I salute C&H of CH Precision for their DIG_IN HD Board Upgrade & Ethernet_IN HD board Upgrade

[CKKeung]

CH Precision has announced and made available their DIG_IN HD board Upgrade and Ethernet_IN HD board Upgrade for some time.

There have already been some reviews on the internet :
https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/re...h-precision-dig-in-hd-board-upgrade-part-1-2/
&
https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/re...ws/ch-precision-ethernet-in-hd-board-upgrade/

Due to some issues of the local dealer, these 2 cards are available to CH Precision owners in Hong Kong only very recently.

I went to a CH owner friend's home to experience the effect of them 2 weeks ago.
He has a C1 + X1 for digital music playback.



I think there is no need to talk about their new features or post all the photos because the above-quoted two reviews are very comprehensive.

I want to talk about my feeling only.
Both my friend and I initially thought that any improvement must be incremental.
We were therefore very surprised when listening to their combined effect.
It's not about improvements in hifi factors such as quietness, resolution, dynamics ..etc only but both of us noticed a great increase of musicality.
The C1+X1 combo is now somewhat similar to my MSB Select DAC!
I may be exaggerating because we don't have chance to arrange a direct comparison.
But the analogueness & rightness are in the same direction.
Very enjoyable and very involving!

I must salute C&H of CH Precision!
The achievement of these two upgrade cards is very significant.
They can simply use the technologies to make a more expensive new model but in the contrary they have chosen to offer the new tech to the current CH Precision owners as upgrades.
This is rather uncommon nowadays.

BTW I can imagine that the coming new 10th Anniversary Series will be really something!

 

[Elliot G.]

CH Precision has announced and made available their DIG_IN HD board Upgrade and Ethernet_IN HD board Upgrade for some time.

There have already been some reviews on the internet :
https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/re...h-precision-dig-in-hd-board-upgrade-part-1-2/
&
https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/re...ws/ch-precision-ethernet-in-hd-board-upgrade/

Due to some issues of the local dealer, these 2 cards are available to CH Precision owners in Hong Kong only very recently.

I went to a CH owner friend's home to experience the effect of them 2 weeks ago.
He has a C1 + X1 for digital music playback.
View attachment 59013
View attachment 59014

I think there is no need to talk about their new features or post all the photos because the above-quoted two reviews are very comprehensive.

I want to talk about my feeling only.
Both my friend and I initially thought that any improvement must be incremental.
We were therefore very surprised when listening to their combined effect.
It's not about improvements in hifi factors such as quietness, resolution, dynamics ..etc only but both of us noticed a great increase of musicality.
The C1+X1 combo is now somewhat similar to my MSB Select DAC!
I may be exaggerating because we don't have chance to arrange a direct comparison.
But the analogueness & rightness are in the same direction.
Very enjoyable and very involving!

I must salute C&H of CH Precision!
The achievement of these two upgrade cards is very significant.
They can simply use the technologies to make a more expensive new model but in the contrary they have chosen to offer the new tech to the current CH Precision owners as upgrades.
This is rather uncommon nowadays.

BTW I can imagine that the coming new 10th Anniversary Series will be really something!

They already have something more. A C1 mono and a clock and X-1 power supplies. I have the whole system and its incredible

 

[luk71]

A single C1 + X1 are similar to MSB Select II ? there is a big price difference.

 

[CKKeung]

A single C1 + X1 are similar to MSB Select II ? there is a big price difference.

Going in the same direction? Definitely yes!
As good? I don't know. No direct comparison done yet.

 

[han_n]

I reflected my findings in the other thread "Hi all, just another CH Precision fan".

 

[luk71]

Do you made the comparison between Msb and Ch Precision Dac ?

 

[CKKeung]

Do you made the comparison between Msb and Ch Precision Dac ?

Direct comparison?
No such opportunity yet.

 

[MadFloyd]

This is very interesting. I have had audiophile lust over the MSB line for a while now but have always been put off by the pricing - specifically that if you don't order some of the options immediately you pay a LOT more for them as an upgrade. It immediately makes something like a $20k DAC change to a $35k initial investment which I find discouraging.

I much prefer the CH approach to upgrading.

What I didn't know was whether the CH digital components were at all competitive from a performance standpoint since they were developed many years ago but it sounds like there have been some good updates. That's great to know!

