Gold Note DS-10 Evo Line

The Gold Note DS-10 Evo Line is the line-level variant of Gold Note's acclaimed DS-10 Evo streaming DAC — a component of identical digital and streaming ambition to the standard DS-10 Evo, but configured specifically for direct integration into systems built around power amplifiers and active loudspeakers, replacing the standard headphone output with a 3.5mm mini-jack line-level input that transforms the DS-10 Evo Line into the most versatile streaming DAC preamplifier in its class. With an AKM converter handling PCM to 32bit/768kHz and DSD to DSD512, full Roon Ready certification, Tidal Connect, Qobuz, Spotify, AirPlay 2.0, and Bluetooth 5.0, housed in the precision-machined aluminium chassis that defines the visual identity of the entire Gold Note electronics range, the DS-10 Evo Line is a streaming source of reference digital capability — one that sets a new standard for what a DAC and streamer at its price can achieve in a system of genuine high-end ambition.

AKM DAC — 32bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512

The DS-10 Evo Line's digital-to-analogue conversion is entrusted to an AKM converter of outstanding specification — handling PCM signals to 32bit/768kHz and DSD to DSD512, a resolution ceiling that places its conversion capability well beyond the requirements of any currently available streaming service or digital file format. Three selectable DAC profiles allow the listener to fine-tune the converter's behaviour in real time — adjusting the de-emphasis, low-pass digital filter, and DSD filter characteristics without modifying the audio signal or interrupting playback — and each profile delivers a subtly but meaningfully different character that can be matched to the music being played, the loudspeakers being driven, and the listener's own preferences. Profile selection is available via the 2.8" TFT display, the Single Knob Control on the front panel, the Gold Note remote control, or the free GN Control App for iOS and Android — ensuring that the DS-10 Evo Line's DAC character is always immediately accessible and adjustable from the listening position.

Line-Level Input — Greater System Flexibility

The defining distinction of the DS-10 Evo Line is its 3.5mm mini-jack line-level input — a provision that replaces the standard DS-10 Evo's headphone output and that allows an additional analogue source to be connected directly to the DS-10 Evo Line's preamplifier stage. This line-level input is of particular value in systems where a single analogue source — a CD player, a tuner, or an analogue output from an external device — is to be integrated alongside the DS-10 Evo Line's digital and streaming inputs, without the need for a separate preamplifier with multiple analogue inputs in the signal chain. The result is a component of extraordinary system flexibility — one that can serve simultaneously as a high-resolution streaming DAC, a network preamplifier of reference quality, and a two-source analogue selector, in a single chassis of minimum footprint and maximum musical authority.

Switchable Analogue Preamplifier — Direct to Power Amplifier

The DS-10 Evo Line's analogue preamplifier stage is fully switchable — engaged or bypassed via the front panel, remote control, or GN Control App — and provides volume control of the highest quality for direct connection to a power amplifier or active loudspeakers without the need for a separate preamplifier in the signal path. When engaged, the preamplifier stage allows the DS-10 Evo Line to function as a complete streaming preamplifier — controlling volume, selecting sources, and driving a power amplifier such as the Gold Note PA-10 directly from its balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA outputs with no additional active stage in the signal path. It is a system architecture of elegant simplicity — and one that delivers the musical transparency and dynamic authority that only a minimum-component signal path can consistently achieve.

Roon Ready Streamer — Every Major Platform, One Component

The DS-10 Evo Line is a fully certified Roon Ready network streamer — compatible with Tidal Connect, Qobuz, Spotify, Deezer, vTuner, and AirPlay 2.0, and controllable via the free GN Control App for iOS and Android. Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity ensures seamless integration into any home network, while compatibility with all UPnP/DLNA services allows local library playback from NAS devices and USB storage. Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity provides wireless playback from smartphones, tablets, and computers — and firmware updates are delivered over the air, ensuring that the DS-10 Evo Line's streaming capabilities evolve and expand without the need for any physical intervention.

Comprehensive Digital Inputs — Every Source Connected

The DS-10 Evo Line's digital input provision encompasses one RCA PCM coaxial input, two optical TOS-Link inputs, one AES/EBU XLR input, one USB-B input for direct computer connection, and one USB-A host port for local file playback from USB storage — alongside the network streaming and Bluetooth inputs described above. This breadth of digital input provision ensures that the DS-10 Evo Line can serve as the complete digital hub of any serious system — accepting signals from CD transports such as the Gold Note CD10, computer audio sources, AES/EBU professional equipment, and network sources simultaneously, and converting every one of them with the full authority of its AKM converter.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The DS-10 Evo Line is for the music lover who wants a streaming DAC preamplifier of genuine high-end engineering ambition — one that is configured specifically for systems built around power amplifiers and active loudspeakers, and that offers the additional flexibility of a line-level analogue input for integration of a single additional source. It is the natural streaming source partner for the Gold Note PA-10 power amplifier — and those building a complete Gold Note digital system around it will find the Gold Note PH-10 phono stage the ideal analogue companion for vinyl replay of equivalent authority.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind. We can demonstrate the DS-10 Evo Line in our Norwich showroom — streaming from Tidal, Qobuz, and local storage, and driving a quality pair of loudspeakers directly — so you can hear precisely what this extraordinary streaming DAC preamplifier achieves in a properly configured system. When you get in touch, you'll be speaking with Dave, Chris and Tim — experienced specialists who can advise on this product and your whole system.

Contact us at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.