L10 Reference Line Preamplifier
Redefining the Reference: The Evolution of Precision
With the L1 Line Preamplifier, CH Precision set a new benchmark for musical transparency, realism, and control—a reference point that continues to define the category. To surpass it, the CH engineering team returned to first principles, drawing on decades of collective expertise to reimagine the Line Preamplifier from within.
The L10 Reference Line Preamplifier retains the essential architecture of its sibling: fully discrete, balanced circuitry, ultra-short signal paths, software-defined control, and advanced power regulation. But every element has been reassessed and refined. Signal paths are even shorter and cleaner. Every component, no matter how small, has been reconsidered and, where possible, improved. A new, purpose-built power supply delivers significantly greater regulation and storage. Feedback topology is now user-selectable, and proprietary software compensates for DC offset between connected components—pushing performance even further.
The result is not merely an evolution of the L1, but a redefinition of what a line preamplifier can be. With extraordinary resolution, a vanishingly low noise floor, and a more natural tonal balance, the L10 conveys the full expressive range of music with effortless command. Its emotional immediacy, spatial precision, and tonal realism bring recordings to life with uncanny presence. True to CH Precision’s design philosophy, it also offers extensive configurability, upgradeability to a four-chassis monaural topology, and a full-function control interface—delivering an experience as complete in execution as it is compelling in sound.
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The Architecture of Precision
The L10 Reference Line Preamplifier is a study in how uncompromising engineering can yield not just technical excellence, but profound musical insight. From its innovative volume architecture to its intelligent control systems and exceptional power supply, every element has been meticulously refined to preserve the integrity of the signal and enhance the listening experience.
At the heart of the L10 is CH Precision’s fully discrete, fully balanced analog architecture, now enhanced by a volume control system that redefines precision. Rather than relying on conventional post-gain attenuation, the L10 employs a current-domain R‑2R ladder network, offering precise 0.5 dB steps across a remarkable 141 dB dynamic range. A dedicated I/V conversion stage follows, preserving signal integrity while delivering extraordinary control and resolution. With further shortened signal paths and meticulous refinement, this volume control becomes essential not only to the L10’s clarity and low noise floor, but to its effortless dynamic flow, tonal nuance, and natural musical expression.
This analog purity is supported by a comprehensive suite of software-driven features that bring both flexibility and intelligence to the L10. Through the front panel interface or CH-Control app, users can tailor feedback topology, compensate for DC offset, and configure multi-chassis operation with seamless precision. These control layers operate silently and efficiently, without imposing on the signal path. The result is a preamplifier that responds not just to the source or the system, but to the listener’s evolving expectations—intuitive to use, uncompromising in performance, and engineered for the long arc of ownership.
Where Precision Meets Power
While most preamplifiers draw modest power and are engineered accordingly, the L10 was designed with a radically different philosophy. Its dual transformers and massive 700,000 µF of energy storage place it in a category of its own—surpassing the power supply capacity of many of the world’s most ambitious power amplifiers.
Yet scale alone is not the story. The L10’s power supply architecture features complete galvanic isolation between all stages, eliminating interstage interference and preserving absolute signal integrity. This deliberate separation allows the analog circuitry to operate with extraordinary resolution, tonal finesse, and vanishingly low noise. It is not merely robust—it is foundational. Power, in the L10, is not about excess but about precision, control, and the freedom to reveal music in its most natural form.
The result is not just clean power—it is an uncompromised electrical foundation that allows music to unfold with extraordinary authority, tonal nuance, and emotional immediacy. This is engineering in service of expression, where silence, scale, and control converge to form something far greater than the sum of its parts.
Precision with a Path Forward
As with every CH Precision component, the L10 was conceived not as a fixed design, but as a platform—one capable of evolving alongside both the system and its owner. Its modular architecture allows for upgrades that are not merely technical, but musically consequential. The L10 begins as a stereo dual-mono Line Preamplifier, but can easily be expanded into a four-chassis dual monaural array. The L10 responds intuitively to the demands of the system, the intentions of the listener, and the arc of the owner’s long-term aspirations.
The L10's full-function control interface offers intuitive access to deep functionality, allowing the listener to shape the experience without ever stepping outside the purity of the signal path. This is performance shaped by precision, not complication.
And while flexibility and expandability may be expected from CH Precision, what sets the L10 apart is how effortlessly it marries these attributes to truly extraordinary musical performance. Tonal purity, dynamic fluidity, spatial integrity—each emerges with a sense of purpose and poise that is both technically astonishing and emotionally immediate.
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.
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.
International Press Honors
A New Reference for Musical Precision
The L10 Reference Preamplifier is the result of a complete reimagining of the line-stage, shaped by decades of engineering insight and a clear return to first principles. While it builds on the core architecture of the L1, every element—from signal path to power supply—has been reassessed, refined, and in many cases, completely reengineered.
From its current-mode R‑2R volume control and fully discrete analog topology to its massive, galvanically isolated power supply and intelligent software control, the L10 introduces a number of technical firsts in the category. These innovations aren’t just theoretical—they are foundational. Together, they yield a preamplifier of astonishing transparency, tonal realism, and emotional immediacy. The result is not an incremental improvement, but a transformative musical experience—one that redefines what’s possible from a control component.
Specifications
General
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Type: Dual-chassis preamplifier
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Upgrade path: Addition of a 2nd L10 for dual monaural operation
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Color: Silver (standard), Anthracite or Champagne (option)
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Dimensions: 440 x 440 x 133 mm (W x D x H), both units (preamplifier, power supply)
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Weight: 19kg (preamplifier) + 23kg (power supply)
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Operating conditions: 5°C<T<35°C, 5%<humidity<85% no condensation
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Power supply: Selectable 100V, 115V or 230V AC, 47Hz to 63Hz
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Power consumption: <0.5W standby, 90W nominal
User interface
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Display: 800 x 480 pixels, 24 bit RGB AMOLED
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Control: Dual concentric encoder with push function or 5-button interface, Infrared remote control, Android app (iOS app to be released)
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Firmware update: via USB flash drive or the Internet
Analog input
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Type: 4x balanced XLR, 2x single-ended RCA, 2x single-ended BNC per channel
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Impedance: 94kΩ or 600Ω (balanced), 47kΩ or 300Ω (single-ended)
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Level: 16VRMS maximum (balanced), 8VRMS maximum (single-ended)
Analog Output
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Type: 2x balanced XLR, 1x single-ended RCA, 1x single-ended BNC per channel
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Level: 20VRMS maximum (balanced), 10VRMS maximum (single-ended)
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Bandwidth: DC to >1MHz (-3dB), volume=0dB, 0dBu input signal
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Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: <0.0008% (@ 22Hz-22kHz, A-weighted)
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Signal-to-noise ratio: >141dB (@ 20Hz-20kHz, A-weighted)
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Noise (volume=0dB, 27Ω input termination, 20Hz-20kHz, A-weighted):
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<1.8μVRMS (on balanced output)
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<1.3μVRMS (on single-ended output)
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Voltage control: -99.5dB to +18dB