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Graham Slee Era Gold V Award Winning Phono Preamp
If Phonostage Audio were to give out a 'Recognition of Outstanding Service' award, then the ERA Gold would get it! We have one here that has been knocking around since at least 2013 and has been the mainstay of the vinyl record auditioning and grading set-up since 2014 and I must have listened to some or all of about 10,000 records on this little gem! And it has remained clear, neutral, honest, hard-working and reliable and still holds up brilliantly against others I have tried it against.. giving big improvements even on modest systems. I love this little phono-stage and it is no wonder that the chaps at Graham Slee haven't been able to phase it out yet... By any standards this remains a superb sounding piece of kit!!
Era Gold V- MM Phono Preamp
The 'Miraculous' Era Gold V - Still Going Strong
The Era Gold V works wonders with moving magnet and high output cartridges.
So much so it had one influential reviewer declaring it to be miraculous!
The Era Gold V takes over the reigns from where our legendary Gram Amp range leaves off in taking your vinyl sound to greater depths and heights.
The Era Gold V phono preamp is available supplied with the PSU1 power supply, and a choice of voltages and power plugs; or in budget form with basic power supply, allowing you to upgrade to the PSU1 at a later date. Also available with mono switch option.
Era Gold V Basic power supply
Era Gold V PSU1 power supply
The Era Gold V is a "legacy product" superseded by the Reflex M. It was due to be retired along with the Jazz Club archival phono preamp variant. However, public demand for both these phono preamps is still high and we therefore continue to manufacture and support them.
The Era Gold V Sound Took Many By Surprise
At the time when the Era Gold V was launched (2002) it was considered outragous to make a high quality solid-state phono preamp just for high output cartridges (but OK if you did it with tubes...).
But it gave those with less fortunate budgets the chance to hear what people with moving coil were hearing, giving moving coil a run for its money.
It was so good that many dealers hid them away for fear of their moving coil sales (honestly - it's true); and it wasn't until Michael Fremer reviewed it in the US Stereophile magazine, and TNT's Geoff Husband reported on it, that what it does for music became more widely known.
It Didn't Sound Like A CD Player
At a time when others were trying to win converts to vinyl by making it sound like CD - hoping to sell more phono preamps - the Era Gold V instead pushed the bandwidth much further which led to a more refreshing and inspiring sound.
Giving vinyl 'room to breathe' it also did the same great 'trick' as the Gram Amps, in pushing surface noise back and bringing the music to the fore.
Little wonder then that Michael Fremer declared it miraculous. By the way, he still uses his Era Gold V and it often features in tests.
Specification
Item | Measurement |
---|---|
Input range | 2mV to 10mV |
Output (for input range) | 252mV to 1,260mV (1.26V) |
Maximum input | 39mV rms |
Maximum output | 4.914V rms |
Gain | 42dB (126) at 1kHz |
Input impedance | 47k Ohms plus 100pf |
Output (driving/source) impedance | 910 Ohm |
Recommended load impedance | 10k Ohm or greater |
Noise at output | -65dB CCIR Q-pk |
Distortion | 0.02% |
RIAA accuracy | < 0.5dB |
Channel balance | 0.2dB |
Channel separation | 64dB |
Size (approx.) | W: 107 x H: 50 x D: 180 (mm) inc. jacks |
Specifications subject to alteration without notice in keeping with the manufacturer's continuous improvement policy.
Reviews
Given its price and its miraculous - and this agnostic means miraculous - performance. I recommend the GSP Audio Era Gold Mk.V as enthusiastically, if not more so, as I've recommended any product I've reviewed and recommended in all the years I've been doing this.
- Michael Fremer, Analog Corner, Stereophile, January 2004
OK I'm going to nail my colours to the mast... Lucio has banned us from saying "best I've ever heard" "never heard anything as good" etc as it begs the question "compared to what?" and is often meaningless hype. But here I've listed the runners and riders, added the caveat "in my system and room" and finally "to my ears", so here goes. The Era Gold + Elevator EXP is the best phono combination for MC's I've ever heard - period...
- Geoff Husband, TNT Audio, July 2002
EAN | 7626017031030 |
---|---|
Product Weight | 1.00kg |
Brand | Graham Slee |
Model | Era Gold V |
Cartridge Types | MM, High Output MC |
Colour/Finish | silver |
Product Height | 50cm |
Product Width | 107cm |
Product Depth | 180cm |
Warranty | 1 Year Manufacturers Warranty |