Audio Beat describes the CH Digital System in depth by Roy Gregory

Elliot G.

Industry Expert
Jul 22, 2010
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http://www.theaudiobeat.com/blog/ch_precision_digital.htm If you want to know what the individiual pieces of CH Precision offer and what sonic changes they make then this is quite a good road map.
I own a C-1 mono with T1 clock and X-1 power supplies, no transport. Hard to find one to listen too but IMHO worth it.
 
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Elliot G.

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BTW for those interested Magico M-9's pictured with CH M1.1 amps, Rockport's new pictures shows M1,1 's in their listening room.
 

Brahmsian

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My first post on the forum, so a bit nervous! Not really! Having spent the last 3 years building a 4 box CH digital front end, I would concur with Roy’s article. Getting a C1+D1 is a no brainer, especially with the HD-Link. The next step is most difficult but I went with the T1 first as I am a big chamber music person and the T1 was a joy. The T1 brought out the subtleties of the notes, phrasing and timing and those things are important for chamber music. It was then followed with the X1 and the transformation was wowed. Space, depth, blackness were transformed to produce a great midrange.

The D1 is a great transport, it has literally obliterated everything streaming (via Ehernet) had thrown at it over the last 3 years.
 

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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My first post on the forum, so a bit nervous! Not really! Having spent the last 3 years building a 4 box CH digital front end, I would concur with Roy’s article. Getting a C1+D1 is a no brainer, especially with the HD-Link. The next step is most difficult but I went with the T1 first as I am a big chamber music person and the T1 was a joy. The T1 brought out the subtleties of the notes, phrasing and timing and those things are important for chamber music. It was then followed with the X1 and the transformation was wowed. Space, depth, blackness were transformed to produce a great midrange.

The D1 is a great transport, it has literally obliterated everything streaming (via Ehernet) had thrown at it over the last 3 years.
Hi Brahmsian,
Agree 100%!
T1 is transformational to C1 & D1.

BTW have you upgraded their digital input cards to HD (ie to C1.1 & D1.1)?
This is again a must-do!
;)
 
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JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Manila, Philippines
BTW for those interested Magico M-9's pictured with CH M1.1 amps, Rockport's new pictures shows M1,1 's in their listening room.

A friend here at WBF said the CH sound was described to him as "clear water". I agree. If one wants to know what their speakers really sound like, they make for excellent development tools. That they are engines for pleasure is already known to us CH owners :)
 
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Elliot G.

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Jul 22, 2010
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Hi Brahmsian,
Agree 100%!
T1 is transformational to C1 & D1.

BTW have you upgraded their digital input cards to HD (ie to C1.1 & D1.1)?
This is again a must-do!
;)
and the Ethernet Streaming new card is an also must do!
 
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Elliot G.

Industry Expert
Jul 22, 2010
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A friend here at WBF said the CH sound was described to him as "clear water". I agree. If one wants to know what their speakers really sound like, they make for excellent development tools. That they are engines for pleasure is already known to us CH owners :)
It is a shame that more people don't get to hear this for whatever the reasons, I know its expensive and it has a lot of boxes but it truly is an incredible set up. I have heard at length all the contenders with the exception of the new TOL Wadax which I only got to hear at a show....and after considering selling it when money got tight I changed my mind and decided I must have it.
 

Elliot G.

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Jul 22, 2010
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and the Ethernet Streaming new card is an also must do!
In fact it changed my mind about streaming all together and now I use it all the time and I love Qobuz which allows me to explore new music and find old music I do not have on my server.
 

rsorren1

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
365
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348
Dallas area
As you can imagine, I've been in Elliot's room several times (Jan 2020 the last time) and have heard our C1 Mono / T1 / X1s playing through L1/X1, M1.1, with all Goebel cables and Goebel Divine Nobelse. Truly amazing. Fool you real listening experience on well recorded tracks. I have our four box digital D1/C1/T1/X1d and everything Roy Gregory writes in his excellent review aligns with my experiences. Elliot tells me that the New Goebel speaker, Marquis, performs even better in his room because of its optimal size for his space. I'm looking forward to my next visit and dealer event at Bending Wave when this pandemic is behind us.
 
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Elliot G.

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Thank you for the kind words Ralph. Lo t's of pandemic time to work on the system and today I learned something new that gave me goosebumps all day long. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Marquis.
 
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rsorren1

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
365
133
348
Dallas area
My first post on the forum, so a bit nervous! Not really! Having spent the last 3 years building a 4 box CH digital front end, I would concur with Roy’s article. Getting a C1+D1 is a no brainer, especially with the HD-Link. The next step is most difficult but I went with the T1 first as I am a big chamber music person and the T1 was a joy. The T1 brought out the subtleties of the notes, phrasing and timing and those things are important for chamber music. It was then followed with the X1 and the transformation was wowed. Space, depth, blackness were transformed to produce a great midrange.

