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C10 Reference DAC

Faithful to the Event in Space and Time

The C10 Reference DAC is the point of entry into CH Precision’s ultimate digital front end. Built on our modular, component-additive design ethos, this two-piece DAC establishes a new reference for digital performance even in its most compact form. It is a complete, stand-alone converter for listeners seeking exceptional performance in a self-contained configuration, while its expandable architecture allows it to be configured and upgraded with precision as a system evolves. 

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The C10 advances CH Precision’s proven R-2R conversion architecture to a new level of refinement. Its dual-differential DSQ™ Phase Array employs sixteen precision resistor networks, driven by our proprietary PEtER algorithm, a 32-bit fixed-point DSP engine that prepares the signal for final 24-bit conversion. Data is fed sequentially across the array, a topology that demands exact timing control. Following conversion, a CH-engineered Bessel filter preserves temporal integrity by maintaining constant group delay with tolerance measured in femtoseconds. With oversampling extended to 64×, the C10 sets a new benchmark for time-domain precision and musical naturalness.

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PEtER Upsampling Spline Filter

Music is not experienced as data. It unfolds as attacks, decays, harmonics, and spatial cues, all dependent on precise timing. CH Precision’s objective in the C10 is exacting: faithful reconstruction of the musical event in space and time.

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Every DAC must upsample and filter digital data to reconstruct a continuous analog waveform. In conventional digital design, those stages force compromises among frequency response, phase behavior, impulse response, and ringing suppression. Each choice reshapes the waveform in time. Even very expensive DACs often respond by offering multiple filters, asking the listener to choose a preferred compromise. CH Precision developed a different solution.

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Waveform reconstruction in the C10 begins with the proprietary PEtER Upsampling Spline Filter. Developed entirely in-house, PEtER—Polynomial Equations to Enhance Resolution—restores the waveform’s natural curvature and continuity with far greater fidelity than conventional interpolation methods. It preserves each original sample value while sharply reducing the spurious energy introduced by traditional digital filters.

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Pre- and post-ringing are essentially eliminated without phase distortion. Attacks emerge with greater clarity and immediacy. Decays unfold more naturally. Harmonic structures remain coherent. Low-level spatial information resolves with greater stability, dimensionality, and scale. Silence stays black because the waveform carries far less temporal smear.

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By preserving the time domain with this degree of rigor, the C10 reproduces music with uncommon believability.

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Differential Conversion, Perfectly Controlled

The C10 Reference DAC’s DSQ™ Phase Array is built around sixteen precision R-2R resistor networks: eight per channel, with four handling the non-inverted signal and four the inverted counterpart. Each network is fabricated on a common silicon substrate, ensuring geometric and thermal consistency across all elements. This shared foundation minimizes the microscopic variations in spacing and temperature that can compromise linearity, preserving long-term stability and channel symmetry.

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Within the array, each ladder is switched in a precisely controlled sequence to maintain balance, uniform current distribution, and dynamic consistency across the full conversion process. This disciplined management of the resistor networks suppresses the subtle mismatches that can generate harmonic distortion, noise modulation, and low-level instability in conventional R-2R implementations.

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The conversion stage preserves the integrity of the signal from transient attack to final decay with exceptional precision and coherence. It is this combination of substrate-level uniformity, differential symmetry, and tightly controlled array behavior that defines the C10’s character: a digital source of uncommon resolution, stability, and naturalness.

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CH Precision C10 Silver Up Shot
Tailored for Your System.
Ready for What Comes Next.

The C10 Reference DAC’s modular architecture allows the digital front end to be configured around the needs of a given system, whether at the time of purchase or later as those needs evolve. Three identical input slots provide substantial flexibility. Every C10 comes equipped with CH Precision’s proprietary Digital Input HD board (DIG_HD_IN) as standard, leaving two additional slots available for expansion. 

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The C10 can be fitted with an optional Ethernet Streaming HD board for high-resolution playback from networked sources via UPnP or Roon, along with direct access to streaming services including Qobuz, TIDAL, and Internet radio. CH Precision’s proprietary streaming architecture preserves signal integrity, timing precision, and musical coherence through a fully integrated design. A dedicated USB board (USB_IN) can be added for USB audio playback. An optional Clock Board (CLOCK_SYNC) provides one clock input and two outputs via high-quality BNC connectors, enabling integration with external time references such as CH’s T10 Time Reference. The remaining slot may also be used for an additional Digital Input HD board when required.

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These options allow the C10 to be specified with precision from the outset, then expanded later as system requirements evolve, without disrupting the integrity of its original architecture.

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That same architecture reflects CH Precision’s long-term commitment to its customers. A C10 can be advanced all the way to full C10 Statement DAC specification with no price penalty, preserving both value and the confidence that a clear path remains open as ambition grows.

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The C10 Reference Mono DAC

The C10 Reference Mono DAC is a three-box system, with two dedicated DAC chassis and two independent external power supplies. Each channel is given its own complete conversion and power platform, extending CH Precision’s dual-mono architecture to its fullest expression.

The addition of the second power supply provides each channel greater isolation, lower noise, and freedom from the load-related interactions inherent in shared-power operation. With left and right channels fully separated in both signal path and power delivery, the electrical environment becomes more stable and less susceptible to interference.

