Roon coming to CH C1

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
3,711
723
1,200
San Diego, CA
almaaudio.com
howie,

While the PC will work as your Roon Core, you'll likely benefit from a dedicated server as your Roon Core machine. Look elsewhere from Lumin/Aurender though, as neither can act as a Roon Core.
 
  • Like
Reactions: howiebrou

howiebrou

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2012
2,789
3,635
1,470
howie,

While the PC will work as your Roon Core, you'll likely benefit from a dedicated server as your Roon Core machine. Look elsewhere from Lumin/Aurender though, as neither can act as a Roon Core.
Nucleus + worth considering for this purpose? All suggestions welcome!
 

rsorren1

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
365
133
348
Dallas area
Hi Everyone. The CH Precision Ethernet_HD card is now available for order from our dealers having been certified by ROON. The Ethernet_HD card will be recognized as a ROON endpoint allowing transfer of music files to occur over ethernet to the C1. The connectivity required is:
1. a computing device such as a music server, Nucleus +, etc able to run ROON Server connected to the network via an ethernet cable
2. CH Precision C1 DAC with Ethernet_HD connected to the same network via an ethernet cable
3. an iOS or Android device connected via wireless running ROON remote to act as the user interface for ROON

Up until now, if a C1 owner wanted to run ROON (and I have for years), the only connectivity option was a computing device running ROON Server connected to the C1 via USB and an iOS or Android device running ROON Remote for user interface. One could stream files to the C1 over ethernet using a computing device that was connected to the same network as the C1 and running UPnP software such as Minimserver. One had to use our free CH Precision Control app to control the selection of files to play. QoBuz and Tidal are available through our control app too and are still available using the ETHERNET_HD card with ROON or our control app.

Pricing: for those C1 owners who do not have an ethernet streaming card and wish to add this option, the Ethernet_HD card is $6,000. For those C1 owners who have an ethernet streaming card and wish to upgrade, the cost is dependent upon the age of your card. If the serial number of your ethernet streaming card begins with T17, T18, or T19, the upgrade is $1,000. If the serial number of your card begins with T16 or anything else, the upgrade costs $3,000. ALL C1s EVER BUILT are able to be upgraded to ETHERNET_HD! Real investment protection. Please note that the DIG_IN HD upgrade that we announced last year is a prerequisite for ETHERNET_HD and costs $2,500. This is an essential upgrade in my opinion because we changed the upsampling and digital filters when we released the DIG_IN card and these have made a significant improvement in sound quality of our C1.

If you are a C1 MONO or I1 owner, the same cards and upgrades (DIG_IN and ETHERNET_HD) are available since the cards are the same in all three units. However, availability for these units will be a while longer since ROON certifies each unit individually and we are not permitted to release cards and appropriate firmware until the certification completes.

Installation is easy and will usually be completed by our dealers in less than 45 minutes. The old ethernet card is removed from the back with two torx screws. The new card is installed and the two screws replaced. A firmware upgrade is required and is provided with the ETHERNET_HD upgrade. If you perform this upgrade yourself, please have the C1 unit completely powered off before starting.

Finally, if your C1 is connected to an X1, the X1 firmware must be at v1.5. This was required when we did the DIG_IN upgrade last year.

ENJOY!
 

tunes

Member Sponsor
Nov 9, 2013
187
1
246
Hi Ralph,
Thanks for the updated information regarding the Ethernet HD card.
Sounds exciting!
Clearly this is especially awesome for Roon users. For non-room users, are there further improvements over the previous ethernet card in other ways? I see a mention in another member post earlier in this thread about faster speed or something. Can you clarify?
Many thanks,
Chris
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
  • Like
Reactions: howiebrou

rsorren1

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
365
133
348
Dallas area
Hi Ralph,
Thanks for the updated information regarding the Ethernet HD card.
Sounds exciting!
Clearly this is especially awesome for Roon users. For non-room users, are there further improvements over the previous ethernet card in other ways? I see a mention in another member post earlier in this thread about faster speed or something. Can you clarify?
Many thanks,
Chris
Chris, thanks for the note. When I was at RMAF last week, Raphael Pasche, CH Precision Electronics Designer (extraordinaire !) handed me my ETHERNET_HD card so that I could get familiar with it in my system and update our US Dealers and CH Precision owners. I just got home tonight from the trip and installed the new Ethernet_HD card in my system. No problem. The firmware update takes several minutes so be patient. I am going to have to speak with our design team tomorrow about your question because I hear sonic improvements using ROON. I’ll try ethernet streaming without ROON tomorrow and report back. Here are a few pictures of what to expect with Ethernet_HD and ROON 450F5EB6-50E3-4136-9AF4-A28CCDF06118.jpeg ED436A7D-B7C3-4443-A0FE-77EF0D1DB606.jpeg
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
One of the prerequisites to install the new Roon-compatible ethernet card is that it must be a C1.1 or to install a HD digital input card onto a C1.

My frds in HK are getting themselves ready now by installing HD digital input cards :
IMG-20190915-WA0077~2.jpg
 
Last edited:

rsorren1

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
365
133
348
Dallas area
One of the prerequisites to install the new Roon-compatible ethernet card is that it must be a C1.1 or to install a HD digital input card onto a C1.

