New convert to CH Precision - advice needed
- Thread starter Derekw14
- Start date
I'm seriously considering L1+X1 for a Mephisto stereo or why not be crazy and wait for L10 to come out ? lol
I still have a couple of months to decide.
Cheers.
I still have a couple of months to decide.
Cheers.
That sounds like an excellent option. There is an owner here who has run both CH and Robert Koda K15EX with Mephisto, and there is another who currently runs Audionet Stern with his Mephisto. All great options.
Aren't you using a K15EX with your Mephisto ?
How does it sound compared to other linestages you owned in the past ?
Not yet, it is on order and should arrive in Sept. The CJ is the primary preamp I have used with Gryphon. Will have more to say hopefully in a few weeks.
Lloyd any specific reasons why you chose K15EX over another brand for the Mephisto ?
Thanks.
I'm very surprised about that. I have also seen the video of Mikey Fremer at CH's and I've not noted at all the ghost of Herve' in the background...
It's a pleasure to know that competition means also respect between two highly reputated brand.
It was instinct based on discussions with Robert Koch the designer, speaking with multiple owners and knowing that the brand new importer and one of his closest dealers (and mine) had all worked with me for 12 years on our current system. The approach, priorities of sound reproduction, and also the consistency of comments about certain attributes were helpful along with comments from those who actually have this particular pairing. I also spoke with a few manufacturers who have worked with the equipment, and elected to own Robert Koda themselves personally as well. Finally, I was also looking to move away from tubes with their re-tubing, tube noise, tube hiss, while retaining the organic qualities of their presentation. Enter Robert Koda. We shall see.
This is a risk without doubt. Strangely when I look back, I realize I took similar risks on CJ ACT 1, GAT 1 and GAT 2, as well as on Transparent (never heard), and Gryphon Antileon, Colosseum and Mephisto (I had heard an even older Gryphon once before). Even the Wilson X1 was based on an 'audition' 3 years prior and the XLF based on hearing it when it first launched in 2012.
All of these were acquired at steep discounts so in-home auditions were not available.
Hi Thieliste,
So it arrived! I am only just getting to know the preamp, but a few hours in and I suppose coming from a 20-year CJ ownership all the way thru the CJ GAT 2...and having considered Zanden 3000, Shindo, ARC, FM Acoustics, D'Agostino as well as Constellation and CH (which I did not manage to audition)...my initial thoughts are if you love purity, unbelievably quiet noise floor which allows a remarkable bouquet of details to abound in the music...and enjoy dynamics both macro and micro...with a tonal purity that leads everything...look no further.
The CJ GAT 2 saw off a lot of comers over the years (for me and my personal tastes...ARC, Zanden 3000, Shindo, D'Agostino, Krell, Boulder...i admired but did not pursue FM Acoustics, Gryphon, Constellation and did not hear CH Precision but am not worried)...but everything the CJ GAT 2 was...has now been significantly bested by the Koda K15EX (Superground). It is quieter, significantly and shockingly more detailed...and yet for tonal purity, an utter lack of grain, I lack for nothing. In fact is those 2 elements which are the strong suits of the CJ GAT 2...but now with the K15EX are more resolved by far, and much, much quieter (no noise when pause on track, very low noise when playing, and if you wish to listen to James Ehnes play violin on the soundtrack to Angels & Demons - Hans Zimmer...you will now not only enjoy his solo when his violin soars on a single intensely pure note...but you will enjoy that leading up to it, his bow clearly rides up and over the strings and bounces slightly as he gets ready to really make that note soar...a beautiful detail of his technique i literally could not hear with the CJ GAT 2 before)...
...and on the macrodynamic side, unexpectedly with a significantly greater amount of macro dynamic range and slam. The CJ GAT 2 was never designed to be a slam master...but it had far more slam and dynamics than the Series 1...but the Koda K15EX was shocking in how it delivered on deep house electric. I dropped the Sub down from 10 to 7 on the volume to re-balanced everything.
Wow...this is truly special, and it is only a few hours old, not grounded yet (Tripoint) and I think there are supposed to be shorting plugs into the balanced inlets where there are SE sources going in...tweaks...but with burn-in and tweaks, I look forward to seeing what the K15EX can do when it is fully settled in.
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Hey MadFloyd,If only we could compare the L1 and your new baby, then it would be legit.
Great to hear from you. Still in love with your CH L1? You've had some pretty world class equipment before.
It's a great preamp, no doubt about it. I've had two visitors come to listen and they gave it a thumbs up as well. It's interesting because as you know I also have a Dartzeel - another Swiss preamp and you can almost tell they share some of the same DNA yet they both sound very different. I like certain aspects of each one; if I could combine them it might be perfect.
I wonder if you would like FM Acoustics. We had the Mono 111s in the house briefly, and have visited to listen to FM Acoustics generally. I thought their equipment (setting aside price for a second) was extremely well balanced in sound, and the treble surprisingly extended, natural. Intuitively, without a lot of investigation, I certainly felt it was a sound I could happily live with long-term. And having heard a few of the other Swiss brands (a bit) like Nagra, Dartzeel, Goldmund, I suppose I could hear some similarities in their priorities in sound (at least relative to a global view on sound)...and came away impressed with how FMA approached and delivered their version of those priorities.It's a great preamp, no doubt about it. I've had two visitors come to listen and they gave it a thumbs up as well. It's interesting because as you know I also have a Dartzeel - another Swiss preamp and you can almost tell they share some of the same DNA yet they both sound very different. I like certain aspects of each one; if I could combine them it might be perfect.
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