 

[CKKeung]

What I didn't know was whether the CH digital components were at all competitive from a performance standpoint since they were developed many years ago but it sounds like there have been some good updates. That's great to know!

My favorite dac is MSB Select DAC.
The 1st runner-up is Totaldac Twelve Mk2 with Livepower pau option.
Lampizator Pacific and CH Precision C1.1 are the 2nd runners-up.

Please note that C1.1 performs best with its ethernet card whereas I like Pacifoc's usb input more than its ethernet input.

C1.1 was launched quite some years ago but it has got both software and hardeare upgrades over the years.
The HD digital card and new ethernet card are particularly of great value.

 

[microstrip]

(...) What I didn't know was whether the CH digital components were at all competitive from a performance standpoint since they were developed many years ago but it sounds like there have been some good updates. That's great to know!

Many top modern DACs are excellent sounding but many times it is not easy to find a good match with our systems. In fact today I think we should start by the DAC - it is the most critical part of the system. Than add speakers and amplification. For an interesting view on the CH sound read the Jacob Heilbrunn review of the CH A15 amplifier in TAS https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/ch-precision-a15-power-amplifier/?page=2

But we should remember that a good DAC needs a proper source of bits ...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

for CH Precision the top version is the at least 3 box Mono Dac and up to 7 box version including 3 X1's and the T1 clock.

https://www.ch-precision.com/product/c1-mono-dual-monaural-digital-to-analog-controller/

the 7 box set-up is around $160k and i did hear this twice, once at RMAF a few years back, and then in Elliot's room in Florida 18 months ago. at RMAF i could tell it was very special, but in Elliot's room it came alive and i could hear it's magic.

i'd say it's on the same level as my around $130k 3-box MSB Select II......although i've not done any actual face to face shoot out. maybe i might still have a preference for my MSB, but it's hard in different systems to really know. and we did not play any dsd, which CH does not do natively, so hard to know if that would affect the ranking.

the 7 box CH Precision digital is really great. a year before i bought my MSB Select II, i inquired about the Mono Dac, and was ready to place an order for it, but they were not ready to sell it yet. my dealer (at that time), Steve Dobbins, had inquired about it.

 

[ashandger]

In case of interest, there is a very detailed review of the CHP DAC in its various configurations, including the mono version on The Audio Beat done by Roy Gregory. Very informative.

 

[asiufy]

This is very interesting. I have had audiophile lust over the MSB line for a while now but have always been put off by the pricing - specifically that if you don't order some of the options immediately you pay a LOT more for them as an upgrade. It immediately makes something like a $20k DAC change to a $35k initial investment which I find discouraging.

I much prefer the CH approach to upgrading.

What I didn't know was whether the CH digital components were at all competitive from a performance standpoint since they were developed many years ago but it sounds like there have been some good updates. That's great to know!

Can I ask what kind of upgrades for the MSB do you think you'll pay "A LOT" more? I don't think I follow or see where that comes from.

 

[MadFloyd]

Can I ask what kind of upgrades for the MSB do you think you'll pay "A LOT" more? I don't think I follow or see where that comes from.

It seems the web page with pricing has been removed (It was there a month ago...) but I recall with the Premier and the optional power base you could:
Upgrade* from Discrete Power Supply MSRP $7,500.00
Upgrade later MSRP $8,950.00

So this is a difference of $1450 but I recall seeing enough of these that it discouraged me from the brand.

 

[asiufy]

Ian,

Thanks for answering.

When you purchase a Premier, it comes with one Discrete Power Supply. If you, at the time of purchase, upgrade to the Premier Power Base, you obviously won't need that Discrete Power Supply, so you don't pay for it. And guess how much that Discrete Power Supply costs? $1,450

You can also just add a 2nd Discrete PS at anytime for $1,450, a great and viable option, and get a nice boost, without needing to go all the way to the Premier Power Base.

And besides, if you work with a dealer, this is all moot, as he'll facilitate the upgrades along the way, in case you want to go fro 2 Discrete PS to a Premier Power Base, for instance.

Of course, everyone has their reasons for liking/disliking a given brand even before a note is played, but I felt there was something wrong in your assessment, thus my question.

Thanks again,
Alex

 

[MadFloyd]

Thanks for the clarification, Alex. Good to know!