The D1 is a great transport, it has literally obliterated everything streaming (via Ehernet) had thrown at it over the last 3 years.

Brahmsian, First, thank you for your support of CH Precision digital products. I too have a 4-box digital front-end, agree with Roy Gregory's review and thought I would share the following. For the past year I have been experimenting with improving the quality of streaming QoBuz to match the presentation of my D1 transport. I've been experimenting so that we can demonstrate our products with improved streaming performance at our dealers, when we hold dealer events, and at audio shows (here's hoping we are able to do these again soon). While I can't say that I have succeeded in matching or surpassing the presentation of our D1, I can say that I have been able to get really close. Note: there is a WBF thread on this topic. I've implemented four things that have helped close the gap:
1. Changed my cable modem to a Broadcom processor based (Forum thread here on this too). This did not improve sound quality as much as it did improve performance of Roon/QoBuz album art loading and selection start
2. Used high performance ethernet cables for data path from data switch to C1, computing device running Roon Core to data switch, data switch to router. Connectivity: ISP->Cable modem->Router/WAP->data switch(1)->data switch(2). C1 connects to data switch(1). Everything else to data switch(2).
3. Optically isolating these two data switches from one another
4. Replaced "wall wart" switching power supplies with linear power supplies on data switches, router.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have if you drop me a private email. Thanks again. Oh, I'm a BIG Brahms fan especially his orchestral works. Love the piano sonatas too. Enjoy!
 

Brahmsian

VIP/Donor
Aug 2, 2020
31
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Brahmsian, First, thank you for your support of CH Precision digital products. I too have a 4-box digital front-end, agree with Roy Gregory's review and thought I would share the following. For the past year I have been experimenting with improving the quality of streaming QoBuz to match the presentation of my D1 transport. I've been experimenting so that we can demonstrate our products with improved streaming performance at our dealers, when we hold dealer events, and at audio shows (here's hoping we are able to do these again soon). While I can't say that I have succeeded in matching or surpassing the presentation of our D1, I can say that I have been able to get really close. Note: there is a WBF thread on this topic. I've implemented four things that have helped close the gap:
1. Changed my cable modem to a Broadcom processor based (Forum thread here on this too). This did not improve sound quality as much as it did improve performance of Roon/QoBuz album art loading and selection start
2. Used high performance ethernet cables for data path from data switch to C1, computing device running Roon Core to data switch, data switch to router. Connectivity: ISP->Cable modem->Router/WAP->data switch(1)->data switch(2). C1 connects to data switch(1). Everything else to data switch(2).
3. Optically isolating these two data switches from one another
4. Replaced "wall wart" switching power supplies with linear power supplies on data switches, router.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have if you drop me a private email. Thanks again. Oh, I'm a BIG Brahms fan especially his orchestral works. Love the piano sonatas too. Enjoy!

Thank you Ralph. It is very kind of you to reach out. I will PM you for further advice.

This brings us onto the question of CD spinning vs streaming. I have no doubt streaming is the way of the future but in the meantime, it is a question of switching cost. I have over 6000 CD and 1000 LP, all properly catalogued and itemised. I know exactly where all of my music is, I don't need Roon to tell me what is available and where. So for me personally, the benefits of spending hours of tinkering with routers, switches, ethernet cables etc. are low. Having said this, I will spend the time so I can get the C1 sounding as good as it can but that is more of a geeky exercise rather than anything else.
 

rsorren1

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
365
133
348
Dallas area
Thank you Ralph. It is very kind of you to reach out. I will PM you for further advice.

This brings us onto the question of CD spinning vs streaming. I have no doubt streaming is the way of the future but in the meantime, it is a question of switching cost. I have over 6000 CD and 1000 LP, all properly catalogued and itemised. I know exactly where all of my music is, I don't need Roon to tell me what is available and where. So for me personally, the benefits of spending hours of tinkering with routers, switches, ethernet cables etc. are low. Having said this, I will spend the time so I can get the C1 sounding as good as it can but that is more of a geeky exercise rather than anything else.

Based on the information you have provided, I would continue to spin those 6000 CDs on your D1 ! Qobuz is great for exploring new music and artists. You can reach me at rsorrentino@ch-precision.com.
 

tunes

Member Sponsor
Nov 9, 2013
187
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Great piece by Roy about the building blocks of a CH System. Those T1 users seem to appreciate it on Chamber music. In Roy's piece it seems that with the addition of an X1 to the T1, that the system improves for other types of music (Jazz, Rock, Electronic). What have T1/X1 users experienced? I've already got X1 units in my system but no T1 as yet.
 

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