I’d like to thank Gold Note for sending us a sample PSU-10 EVO for review. We are not affiliated with Gold Note, and the opinions expressed are entirely our own.
The foundation beneath
When I reviewed Gold Note’s groundbreaking desktop DAC/amp, the HP-10 Deluxe, I treated it as a complete instrument – self-contained, composed, and deeply capable on its own. It was not a piece of hi-fi theatre. It was controlled, deliberate, and confidently engineered.
Yet Gold Note clearly anticipated that some users would want to take it further, and so, built into the rear panel, is a dedicated multi-pin input. It is neither decorative nor an afterthought, but an intentional gateway for a clear upgrade tweak: PSU-10 EVO.
This is not an accessory in the casual sense. It’s a purpose-built external linear power supply designed for Gold Note’s Series 10 components, including HP-10/Deluxe and the DS-10 family. Its purpose is simple, in theory: remove the burden of power generation from the amplifier chassis and provide a more stable, more isolated electrical foundation.
PSU-10 EVO isn’t there to fix a shortcoming. Paired with HP-10, it exists to unlock headroom and elevate an already exceptional, now modular, system design.
Power as architecture
Visually, PSU-10 EVO mirrors HP-10 exactly. The chassis shares the same dimensions, materials, and understated design language, creating a seamless pairing when placed side by side. Rather than appearing as an add-on, it looks like the amplifier’s natural counterpart; a second movement in the same composition. The symmetry is deliberate and pleasing, reinforcing the sense that this is a unified system split across two enclosures, not a bolt-on upgrade.
Make no mistake, however, PSU-10 EVO is not merely a large box with a transformer. Internally, it employs four transformers – three dedicated to the supply rails themselves, and a fourth feeding Gold Note’s proprietary inductive filtering stage. That stage, referred to as the Dual Choke Hybrid system, uses dual inductors to filter both positive and negative high-current paths before regulation.
Low-noise voltage regulators further stabilise each rail before the current reaches the connected component. The objective isn’t increased voltage, nor greater raw wattage, but improved stability. It achieves this through lower ripple, reduced interference, and more consistent current delivery under dynamic demand.
When connected to HP-10, the amplifier no longer needs its mains cable. Power is delivered exclusively from the PSU via the supplied umbilical cord, effectively removing its internal supply from the equation. Which, I have to say, feels wonderfully tidy – one less cable snaking around the back of your desk.
Operational behaviour remains unchanged. When the amplifier is powered on, the front LED shifts from blue (internal supply) to green, indicating that it’s being powered by external PSU-10 EVO. Heat output, startup sequence, and ergonomics remain familiar. From the outside, nothing dramatic happens.
Internally, though, the amplifier is now operating on rails generated entirely outside its own chassis. In engineering terms, that separation matters – and in listening, the effect is unmistakable.
Continued…
