Gold Note Giglio Turntable

The Gold Note Giglio is a turntable of exceptional character — a handmade instrument born in Gold Note's Florence atelier that unites the precision engineering of a serious high-end analogue component with a sculptural aesthetic of unmistakable Italian individuality. Its plinth is carved from precious Italian walnut hardwood, selected for its exceptional elasticity, elevated density, and natural acoustic damping properties — qualities that make it not merely a beautiful material but an engineering choice of genuine sonic consequence. The Giglio's catenary curve design philosophy — the same structural geometry that inspires the broader Gold Note turntable range — gives it a visual presence that is arresting and entirely distinctive, while its mechanical architecture delivers a level of analogue performance that sets a new standard at its price point.

Italian Walnut Plinth — Beauty as Engineering

The Giglio's lower plinth is crafted from Italian walnut hardwood — a material chosen not for cosmetic effect alone but for properties that are directly relevant to the quality of vinyl replay. Walnut's exceptional elasticity and elevated density make it a natural acoustic absorber, dissipating resonant energy that lesser plinth materials would transmit directly into the playing surface and, ultimately, into the signal retrieved from the groove. The upper plinth is machined from black polished acrylic — a material of outstanding rigidity and dimensional stability — while metal parts are finished in black anodised aluminium, with a silver option available. The result is a turntable of extraordinary visual coherence: a design that looks as though it could only have been conceived in Italy, and that rewards close inspection with the quality of its material choices and the precision of its construction.

Ultra-Dampened POM Platter and Split-Spindle™ Clamping

The Giglio's platter is machined from ultra-dampened POM — a 33mm thick disc of polyoxymethylene engineering polymer, chosen for its exceptional rotational stability, dimensional precision, and natural acoustic damping. The Gold Note Split-Spindle™ clamping design — a proprietary engineering solution that holds the record in intimate, consistent contact with the platter surface — eliminates the air gap between record and platter that compromises resonance control in conventional spindle designs, ensuring that every groove modulation is transmitted to the stylus with maximum fidelity and minimum coloration. The tungsten 5mm ball bearing at the heart of the bearing assembly provides the low-friction, noiseless rotation that is the mechanical prerequisite for outstanding analogue performance — contributing directly to the Giglio's wow and flutter figure of 0.1% and rumble performance of −78 dB.

Proprietary Motor and Micro-Controller

The Giglio's 12V high-torque synchronous motor is governed by a proprietary power supply and micro-controller that manages both 33⅓ rpm and 45 rpm electronically, with fine pitch control available for both speeds. Speed accuracy of ±0.1% is maintained continuously by the micro-controller, which adjusts motor drive in real time to compensate for stylus drag and belt compliance variations — delivering a rotational stability and dynamic composure that belt-driven turntables of lesser engineering ambition cannot match. The 70 shores rectified EPDM belt transmits drive from motor to platter with exceptional smoothness, free from the micro-vibrations that contaminate the signal path in inferior belt-drive designs.

Gold Note B-5.1 Tonearm — Ready to Play

The Giglio arrives fitted as standard with the Gold Note B-5.1 tonearm — Gold Note's benchmark precision tonearm, built with exclusive GRW micro ball-bearings and an Aluminium 6000 series arm tube, and the tonearm against which every cartridge in the Gold Note range is voiced and measured. It is a fitting standard specification for a turntable of the Giglio's ambition, and it ensures that the Giglio is ready from the outset to partner any cartridge in the Gold Note range — from the Gold Note Vasari to the Gold Note Donatello — with complete mechanical integrity and precision. For those who wish to go further, the Gold Note B-7 Ceramic tonearm is available as an upgrade, as is the PST-10 external inductive power supply — both of which represent meaningful and audible steps forward in the Giglio's analogue performance.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The Giglio is for the analogue enthusiast who refuses to choose between serious engineering and exceptional design — one who understands that the finest vinyl replay demands a turntable of real mechanical precision, and who also wants that turntable to be an object of genuine aesthetic distinction in the listening room. It sits naturally within the Gold Note ecosystem alongside the Gold Note PH-10 phono stage, and those who want to explore the full measure of its capability will find the Gold Note Machiavelli MkII a cartridge of matching ambition and character. For those drawn to the broader Gold Note turntable range, the Gold Note Pianosa offers a compelling entry point, while the Gold Note Mediterraneo represents the next step up in mechanical sophistication.

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 Giglio in our Norwich showroom, fitted with a suitable cartridge and connected to a high-quality phono stage, so you can hear precisely what this turntable delivers 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.