CH Precision C1.2

Bonesy Jonesy

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Jan 3, 2017
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For the Stereophile review on the C1.2, the Reviewer would have got an even more astonishing and greater sound and performance form the C1.2 if he had linked it to a CH L1 Pre-Amp and CH Power Amps ! His overall system he used to review the C1.2 was too much of an overall 'pick and mix' kind of system !
 

AudioLibertarian

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Dec 25, 2017
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In case of interest, Roy Gregory just published a very detailed review of the D1.5 and C1.2 on his website...link given below.

Such an ad copy type "review" ... I wonder how Roy Gegory is not a head of any major ad agency by now! This "review" makes even Bob Harley's "reviews" read like early daysTAS Harry Pearson by comparison!
 

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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Two awards from Christopher of Hi Fi Advice!

HFA_Award-HFA-favorite_300pix.png
HFA_Award-Magnificent_Masterpiece_300pix.png


Big Congrats!
 
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Bonesy Jonesy

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Such an ad copy type "review" ... I wonder how Roy Gegory is not a head of any major ad agency by now! This "review" makes even Bob Harley's "reviews" read like early daysTAS Harry Pearson by comparison!
It certainly 'wets the appetite' to at least try and audition the C1.2 & D1.5 if nothing else (which I would love to do, to at least see how it compares with my current TT set-up) !
 

Scott Naylor

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Mar 19, 2021
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Two awards from Christopher of Hi Fi Advice!

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Big Congrats!
Christiaan did his usual excellent job with that update review.
 

Elliot G.

Industry Expert
Jul 22, 2010
3,286
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www.bendingwaveusa.com
 

Bonesy Jonesy

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2017
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Two awards from Christopher of Hi Fi Advice!

View attachment 102766
View attachment 102767


Big Congrats!
Would have been good if the Reviewer had also used the CH X1 dedicated power supply with the C1.0 and C1.2 to see the differences with and without the X1 and if the margin was more between the C1.0 and C1.2.
 

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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Screenshot_2023-01-28-18-54-52-627-edit_com.android.chrome.jpg
 

plasmod3

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Aug 28, 2020
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View attachment 103617
But ck the real question is why did they use Jim Austin as the reviewer and why is the matching components in the system of a much lower tier than the ch?
 

RideCA

Member
Oct 18, 2021
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Seattle, WA USA
But ck the real question is why did they use Jim Austin as the reviewer and why is the matching components in the system of a much lower tier than the ch?
We asked Jim Austin to review the C1.2 for a number of reasons.

It’s a serious product, and he IS the Editor of the magazine.
He had already reviewed the D1.5, and this review was very much an extension of that one.
He is technically adept and capable of both understanding and explaining the thinking, technology, and techniques deployed in the C1.2.
He’s a gentleman and a pleasure to work with.

As to the partnering system, although equipment comes and goes (as in any reviewer’s system), we are confident that you (and he) will hear the benefits and qualities of the C1.2 through the Pass Labs amplifiers and Wilson Audio’s Alexx V loudspeakers that were present for the bulk of the listening.

Kevin Wolff
Head of International Sales

CH Precision Sàrl
ZI Le Tresi 6B
1028 Préverenges
Switzerland

www.ch-precision.com
 

plasmod3

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Aug 28, 2020
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We asked Jim Austin to review the C1.2 for a number of reasons.

It’s a serious product, and he IS the Editor of the magazine.
He had already reviewed the D1.5, and this review was very much an extension of that one.
He is technically adept and capable of both understanding and explaining the thinking, technology, and techniques deployed in the C1.2.
He’s a gentleman and a pleasure to work with.

As to the partnering system, although equipment comes and goes (as in any reviewer’s system), we are confident that you (and he) will hear the benefits and qualities of the C1.2 through the Pass Labs amplifiers and Wilson Audio’s Alexx V loudspeakers that were present for the bulk of the listening.

Kevin Wolff
Head of International Sales

CH Precision Sàrl
ZI Le Tresi 6B
1028 Préverenges
Switzerland

www.ch-precision.com
Curious doesn't the magazine select and assign a reviewer or does ch get to choose? Just an insight I wasn't aware of before. Anyway!

