CH Precision electronics

I am also fortunate to have a perfectly symmetrical Tom Hidley control room, with speakers mounted in 8 tons of solid concrete, and the front wall the speakers are mounted in is fully decoupled ( threw concrete separation) from the listening position. I have drilled 100 feet into the earth in 8 different locations around my building to achieve a resistance to ground of 1/2 ohm. I have analog and digital formats and I have the environment and electronics to put all myths to bed.  I am writing this to hopefully attract designers who might be interested in using my acoustic space to reference some of there new designs. Since I have a huge live room and can make reference recordings to analog tape machines. 

There is no reference line stage without tubes in it. And there is no place for advertising on this forum.

A friend has their top of the line linestage in an unusual configuration—instead of using “just” one stereo linestage (one linestage plus power supply) his system uses rwo linestages and two power supplies with one being the master unit.  The linestage feeds CH Precision power amps.  I can’t say what contributes what to the sound, but the system was a bit too bright and lean for my taste. I am a tube electronics person, so it might be a matter of taste.

Thanks for posting.  Your studio looks pics look amazing.

I think you're right about audiophiles wanting a little coloration.  It's not a negative in that people want their music, a finished product, to sound good.  Your studio is involved with the actual production of the music which is a different perspective.

Quick question -- does the EMT plate get a lot of use?

The new top end CH Precision amp at $110k was one that I liked a bit more than the CODA #16 I sold a few days ago. It was not substantially better but there was a bit more refinement to the sound. I sold the #16 to go with a 30-year-old CODA #11.

When I enter the billionaire class I will be shopping for that $110k CH Precision amp. Going direct to amp with my imersiv D-1 DAC into the CH Precession amp would be something else.

BTW - the imersiv D-1 is a Pro Audio DAC. It has a second order harmonic distortion filter to dirty up the sound if you are so inclined.

inna, your statement about tubes(which I also like when used properly) is a religious statement, unless you can supply some reasonable proof for it.

Odd, you couldn’t get a demo, but you could buy? Seems to me if you can’t get a demo for $55K, you should have looked elsewhere. Plenty of places you can get a demo. Hop on a plane and go. But it all worked out in your favor. 
 

The phrase "tried and true" (14th Century) The word "tried" (meaning tested or proven) has been paired with "true" (meaning faithful or accurate) since the mid-1300s. Woodworking Origins: Many etymologists trace "true" to woodworking. A plank of wood was considered "true" if it was perfectly flat and even. A "tried" piece of wood was one that had been planed and tested for accuracy. Over centuries, this shifted from a literal description of timber to a metaphorical description of people and methods. 

Instead of CH, which are very highly priced, try Spectral Audio. Not inexpensive, but far less than CH with characteristics very similar to CH. Of course I used my ears, so your ears may differ in opinion.

Gotta run, but “Don’t spend your money all in one place.” This phrase first appeared in the late 1800s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It was originally used in a literal sense, usually by a parent or grandparent giving a small amount of money to a child.

Pro and bling are two different worlds; not conducive to a mashup.

Possibly digressing a bit but the term "reference" doesn't really connote absolute quality. It's simply a datum point for a piece of equipment's sound quality that other equipment can be compared to.

@OP Congratulations on your studio, though, with respect, I would bin the Mackie Big Knob monitor controller and the NS 10s.

dynamiclinearity, religious statement is fine with me. Proof is in the reality. Ask CH Precision designers privately, and other designers of extraordinary overpriced transistor line amplifiers, they might say the same. Problem is that they want to make a lot of relatively easy money and some of them do indeed.

With power amps a discussion is possible but with phono and line amps everyone knows what I said. Everyone with hearing.

