Gain has been mixed up, it should be the other way around. PH-5 has lower gain. For one having only one turntable, the PH-5 seems like good value for money. It may not deliver as much detail as the PH-10 but then it also cost much less. Should be a good option.
I’ll be setting mine up soon. On the mend from a hip replacement. I’ll get back to you. Also will get the external power supply as well.
So I now have about 10 record sides in and I can report that the sound is quit excellent, it sounds better then the phono stage in my CJ PV8 as well as my musical surroundings phenomena 2. The midrange is quit smooth and natural and well controlled,& the bass is tight and fast. And the highs are not at all fatiguing. I think the PH5 is not only worth the asking price but quite the toe tapper. Also I want to thank Steve at Sounds of Silance he is great to deal with.
That is interesting, I wonder if that would be a consensus opinion. The PV8 has a pretty nice no feedback all-tube stage with passive equalization and no electrolytic capacitors, almost a direct opposite of the Gold Note design, but it probably has fairly high input capacitance since it is running two tubes in parallel for low noise, so not the best overall design for many of the favored MM carts now. Sounds like you are happy with the Gold Note, so that's all that matters, they are a pretty cool design.
Right now I am using a VHD MC10 Special and I had problems with the PV8 phone section that 2 great techs can’t resolve and I have tried using low nois tubes from Jim McSane to no avail. Sound like running water in the right channel.
Just a heads-up … my first delivery of the PH-5 was DOA. The touch display simply did not work. A replacement was quickly sent out and has given excellent service until … last Thursday. Once again, the touch display is stone cold, which means the unit cannot be turned on. It’s not even two months old. Unless anyone here knows how to revive it, back it goes. My Cambridge Alva Duo has performed magnificently these past 8 years, allows 2 turntables to be connected and never lets me down. Thank goodness I held on to it.