosed in a
compact-sized aluminium chassis and it’s
the perfect addition to a modern High-End
audio system. Inspired by our acclaimed
IS-1000 All-In-One unit, it combines
extreme connectivity with the impressive
6.3mm headphones output featuring two
sensitivity levels. The DS-10 EVO LINE is
also equipped with a 3.5 mm jack analogue
input, becoming a complete preamplifier for
analogue and digital sources (available on
DS-10 EVO LINE only).
HIGH-END STREAMING DAC
The DS-10 EVO is a Roon Ready device
with a quick plug&play set-up and multi-
room capabilities. Simply connect it to your
network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and then to your
power amplifier or active speakers and get
ready to explore the limitless possibilities
of high-resolution music. Stream through
Roon, Airplay, Tidal, MQA, Qobuz, Spotify
and Deezer, and control the DS-10 EVO with
your smartphone or tablet through our App
(available for iOS and Android for free). With
DS-10 EVO you can also play your collection
of digital music stored locally on a NAS or a
USB flash drive.
LINE PREAMP & HEADPHONE
OUTPUT
The DS-10 EVO is equipped with an on/
off switchable High-End Analogue Preamp
stage to enable the control of the analogue
volume even through web players (when the
Preamp stage is activated) and guarantee the
best performance ever. The DS-10 EVO also
features a professional 6.3mm headphones
output with two sensitivity levels (High/Low),
a proprietary technology we developed to
get the best out of your headphones. With
the additional analogue input (available on
the LINE model only) the DS-10 EVO LINE
becomes the perfect integration between
the Gold Note PH-10 phono stage and the
PA-10 power amplifier.
HIGH-QUALITY MADE IN ITALY
Our products are designed to ensure the
best experience of use and the DS-10
EVO features a state-of-the-art mechanical
structure made of solid machined steel and
thick aluminium. The high-quality materials
used guarantee low-frequency resonance,
feedback vibrational control, and low
magnetic inertial field.

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CHAMELEON MODE
The DS-10 EVO has a unique feature that
sets it apart from any other DAC, making
it the most versatile DAC available today
- three different profiles can be selected
to fine-tune the performance of the DAC,
which adapts to the music it’s playing as a
chameleon. For the first time ever, the DAC
behaviour can be changed to adapt to the
music played without modifying the audio
signal and thus maintaining the highest
audio quality, acting on the deemphasis, the
low-pass digital filters and the DSD filter.
Such profiles can be selected in real-time
during music playback delivering a unique
listening experience and ease of use thanks
to the clear menu on the TFT display. It’s
time to enjoy the unprecedented listening
pleasure that only the DS-10 EVO can offer
you.
EASY TO USE
With its large 2.8” TFT display you can
quickly check all the functions of the DS-10
EVO and control it using the dedicated App
and our SKC (Single Knob Control) located
on the front panel, or the Gold Note remote
control. The dedicated App - available for
free for Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad) and
Android smartphones and tablets - displays
all metadata, cover and other information
registered on the track as well as the real
resolution format.
QUICK INSTALLATION
The DS-10 EVO is a plug&play DAC that
is easy and quick to set up in your system.
Once it’s connected to your network, it only
needs a power amplifier or some active
speakers and you are ready to start listening.
All the functions available on the DS-10 EVO
are fully controlled through the SKC (Single
Knob Control) and the dedicated App.
GOLD NOTE DESIGN
Thanks to the unique and innovative Gold
Note modular design, the DS-10 EVO can
drive PSU-10 EVO, the dedicated external
inductive power supply, to enhance its
performance even more. If you are after
uncompromising quality, check with your
local dealer about the availability of PSU-10
EVO and arrange a listening session.
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NETWORK
MAIN FEATURES
|D/A Converter AKM AK4493 PCM up to
32bit/768kHz and DSD512
|Streamer Network Player PCM and DSD
|Frequency response:
20Hz-20kHz +/-0.1dB
|THD (Total Harmonic Distortion):
0.001% max
|Signal to Noise ratio:
125dB
|Dynamic range:
120dB
|Output impedance RCA/XRL:
50Ω
|Preamp Stage Volume Control:
Enabled/disabled
POWER
|Power supply:
100-240V / 50-60Hz
|Power consumption:
35W
|Fuse:
2A F
AUDIO OUTPUTS
|DAC:
1 RCA @ 2Vrms, 1 XLR @ 2Vrms
|Preamp:
1 RCA, 1 XLR, 1 headphone output with 6.3
mm jack
DIGITAL INPUTS
RCA coaxial PCM asynchronous up to
24bit/192kHz
AES/EBU balanced PCM asynchronous
up to 24bit/192kHz
TOS-Link PCM asynchronous up to
24bit/192kHz
USB-B up to DSD512 and PCM up to
32bit/384kHz
USB-A port DSD256 and PCM up to
32bit/384kHz, formatted in FAT32/NTFS
(32Gb max for pen drives)
ANALOGUE INPUT (DS-10 EVO LINE)
3.5mm mini-jack (input impedance 10kΩ)
| TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
PCM 24/192 PCM 32/384 DSD256 DSD512
RESOLUTION
INPUT
AES/EBU
RCA
TOS-Link
USB-A
USB-B
1x
1x
1x
1x
2x
1x