Have no doubt Jim is a nice chap but there is no point reviewing a top tier component in a mid tier system? Roon nucleus, isoacoustic footers, ps audio powerplant, burmester amps? That's not top tier or in the price category of what is being reviewed here.

Of course a good dac will improve this system dramatically ( I hope it does! ) but what I want to know is how does this improve the sound in a top tier system. And compare it with the other top dacs that a reviewer had heard of before and with a point of reference to.

The system used was as posted in the review was

Digital sources: CH Precision D1.5 transport/player (used as transport), X1 power supply, and T1 clock. Roon Nucleus+; Synology DS918+ 4-bay Network Attached Storage device with 16TB; Melco S100 Ethernet Dataswitch.
Preamplification: Pass Labs XP-25 phono preamplifier, Pass Labs XP-32 line preamplifier.
Power amplifiers: Pass Labs XA60.8 monoblocks, Burmester 218 stereo amplifiers bridged for mono.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V, Estelon XB Diamond Mk.2.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Carbon & Cinnamon & Coffee (all USB); Nordost Valhalla 2 (Ethernet). Interconnect: Burmester (XLR), Nordost Valhalla 2, AudioQuest. Speaker: AudioQuest Thunderbird ZERO. Power: Burmester, Nordost Valhalla 2, AudioQuest Tornado High-Current C13, NRG-X3, and Monsoon C13.
Accessories: PS Audio Power Plant P10 power conditioner, Butcher Block Acoustics RigidRack, IsoAcoustics, and Magico footers.
 
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RideCA

Member
Oct 18, 2021
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Curious doesn't the magazine select and assign a reviewer or does ch get to choose? Just an insight I wasn't aware of before. Anyway!

Have no doubt Jim is a nice chap but there is no point reviewing a top tier component in a mid tier system? Roon nucleus, isoacoustic footers, ps audio powerplant, burmester amps? That's not top tier or in the price category of what is being reviewed here.

Of course a good dac will improve this system dramatically ( I hope it does! ) but what I want to know is how does this improve the sound in a top tier system. And compare it with the other top dacs that a reviewer had heard of before and with a point of reference to.

The system used was as posted in the review was

Digital sources: CH Precision D1.5 transport/player (used as transport), X1 power supply, and T1 clock. Roon Nucleus+; Synology DS918+ 4-bay Network Attached Storage device with 16TB; Melco S100 Ethernet Dataswitch.
Preamplification: Pass Labs XP-25 phono preamplifier, Pass Labs XP-32 line preamplifier.
Power amplifiers: Pass Labs XA60.8 monoblocks, Burmester 218 stereo amplifiers bridged for mono.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V, Estelon XB Diamond Mk.2.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Carbon & Cinnamon & Coffee (all USB); Nordost Valhalla 2 (Ethernet). Interconnect: Burmester (XLR), Nordost Valhalla 2, AudioQuest. Speaker: AudioQuest Thunderbird ZERO. Power: Burmester, Nordost Valhalla 2, AudioQuest Tornado High-Current C13, NRG-X3, and Monsoon C13.
Accessories: PS Audio Power Plant P10 power conditioner, Butcher Block Acoustics RigidRack, IsoAcoustics, and Magico footers.
I didn't mean to imply that we chose Jim. Rather, all reviews go through each publication's editor. We were very happy to work in this case with the editor of Stereophile.
 

zbub

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2013
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Personally I didn't care who reviewed C1.2 for Stereophile; if the review generated more interests (especially positive interests) for CH Precision it's a win for CHP and all current users.

I ordered the upgrade a week ago and I can't wait to send my unit in.
 

matthias

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Mar 14, 2019
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View attachment 103617
But he also mentioned:

"I have little to add. There are other digital sources in this price class, from the three-letter companies, dCS and MSB. There undoubtedly are others in a similar price class—and one manufacturer at least is charging more. But I haven't heard any of those other sources in my system, so there's no way I can compare."
 