The musical result is greater spatial precision, stronger image stability, finer dynamic shading, and more natural harmonic development. Bass gains grip and articulation. Low-level detail emerges more clearly. The entire presentation becomes more effortless, expansive, and resolved.

In mono configuration, the C10 Reference DAC realizes the full benefit of dedicated resources for each channel, bringing music forward with greater authority, coherence, and truth.

Document and Firmware Downloads

A resource built with the same precision and care that define our instruments, the CH Precision Downloads area provides access to the most recent manuals, firmware updates, spike installation guides, and product brochures. Each document reflects our engineering culture—meticulous in detail, exact in purpose, and designed to ensure that every component performs precisely as intended.

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These materials are intended to support owners and partners in configuring, maintaining, and optimising their CH systems. Should you have any questions or require further assistance, we encourage you to contact your authorised CH Precision dealer or reach out directly through our Technical Support form. Our teams are committed to providing the same standard of excellence in service that we apply to our engineering—so that every listening experience remains true to the performance we envisioned.

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Specifications

General

  • Type: Dual-chassis digital-to-analog converter

  • Options:

    • Additional digital input HD board

    • USB audio board

    • Ethernet streaming HD board

    • Clock sync board

  • Upgrade path:

    • Dual-mono DAC (Separate left and right power supplies, 3 chassis)

  • Color: Silver (standard), Anthracite or Champagne (option)

  • Dimensions: 440 x 440 x 133 mm (W x D x H), all units (DAC, Power Supply)

  • Weight: 20kg (DAC) + 23kg (power supply)

  • Operating conditions: 5°C<T<35°C, 5%<humidity<85% no condensation

  • Power supply: Selectable 100V, 115V or 230V AC, 47Hz to 63Hz

  • Power consumption: <0.5W standby, 120W max in operation

 

User interface

  • Display: 800 x 480 pixels, 24 bit RGB AMOLED

  • Control: 5-button interface, Infrared remote control, Android app (iOS app to be released)

  • Firmware update: via USB flash drive or the Internet

 

Digital input

  • Type:

    • 1x CH Link HD, 1x AES/EBU (XLR), 1x S/PDIF (RCA), 1x S/PDIF (TOSLINK) per Digital input board (1x standard)

    • 1x USB type B per USB input board (optional)

    • 1x RJ-45 on Streaming HD input board (optional)

  • Sampling rate:

    • CH Link HD: PCM 44.1kHz to 768kHz, DSD 2.8224MHz to 22.5792MHz

    • S/PDIF, AES/EBU: PCM 44.1kHz to 192kHz, DSD 2.8224MHz (DoP format)

    • Ethernet: PCM 44.1kHz to 768kHz, DSD 2.8224MHz to 22.5792MHz

    • USB:  PCM 44.1kHz to 384kHz, DSD 2.8224MHz to 5.6448MHz (DoP format)

  • Bit depth: PCM 16 to 32 bit, DSD 1 bit

  • MQA: Full MQA decoding (unfolding and rendering) at 24bit/705.6kHz or 768kHz

  • File Format:

    • PCM: WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, AAC and MP3

    • DSD: DSF and DFF

  • Services:

    • Local: UpnP/DLNA, Roon ready, Audirvana compatible

    • Streaming: Qobuz connect, Tidal connect, Web radio

 

DAC

  • Conversion type: DSQ R-2R, 24 bit /  2.8224 MHz, 8 DAC per channel

  • Upsampling filter: Proprietary ultra-short, low-ringing, time-optimized, synchronous, 32-bit fixed-point PEtER algorithm

  • Clocking option: clock master or synchronization to reference clock or optical disc transport

 

Analog Output

  • Type: 1x Balanced XLR, 1x single-ended RCA per channel

  • Level: High (5VRMS), Mid (2.5VRMS) or Low (1VRMS) on RCA output (twice as much on XLR output), user selectable

  • Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: <0.003% (@ 20Hz-20kHz, A-weighted)

  • Bandwidth: DC to 155kHz (-3dB)

  • Signal-to-noise ratio (@ 20Hz-20kHz, A-weighted):

    • >121dB, High output level

    • >120dB, Mid output level

    • >117dB, Low output level

  • Noise (on XLR output):

    • <9μVRMS, High output level

    • <5μVRMS, Mid output level

    • <3μVRMS, Low output level

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A Platform for Discovery.
A Portal to Music.

The C10 DAC stands as a state-of-the-art digital converter, an apex of CH Precision’s engineering, time-domain research, and conversion architecture. Its significance extends beyond stand-alone performance. The C10 is the foundation of a digital system designed to grow, evolve, and deepen in capability without abandoning its original architecture.

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Each stage of that path builds on the same foundation. Every addition extends the C10’s inherent strengths while preserving the precision, stability, and musical coherence established by the DAC itself. The architecture remains additive, time-aligned, and continuous from the first C10 configuration to full C10 Statement DAC realization.

 

From its proprietary spline-based filter to its rigorously isolated power architecture, the C10 is engineered to preserve temporal integrity and reveal the expressive depth of recorded music. In a world of shifting formats and transient solutions, it is built to endure, to evolve, and to remain musically relevant for years to come.

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