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NETWORK CONNECTIVITY
|LAN/WLAN (Wi-Fi):
802.11a/b/g/n/ac Dual Band (10/433Mbps)
|Bluetooth:
High-Definition 5.0 (44/16)
HIGH QUALITY STREAMING
|Roon Ready
|Airplay
|MQA
|Qobuz
|Deezer
|Spotify Connect
|Tidal
|Tidal Connect
|vTuner
SUPPORTED AUDIO FORMATS
(NETWORK)
Up to PCM 32bit/384kHz
|DSD256 (DSF, DFF)
|AIFF (.aif, .aiff, .aifc)
|ALAC
|WAV (.wav) packed/unpacked
|FLAC
|MP3
|Apple Lossless
|OGG
|Monkey’s
IMPORTANT
UPnP server must support DSD streaming in
order to stream DSD files.
SUPPORTED MEDIA SERVERS
|All UPnP
|DLNA
|Roon
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
Dimensions:
200mm W | 80mm H | 260mm D
Weight:
kg. 4 net - kg. 5 boxed
REMOTE CONTROL
Multifunctional remote control
GN CONTROL APP
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FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW
The front panel of the DS-10 EVO has been
designed for ease of use and everyday
reliability. Everything revolves around the
interface with two key elements - the large
display and the SKC (Single Knob Control).
These provide you with intuitive controls so
that you can check the DS-10 EVO settings
at glance and adjust parameters either using
the knob, the remote or our App. On the
front panel you’ll also find the headphone
output, which features a dedicated volume
control and two levels of output sensitivity.
| FRONT PANEL
Headphone output (6.3mm jack)
LED status light:
Red = standby
Blue = ON
Green = powered by the external power
supply PSU-10 EVO
Display
IR
LED status light
SKC (Single Knob Control)
1
2
1
2
3
3
5
5
4
4

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REAR PANEL OVERVIEW
The DS-10 EVO features a wide selection
of high-quality connections to provide
maximum versatility. The digital inputs
include USB-A and USB-B, TOS, COAX, AES/
EBU, and Ethernet.
On the DS-10 EVO LINE, a 3.5mm mini-jack
is also available as analog input to connect a
source such as the PH-10.
| REAR PANEL
POWER AND OTHERS
Ethernet
Wi-Fi Antenna
IEC socket
PSU IN
WPS Wi-Fi reset
Wi-Fi LED
GN Link connector
LINE IN (available for DS-10
EVO LINE only)
3
16
15
14
13
12
11
11
10
10
ANALOGUE LINE
OUTPUT
RCA unbalanced
XLR balanced
1
2
DIGITAL INPUT
USB-A
USB-B
AES/EBU balanced
TOS 1
RCA COAX
TOS 2
4
5
6
7
9
8
1
43
16
15
14 13 12
2
56 7 98
The PSU IN input is dedicated to the external
power supply PSU-10 EVO to enhance the
performance of your DS-10 EVO.
PLEASE NOTE
The antenna is packed separately, please
ensure to install it correctly.
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TURNING ON AND OFF
THE DS-10 EVO
With the SKC: press and hold the knob for 1
second, the LED will change status.
With the remote: press the Power button
once while pointing at the DS-10 EVO, don’t
hold down the button for too long.
HOW TO SELECT THE FUNCTIONS
1 Press the knob once to activate the
SELECTION FRAME.
2 Turn the knob left or right until the
desired function is highlighted in white
then press the knob to select it.
| SELECT FUNCTIONS
3 The frame will turn red: now you can turn
the knob to change the function.
4 Press the knob again when the desired
value is set to confirm and exit the
selection.
Single push
Turn left
or right to
highlight the
selection
1 second push

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| NETWORK SETUP
LAN CONNECTION
DS-10 EVO supports both LAN and Wi-Fi
connection.
To use the LAN simply plug the cable into
the Ethernet port on the rear panel and you
are ready to go.
WI-FI CONNECTION
If the DS-10 EVO is not connected
via Ethernet cable, the Wi-Fi mode is
automatically activated.
The Wi-Fi blue led blinks steadily to indicate
that the DS-10 EVO is ready to be associated
to your network.
Watch the video tutorial to learn how to
connect the DS-10 to your Wi-Fi.
www.goldnote.it/ds-10-wifi-tutorial
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WI-FI CONNECTION
1 Turn ON the Wi-Fi on your mobile device
and find DS-10_XXXX.
2 Connect to DS-10_XXXX using
“password” as the password.
3 Launch GN Control and go to DEVICE
SETUP > DS-10 > Wi-Fi Network
Selection.
Turn ON the Wi-Fi and connect
to DS-10_XXXX
Launch GN Control and go to
DEVICE SETUP > DS-10 > Wi-Fi
Network Selection.
Select the Wi-Fi you want the DS-
10 EVO to connect to.
4 Here are listed the Wi-Fi networks
available, select the one you want the
DS-10 EVO to connect to.
5 The DS-10 EVO is now connected to the
selected Wi-Fi network.
6 Connect your mobile device to the same
network used by DS-10 EVO.