My frds in HK are getting themselves ready now buy installing HD digital input cards :
View attachment 57034
That is correct. DIG_IN HD input card is a prerequisite. This upgrade improves the upsampling and digital filter that we use. We now fit a polynomial curve between data points in the upsampling algorithm instead of padding with zeros. The improvement in sound quality for digital should be quite easy to hear. ALL C1s EVER BUILT are able to install the DIG_IN HD board and v5.0 of firmware. ALL C1s EVER BUILT are then able to be upgraded to Ethernet_HD.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CKKeung

JayT

Well-Known Member
Oct 10, 2017
29
10
108
Hi Ralph, once again thanks for your great advice on my ch precision journey so far.

My current setup does not have roon involved as it goes from lan point to melco to ch precision c1 connected via ethernet cables. Would I still benefit from the ethernet_hd card?

Thanks!
 

rsorren1

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
365
133
348
Dallas area
Hi Everyone. I've had the chance to speak with our design team about changes to the Ethernet _HD card. Specifically, if you are running ROON in your setup today via USB to your C1 then this update will likely make sense for you. See post #23 above.

But what about those C1 owners who do not have a ROON license and want to continue to stream files via ethernet to their C1 via UPnP ?

There are a few changes that have been made to the ETHERNET_HD card:
1. The voltage needed for card operation has been reduced. Therefore, you no longer have to plug the C1 ethernet cable into a POE switch for power-on
2. The new card can now handle files larger than 2GB
3. The new card can play compressed DXD files
4. The new card can play OGG files
5. we have improved compatibility and made improvements to the way we handle ALAC (m4a) files

My advice is to DEFINITELY get the upgrade if you are a ROON user. Files played through ROON from a local hard drive or from a streaming service with ETHERNET_HD sound better than the same files played through ROON over USB. If you are not a ROON user than it may not be an urgent item on your upgrade list. Have a look at the above changes, contact one of our dealers to have a listen, and then decide.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CKKeung

Elliot G.

Industry Expert
Jul 22, 2010
3,286
2,958
1,360
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
www.bendingwaveusa.com
OK I got my new Ethernet Roon ready Streaming Board this morning and have just finished updating all the software and installing the board.
This is all very easy and the longest part is the software updating. The whole surgery should take around 30 minutes or less.
I am playing the system now to get it to full operating parameters and I am going to use a standard Ethernet cable to start just so I can listen to the difference when I install the Gobel Lacorde Reference Ethernet cable that is sitting on my chair waiting to get the go ahead from the coach to enter the game.
I am not going to say this now. I have a big smile on my face!
 
  • Like
Reactions: CKKeung

christoph

Well-Known Member
Dec 11, 2015
4,659
4,058
825
Principality of Liechtenstein

Elliot G.

Industry Expert
Jul 22, 2010
3,286
2,958
1,360
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
www.bendingwaveusa.com
well for me it isn't a 6k smile since I have an old one to return however it is a big difference and I have a big system so this is a small price to pay for a substantial step. I only use digital and have a C1.1 Mono with T1 clock and 3 X-1 power supplies.
 

Elliot G.

Industry Expert
Jul 22, 2010
3,286
2,958
1,360
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
www.bendingwaveusa.com
I am going to try to describe what I am hearing this morning . I gave my system with the new board 24-36 hours to play now that I have re set up the gear from RMAF and have installed this new Ethernet board.
Here goes:
First the system is very easy to listen too and sounds incredibly airy and clear. Not clear in the sense that it is forward or bright just live. The system breaths like it has never done before. We had some of this at RMAF in a huge room but the room did have a lot of slap echo that just can't be removed without seriously treating the issues which we will not do at a show. The system has space and dimension like I have never heard from digital before. I put on some of my favorite artists and just smiled at what i am hearing. Peter Gabriel " Here comes the Flood" I can hear the air in the room the echo off the back wall in the studio and he is there with me, Bruce Springsteen Live on Broadway cut "Thunder Road" has the intimacy that one feels sitting in the first five rows seeing an acoustic performance. The noise floor which was always really low seems to be gone.
I have always felt that the better the "signal to noise" in reality the better the systems seem to play. I don't mean the specs I mean what I am listening too. The sources when right whether analog or digital just play and there is no sense of machine just the feeling of music in air. I have listened to other contenders and they are certainly first class products but for me this has moved to a new place and I really like the view from here.
 

tunes

Member Sponsor
Nov 9, 2013
187
1
246
Thanks for posting your impressions Elliot.
I just updated my C1 firmware to version 5.1
 

Elliot G.

Industry Expert
Jul 22, 2010
3,286
2,958
1,360
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
www.bendingwaveusa.com
If you didn't get one of these are are using files or streaming you are missing something AMAZING. I just spent a few hours listening to my system after running the system for about 4 or 5 days after I had set it back up after the show and then changing the ethernet card last week.I am sure whatever i say is going to sound like sales hype but this thing is FREEKING AWESOME.
I have heard a big difference at my friends house on his MSB select two when they cam out with there Ethernet card however this is IMHO way beyond that.
CH gets little press for their DAC's and I have no clue why maybe they are just to famous for Their Amps and Phono stage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CKKeung

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing