Gold Note Da Vinci MC Cartridge

The Gold Note Da Vinci is a low-output moving-coil cartridge, made in Tuscany with a Micro Elliptical diamond, aluminium cantilever and Duralumin 7000 body.

It answers an old question: how much genuine high-end tracking is possible before the chain gets more expensive than the record collection? The Da Vinci takes vinyl the way it was pressed – fast, honest and without any softening filter.

Why the Da Vinci?

The Micro Elliptical cut sits closer against the groove walls than a simple elliptical diamond, extracting more information cleanly – especially in the critical inner grooves, where many cartridges start to struggle. The lightweight aluminium cantilever and the case machined from solid Duralumin 7000 keep resonance out of the signal, while the copper coils deliver over 30 dB of channel separation.

What you hear

Pace and texture. The bass is dry and well-defined, the midrange is open, voices gain body, and the treble stays refined rather than sharp. The soundstage is stable and widely spread: you can point to exactly where the triangle sits, rather than just sensing it.

Who is the Da Vinci suited for – and who isn't it for?

For vinyl listeners taking the step to genuine moving coil and who bring along a decent chain for it. Plain talk: at 0.4 mV the Da Vinci is a low-output MC and absolutely needs a phono stage with an MC input and enough gain; on a plain MM input it stays too quiet. And it's honest – it won't flatter battered pressings. Anyone looking for a forgiving softener for flea-market finds is in the wrong place here.

Our verdict

The Da Vinci plays well above what you'd expect from an entry-level low-output cartridge – provided the turntable base, tonearm and phono stage keep pace. That's exactly where we come in: at HD Zürisee in Wädenswil we mount and align it properly and match the loading to your phono stage.

What the press says: "It is excellent value for money and I highly recommend it." – Chris Frankland, The Ear, October 2024.

Technical data

• Type: moving coil (MC), low output
• Output voltage: 0.4 mV
• Internal impedance: 4 Ω
• Recommended load impedance: 47 Ω
• Recommended tracking force: 2.0 g
• Stylus profile (diamond): Micro Elliptical
• Cantilever: aluminium
• Compliance: 12 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyn
• Frequency response: 10–35,000 Hz
• Channel separation: over 30 dB
• Coil wire: copper
• Body: Duralumin 7000, machined from solid
• Weight: 10 g
• Scope of delivery: cartridge, mounting screws, installation and alignment accessories, manual, storage box

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an MC phono stage for the Da Vinci?

Yes. The Da Vinci is a low-output MC with 0.4 mV and needs a phono stage with an MC input and enough gain. On a plain MM input it stays far too quiet. Gold Note specifies 47 Ω as the loading – a phono stage with adjustable loading is worth its weight in gold here.

Which tonearm does the Da Vinci fit?

On medium-mass arms with a half-inch mount. At 10 g of its own weight and a compliance of 12, it sits within the classic window. Clean overhang, azimuth and VTA values matter, plus a tracking force of 2.0 g – we'll set all of that up for you precisely.

Can the stylus on the Da Vinci be replaced?

No. On a moving-coil cartridge, the diamond is fixed to the cantilever, which is connected to the coils – there's no plug-in stylus assembly like on MM cartridges, by design. Gold Note doesn't offer a replacement stylus unit for the MC models either. If it wears out, we'll clarify the options with the distributor.

What distinguishes the Da Vinci from the Giotto?

Cantilever and cut. The Da Vinci works with an aluminium cantilever and Micro Elliptical diamond, delivers 0.4 mV and wants 47 Ω loading. The Giotto uses a stiffer boron cantilever with an Ultra Micro Elliptical cut, puts out 0.35 mV and is loaded at 100 Ω.

Does the Da Vinci forgive worn records?

Only to a limited extent. The precise Micro Elliptical cut lays bare exactly what's in the groove – including wear and weak pressings. On well-kept vinyl, it rewards you in return with a great deal of detail and a quiet background. Good record cleaning pays off doubly here.

Why buy the Gold Note Da Vinci from HD Zürisee?

Because a cartridge only sounds as good as its mounting. We fit the Da Vinci properly onto your tonearm, align it to the millimetre and match it to your phono stage. As an experienced specialist team in Wädenswil, we'll give you an honest recommendation on which cartridge fits your setup – call us or drop us a message.

Goes well with

A stable tonearm and a high-quality turntable base give the Da Vinci its foundation, and an MC-capable stage from our phono preamps provides the gain. For clean grooves it's worth a look at record cleaning, and further cartridges can be found under cartridges.