PRE
OFF
PCM 192 kHz
LINE OUT
PRE/DAC mode
PRE: variable output (preamp stage is active)
DAC: fixed output (preamp stage is bypassed)
Streaming information
File format (DSD/PCM)
File resolution
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OVERVIEW OF THE DISPLAY
Thanks to the display and the SKC, all the
functions of the DS-10 EVO can be adjusted
on the go. The volume is at the center with
the other functions found in the top and
| FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS
Settings
Display brightness
Device information
Firmware update
Factory reset
Input selection
NETWORK
LINE IN *
USB DAC
TOS 1
TOS 2
AES/EBU
COAX
BLUETOOTH
*DS-10 EVO LINE
only
Volume
0 to 100
Chameleon mode
The presets are
used to store the
parameters of the
Chameleon mode.
OFF
SETUP
PRESET 1 - 2 - 3
the bottom part of the display. Please refer
to the image below for details about the
options available for each function.
Wi-Fi network status
Wi-Fi connected
No internet connection (using Wi-Fi)
P2P Wi-Fi connection (see section above)
WPS connection enabled
Initialising and waiting for connection
Output selection
Line out:
RCA
XLR
Headphones:
High
Low
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USING THE DS-10 EVO
OUTPUT SELECTION
The DS-10 EVO has two audio outputs:
|LINE OUT
|HEADPHONES (HIGH/LOW)
Each output features a dedicated preamp
stage to control the volume on that output,
meaning that you can send audio to both
at the same time and adjust the volume for
each independently.
For example, you can send the audio to
“Line Out” at a volume of 55 while sending it
also to “Headphones” at a volume of 42.
Select “Line Out” to send audio to the RCA
and XLR outputs.
Select “Headphones” to send audio to
the headphone output. When you plug
in your headphones, the DS-10 EVO will
automatically select Headphones as the
output and mute Line Out.
To adjust the volume of an output, select it
from the menu first and then use the remote
or the SKC to change the volume. If you are
playing audio from both outputs and want
to mute one, select it first and then put it on
MUTE.
HEADPHONE OUTPUT LEVEL
When using the headphone output, you can
adjust the output level to match it to your
headphones’ requirements. We suggest to
select “High” if you are using low-sensitivity
headphones, and “Low” for high-sensitivity
headphones.
SETTING OUTPUT
LOW 1W
HIGH 5W
HEADPHONE TYPE
High-sensitivity
Low-sensitivity
PRE AND DAC MODE
The DS-10 EVO can operate in two
modes:
|PRE
|DAC
When used in PRE mode, the preamp
stage is active and you can adjust the
volume using the remote, the SKC or the
app GN Control. In DAC mode, the DS-
10 EVO deactivates the volume control
so the signal is at the fixed output of the
source and you will need an external
preamp stage to adjust it.
When you select the DAC mode, a
warning message will show as a safety
measure, confirming the selection to
proceed. Be always careful to avoid
damages to your loudspeakers and
system when switching to the DAC mode.
AUDIO FORMAT AND INFO
The file format and resolution of the
audio stream are displayed in real-time,
including additional info such as when
you are playing MQA files (the MQA icon
shows at the top).
MUTE CONTROL
To mute or un-mute the audio input,
press twice the SKC.

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Select the gear icon and press the SKC
once to access the settings. Turn the SKC to
browse the settings, press it once to adjust
the highlighted setting.
To exit the menu, select BACK and press the
SKC once.
DISPLAY
Rotate the SKC until the DISPLAY setting
is highlighted, then press the SKC once to
select it.
Rotate the SKC to choose the desired
brightness, then press it once to confirm.
The brightness can be set to:
|100%
|50%
|25%
|OFF
When the display is set to OFF, use the SKC
or press a button on the remote to activate it
again for 3 seconds.
DEVICE INFORMATION
Push the SKC once to view the device
information, such as:
|Model
|Serial number (S/N)
|Firmware version (FW VERSION)
|IP address (IP, only when the DS-10 EVO is
connected to the network).
FACTORY RESET
Select OK to reset the unit or CANCEL to
exit the menu.
The unit goes on standby after each reset.
| SETTINGS
MODEL:
FW VERSION:
S/N:
IP:
DEVICE INFO
DS-10 EVO
BACK
DISPLAY 100%
FIRMWARE UPDATE
DEVICE INFORMATION
FACTORY RESET
SETTINGS
BACK
OK CANCEL
Normal
Highlighted
DISPLAY 100%
DISPLAY 100%
DISPLAY 100%
Selected
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FIRMWARE UPDATE
The unit can be updated OTA (Over The
Air) over the Internet. Launch the firmware
update to check for new releases, if there are
no updates available the unit will display the
message beside.
If the unit cannot complete the update, it will
display an error message. Please check the
Internet connection and try again.
The unit will display a message of success
when the update is completed.
Wait while the update is in progress.
In case a new update is available, select OK
to download and install it.
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