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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zbub

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2013
119
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I witnessed the installation of C1.2 Upgrade last week and wrote two posts on a local HiFi forum.
WBF brothers may read it with google-translate.
:D

Thanks for posting the link CK. I read it this morning and it certainly contained a lot of great photos on the process it took to practically made it into a new DAC. I spoke to my local CHP representative about the number of boards and the amount of work to complete the upgrade, and to me, the cost requested by CHP is actually quite generous.
 
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CKKeung

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Thanks for posting the link CK. I read it this morning and it certainly contained a lot of great photos on the process it took to practically made it into a new DAC. I spoke to my local CHP representative about the number of boards and the amount of work to complete the upgrade, and to me, the cost requested by CHP is more than fair.
C & H are very kind to the old customers. My salute!

IMHO the C1.2 Upgrade is the best and the most worthy hi-end component upgrade I have ever encountered.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
1,425
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Manila, Philippines
C & H are very kind to the old customers. My salute!

IMHO the C1.2 Upgrade is the best and the most worthy hi-end component upgrade I have ever encountered.

I'm so glad to hear that. I have a C1.2 incoming as I want to hear it before I offer my C1 customers the upgrade.

Oh by the way, I asked a little bird what order in which he personally would progress in terms of order of purchase to get the most bang at each step. He says Start with the C1/C1.2, then add the D1/D1.5, okay this surprised me, then go T1. Boom. I was floored. As it turns out, the T1 is another layer of cake and the X1s will be the icing. Well for those of you who have been using external clocks, sorry I'm what you would call a full on NOOB. My experience with clocks was SMPTE use so basically just an important utility but not a contributor to a better viewing experience in any aesthetic way. So I guess for decades now I never looked at the audio side. Now I'll be getting the T1 too and because of lack of rack space, I will be decommissioning the X1 of the C and D.

I'll let you guys know how well I like the naked cake :)
 

billeames

New Member
Mar 6, 2023
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69
Hello, I am new to this forum, but since you discuss good audio equipment, I thought I would try to join.

Do you know if the CH Precision 1.5 CD player or the c1.2 is as good as a similar price turntable? If c1.5 is 46k that is similarly priced to a Clearaudion Master innovation turntable, arm and cartridge. Jubilee MC.

The aforementioned turntable outperforms Esoteric K01x at least in CD mode. Plus outperforms Linn LP12 with cheap cartridge, and Ittok arm. And the simaudio Andromeda which is quite old by now. Piano notes sound smeared on all players I have except Clearaudio.

I may try to do a demo at the local store later this month. c1.2 dac I think versus a TechDAS air force 3 premium. No way to afford a CH product for many many months. Since I just got the Master Innovation. Life is not always easy.

Thank you!

Bill
 

Jambo

Well-Known Member
Apr 15, 2015
106
113
275
Australia
Hello all,

My CH C1 finally got upgraded to C1.2 status, I had a 7 weeks wait for it to be done. Nothing to do with the distributor/dealer. As I live in a totally different state to the dealer, to save on shipping expenses the beast over to another state (likely hood of damage or loss) , I decided to get it done locally. And company i used has two techs, and one tech had injured himself (not work related), so the repair queue became rather long and I did not trust any other company to do it locally.

Anyway, so i’m not going to be able to give a meaningful response of before and after upgrade due to nearly two months without my C1. But what I can say is that i’m very pleased, bass seems to be now better defined, some of the slight flabbiness has gone, quite tight and deep. Not sure about the soundstage increase, but what I can say that the soundstage is definitely better defined, better able to place instruments within the soundstage. I think there is more depth, or once again it could better depth definition.

quite a bit of the looseness has gone, now the notes are tighter and there is less bleed. One thing I did find is that the sound is a touch more neutral than before, and as my system is fairly neutral already, I just needed to swap over two power cords, I placed the slighly warmer one on the C1.2 and the more netural one on my switch. That seem to be about the right balance for my personal taste.

Overall I’m well pleased with the outcome, I highly recommend people with CH C1 seriously consider getting thier upgraded to C1.2 status.

Cheers
 

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