Thanks everyone for all your feedback. Since I use this "tool" (CH L1 X1) for a different purpose, I just thought it would be thoughtful to share my experience. Please keep in mind I always compare what I do threw that line stage , to many other client's reference system.  I was told about spectral from a dear friend of mine that is part owner of Berkeley Audio Labs. Here is the problem with almost every other preamp available in the world. They all have too much gain. Some 8 db some 18 db. If your feeding a +4 DBM nominal signal into a preamp, (most balanced DAC outputs) and the preamp has gain built in, it will fundamentally reduce headroom and resolution. 

As you can see the better I can reference truly the resolution of the source, the better I can adjust my compressors for a translatable mix/product . 

In Hi Fi the ultimate goal should be a system that entertains you. For me I need accuracy, so my clients hear the same thing I hear. 

PS The Spectral preamp has set gain I believe of 10 or 18 DB . The CH precision is the only preamp I know of that enables you to disconnect the +18 db gain stage, thus making it 0db in 0db out with volume control all the way up! 

If ANYONE knows of a active line stage ( not passive) with NO additional gain  built in please share. I am always open minded

Yes I still use my EMT plates. 

micb

Thank You for sharing your experience. Another +vote for your Studio photos looking amazing. Good to read that CH Precision accomplishes your Audio goal.

Happy Listening!

You could have got a reference Yamaha C5000 line stage for 10k dollars. It would have provided 45k in savings.

Yamaha knows how to engineer the greatest line stages for mankind. Their sound master is an ethereal being, a sound deity of sorts.

Hello Deep

Thanks for the recommendation! I looked at it and I can see they have addressed common ground mode noise and its effect of sensitive audio 0V . I still use Yamaha NS10 speakers mostly because of their magical crossover in the midrange. I will look further into this C5000 line stage. Can the equalizer or tone controls be shut off? The preamp probably has some gain in it, this is why they offer attenuation on the balanced inputs and outputs. I am sure it's a very transparent preamp, it might lack the resolution of the CH gear, If you care to share your findings on the sound of this line stage, I would love to hear it.

I want to make something very clear to anyone posting reply's to my comments. First and foremost, my sonic journey is what I am passionate about. Therefore, I have NO emotion to a piece of gear I might use. If there is something better, I am all over it.. 

For my enduring research, I believe in the collective synergy of multiple opinions in my journey. So therefore, I have NO ego or never need to be right. I am true to the ART and journey seeking the best "reference", (since I make a living mixing artists music) .To be honest the artist tells me when the mix is done.  there feedback and them re-hiring me to mix their music is some form perspective, if I am going in the right direction. Some of the artists  I mix for have unlimited budgets. They REALLY want the best. There Utube video's cross well over billions of views, so they are getting paid. 

So one can understand for me this is a business and of course a total passion. I get to work with superstars, and craft their sound. There are producers involved and making there productions sound better than they ever heard, including  their beats and music is what keeps my journey so exciting.  

After auditioning so many line stages, and I have not heard them all, so far, the CH is killing it.. But if anyone has any other better recommendations, PLEASE share. Thank You   Audio

Well I pulled the trigger and bought the CH Precision M10 amplifier. I must say every review and overall comments I have read about the amplifier is pretty much spot ON. I mean the amp is essentially colorless, high resolution, not glarey, with a touch of warmth. The mixes I have been able to create using the L1 and CH M10 are the best mixes I have ever done in my life. VERY 3D. I am Very excited!! If you're looking for extreme neutrality, transparent sound, I can't recommend enough.. If you want color and tonality that is not in the source or heavier bass weight, it's not the amp. It could be considered a bit lean, but actually it has a very transparent low end. If I don't hear enough bass in the room while I am mixing, then there needs to be more bottom put on the mix. In other words the amp IS accurate. Hopefully my experience will help someone else choose or not choose this amplifier.  Definitely next level signal handling 

@micb re "I been on a mission looking for the world’s greatest line stage for over 40 years"

I wouldn’t rush into this, or make a rash, spontaneous decision! Give it a few more decades. 

Kidding aside, your recording studio as described seems like it is amazing!

@micb 

I'd love to hear what kind of cables have you experimented with.